In an increasingly individualistic world, associations can be our lifeline.
Last week I attended the VIII TRADICAN (Jornadas Canarias de Traducción e Interpretación), an essential conference in the translation sector in Spain, which I had the pleasure of organizing in three consecutive editions. This was the first time I experienced it from the other side, as an assistant and not as an organizer, and I could not help but feel a mixture of sensations, including nostalgia and longing for a past that has contributed so much to where I currently am.
Today I would like to tell you my story with associationism and the reasons why I consider it crucial, not only in Translation and Interpreting, but in any other sector and, of course, in life.
Between 2020 and 2023 I was an active member of AETI, the only Spanish association of Translation and Interpreting students. My years in AETI were a constant learning experience, first as a member of the ULPGC and organizer of TRADICAN, and then as part of the Board of Directors of the association at the national level, as secretary.
After those three years and having organized an online TRADICAN and two face-to-face TRADICANs, I reaffirmed the importance of associationism for several reasons, among which I would highlight the following:
– It brings us closer to the reality of the market and the profession;
– It helps to build up a network of contacts with people in the same sector and with the same concerns;
– It is a constant forum for debate in which, among many other topics, the conditions of the profession are discussed and we join forces to improve them;
– It keeps us abreast of updates, news, and interesting resources related to our profession. We can receive very useful information and also share it with others.
– It gives us a very positive and motivating sense of community, seeing that there are many other people living a similar work situation to ours.
Who knows, maybe if I had not lived this associative experience, I would not be a conference interpreter today, nor would I have met the wonderful people that this profession has put in my way.
Today I thank the 2020 Lara, who decided to open her computer one Sunday afternoon and look for information about AETI. I thank her for her curiosity, her enthusiasm, and her genuine desire to learn, to discover, and to contribute as much as possible. I thank her for the courage and the great amount of time she spent for three years in collaborating for pleasure, and for the passion towards the profession that she felt and still feels.
All those small decisions, which at the time seem insignificant, can lead us down unexpected paths, paths that are sometimes dizzying and turbulent, but in which satisfaction drives us to keep moving forward with enthusiasm.
If you are studying Translation and Interpreting, join an association and create a strong network, because there is nothing more valuable than having people with whom to share concerns, fears, and achievements.
Do you belong to an association or would you like to?
