Humanitarian interpreting: Covering the last mile in interpreting action

The Health Communication Research Unit will host a presentation to be delivered by Professor Barbara Moser-Mercer (University of Geneva).

 Billions are being spent on humanitarian action, but the bulk of the cost for humanitarian response will be borne by local and domestic actors. There will be a mix of local, national, regional and international actors who coordinate crisis and disaster response.

But nowhere in this new humanitarian response in architecture is there any mention of how this diversity of actors will ensure smooth coordination across the aid spectrum and good communication with beneficiaries.

This presentation will unpack the challenges for humanitarian communication on the last mile, the expectations and hopes of beneficiaries, the standard operating procedures of NGOs and INGOs as they implement programs in the field, and identify ways in which humanitarian interpreters contribute to quality crisis response and how to support them in enhancing their skill sets despite operating in crisis mode.

The presentation will provide an introduction to the various dimensions of humanitarian interpreting and then engage participants in working on specific dimensions of the topic with a view to finding creative solutions embedded in international humanitarian law and that are responsive to the realities of fragile contexts.

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