Volunteer Interpreters: Facilitating International Conversations
“I wanted to become an interpreter because I have always been fascinated by the power of words and the way they can connect people. It has become clear to me that interpreting brings people together, facilitates understanding across cultures, and serves as a discreet yet essential link. Interpreting means listening deeply, understanding with sensitivity, and providing a voice to those who would otherwise be unable to communicate with each other. It is a responsibility, but above all a privilege.”
Sonia, volunteer interpreter
ATD Fourth World continues to explore ways to overcome poverty through its various projects, research and studies, particularly in the fields of education, environment, health, housing, and other social issues. What unites us and gives us strength is our commitment to ensuring that every project not only has an impact on the ground but is also understood by everyone. That is why we strive to organise multilingual meetings, ensuring that each participant, regardless of their mother tongue, can fully express themselves and understand the discussions. This gives ATD Fourth World the capacity to act internationally and across cultures.
How do we do this? We overcome language barriers with the support of volunteer interpreters.
Choosing the right word and interpreting accurately are not easy tasks. Nevertheless, each volunteer interpreter always strives to do their best, whether it is conveying the voice of a mother living in extreme poverty, that of a country’s leader, or supporting members of ATD Fourth World in their work. Our meetings are engaging and insightful because participants can fully grasp what the interpreters convey.
Interpreters do a lot of work in the booths1. We are grateful for the time and the support they give, which enables us to work toward our goal of eradicating poverty around the world. This article highlights some of their experiences. We dedicate it to all our professional interpreters.
Marjorie Orcullo, Language Services Coordinator
Bridging the gap
“For me as an interpreter, conference interpreting means listening with undivided attention, understanding beyond words, and conveying the meaning in another language, faithfully and accurately. It means becoming the voice of a foreign language, the faithful echo of shared ideas. It means erasing the distance between languages and weaving an invisible link between those who speak to each other without understanding each other. It may sound a little poetic, but that’s how I feel about it”, explains Sonia, who interprets between French and Spanish.
Elizabeth, an interpreter between French and English says:
“Interpretation is about facilitating communication between two people who do not speak the same language.”
She adds, “I like to help communicate by breaking down language barriers. In November 2023, at the Family Advocacy Project event in Pierrelaye, [France], there were ATD Fourth World Activists, Allies, and Volunteer Corps members. They were all able to work closely together thanks to the interpreters.”
Étienne explains: “By interpreting with ATD Fourth World, I feel like I am doing my part to help people communicate for causes I believe in. Without the language barrier, volunteer corps members and activists have more time to focus on their thoughts and actions.” This is why he finds the time to interpret for ATD Fourth World. He tells us: “Either I schedule slots in advance to interpret with ATD Fourth World, or I take advantage of less hectic times in my work to lend a hand. […] Also, being a translator or interpreter can sometimes be lonely, and the ATD Fourth World community —which you feel invited to join when you come to interpret or interpret online — has a positive impact.”
The human side of interpreting is what inspired Harriet to pursue a degree in interpreting. She says:
“I interpreted for an organisation that worked with unaccompanied migrant children, and I realised how essential and reassuring interpreting can be for a client. That’s when I decided I wanted to pursue a career in interpreting, and I ended up enrolling last year.”
Behind-the-scenes contributors to large-scale projects
Our volunteer interpreters generously give their time, allowing us to work on unique and innovative projects that enable people living in poverty to participate in decisions that directly affect them. Here are some of the highlights that have left a lasting impression on our interpreters:
Florencia remembers: “I interpreted on October 17, 2024, an event which is of great importance to ATD and which also opened my eyes to the difficulties faced by people who do not have identity documents.” Reflecting on her work as an interpreter, she says,
“I find that through my interpreting, I am doing my small part in the huge amount of work required to overcome poverty.”
With their sensitivity and discretion, they enable ATD Fourth World to convey its message effectively. Étienne tells us: “Interpreting means being present and helping people understand each other. It involves listening to people speak, paying attention to context, body language, and everything that conveys meaning and then translating all of this into a language people can understand. I have always enjoyed studying languages, and after participating in interpreting workshops, I immediately appreciated this role of helping others from a slightly removed position.”
He shares with us a memorable moment he experienced while interpreting for ATD Fourth World: “It was an online Merging of Knowledge session on the theme of violence against women in poverty in Bolivia. […] During this session, the speakers talked about their entire research journey, methodology, and all the work carried out by academics, domestic workers and ATD members. It was a moment to present the progress made, which I found very powerful and inspiring.”
One of Sonia’s highlights is also related to the Merging of Knowledge. She tells us:
- “It was during the international conference “Poverty, Social Criticism and Merging of Knowledge” [at the University Paris-Cité, in December 2022]. I had to interpret for a human rights advocate, who spoke for almost an hour. I had to do it alone because my colleague in the booth was on the stage providing consecutive interpreting for one of the guests at the roundtable. […] I treated this situation, where no one could replace me, as a great challenge to take on.”
In our meetings, we ensure that interpreters have good working conditions. Speakers must speak clearly, respect the time and pace, have appropriate equipment for good sound, and provide any necessary documents in advance.
Dignity and humanity
When we asked the interpreters why they chose to work with us, several mentioned the importance of human dignity. Harriet explains:
“Dignity is inherently human, which means it involves collaboration, mutual support and positive interactions. This human action — shared action — is what enables people to attain the dignity we all deserve and need.”
Sonia tells us:
“When you encounter ATD Fourth World, you discover that poverty is not just a lack of money, but exclusion, silent humiliation, and a daily struggle for dignity. We learn that poverty is not a sign of personal failure, but often the result of deep injustices and invisible mechanisms that trap people. By interpreting in ATD meetings, we also understand that people living in extreme poverty are the key experts of their own lived experiences, and that the work to overcome poverty cannot be fair without their voices and participation.”
She goes on to say: “A professional interpreter can help the work to overcome poverty […] by offering their skills to those who often don’t have a voice. […] Their role then becomes much more than a simple translation: it is a concrete act of justice, dignity, and solidarity.”
Anne also sees that her contribution helps to support the dignity of each person. She says: “While interpreting for ATD Fourth World, I realised that I could focus my professional practice on causes that are important to me.” She goes on to share with us: “Giving those who are most vulnerable a voice means recognising them, but also recognising the humanity that we all share, and spreading that message.”
At one meeting, a mother from Mauritius who was attending one of the multilingual meetings said: “It was very moving to understand another mother just like me, speaking in a different language, but I was able to understand her in my language thanks to the interpretation. Her story reflects our daily lives — our difficult lives! Listening to her gave me the courage to speak!”
Our members understand one another and encourage one another, thanks to interpreters who accurately reflect their words and give them a voice.
Are you a language enthusiast and an experienced interpreter? Would you like to support our multilingual meetings? Please email us on our contact page and make sure to select ‘Volunteer interpreting’ as the subject of your message.