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INTERPRET

Torture experiences are often referred to as being “too much for words” or “inexpressible.” The atrocities, and the lingering effects, are beyond the scope of the common vocabulary.

SURVIVORS’ clients come to us from all over the geographic and linguistic map. They speak Acholi, Amharic, Chaldean (Aramaic), Dinka, Khmer, French, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and many other languages. Many survivors speak two, three, even four languages fluently, but they need the skills of a trained and compassionate interpreter to lend them a voice in English. To interpret the subtleties of the intense emotion and experience of surviving torture is an art. Interpreters are wordsmiths, artists of human expression.

More than 45 languages are represented in SURVIVORS’ interpreter network. All interpreters receive an orientation to our organization, and a modest hourly payment for the professional work they do. This hourly fee helps to pay tribute to the importance and difficulty of the work.

Word by word, story by story, our interpreters, clinicians, doctors, and staff are together re-building the hope and re-creating the community that survivors and their families need to feel whole and healed. Our interpreters allow the “unspeakable” to become a narrative, and that narrative to become a force against torture. We offer many thanks to the talented individuals who have stepped forward to use their voice as an instrument to end torture.

If you are interested in become an interpreter for SURVIVORS, please fill out an application and contact Crystal Green for more information. All interpreters must also complete a W-9 form, which can be found here. We look forward to hearing from you!