ARÇ’s Plans to Contribute after February 20th
Although ARÇ (the Emergency and Disaster Interpreters, affiliated to the Translation and Interpreting Association – Türkiye) has concluded the voluntary operations it conducted between 6 and 19 February 2023 following the devastating earthquakes of 6 February 2023, it continues to follow developments in the field and offer support.
The support now offered by ARÇ does not include the coordination, deployment and tracking of new interpreters in the field. From now on, longer-term interpreting tasks being carried out in the affected zone may be undertaken on a voluntary or paid basis. ARÇ will not serve as the main or joint coordinator of any paid interpreting work. In accordance with the framework explained below, we may though still provide support on a voluntary basis for the ongoing paid or voluntary interpreting tasks at the site.
For parties that accept the framework outlined below, we are ready to offer the support detailed further on. Working conditions should be determined in line with the agreements reached between the parties involved, and ARÇ will not bear any role or responsibility for the relationship between these parties.
Parties that ARÇ is able to support at this stage:
*Any of the interpreters deployed to the field by ARÇ during the first 2 weeks of the emergency response who continue to work on site on a voluntary or paid basis.
*Professionally competent interpreters who have not yet worked under the coordination of ARÇ but who would like to work on a voluntary or paid basis.
*Translation and interpreting initiatives (other than translation bureaus) who undertake their own coordination and deployment and who are willing to establish productive relationships with ARÇ.
*Humanitarian aid organisations in need of interpreters (this is valid for organisations that reach us directly or we have direct contact with)
Support that ARÇ is able to provide at this stage:
1. Helping to establish communication and the flow of information between humanitarian aid organisations with whom we make first hand contact and the interpreters who might assist them in their operations.
2. Announcing emerging demands for interpreters through the “ARÇ Field Coordination” WhatsApp group we established at the very start of the emergency response phase.
3. On their request, including other interpreters working in the field in the “ARÇ Field Coordination” WhatsApp group.
We have maintained our post-operational activities within the framework outlined above until the end of March 2023. In the following period, we have continued to follow the developments in general and we still review and evaluate the possibility of support in case of any request for concrete needs.
Last Updated: 20.02.2023