November 20th was the 75th anniversary -

of an entire profession! My profession.

On that day, seventy-five years ago, the Nuremberg Trials opened. This was a momentous occasion. It was the first time many had heard about the atrocities committed by the Third Reich, during that trial when the perpetrators of those crimes were called to account publicly.

November 20th was a date of many firsts:

November 20th was a date of many firsts:

🖋️ the first time that genocide was argued in court

🖋️ the first time that crimes against humanity were argued in court

🎧 and this was the beginning of the profession we now know as conference interpreting.

Until then, simultaneous interpreting at conferences had been experimented with. The International Labor Organization had tried it out in the 1920s. The Comintern had also tried it at their meetings in the Soviet Union. There were individual experiences in other countries as well.

But Nuremberg was the first time so many across the world understood how simultaneous interpreting could be used. It was the first time so many interpreters - without any training in working in real time, immediately, without waiting - were seen by so many, doing a job that allowed justice to be served.

Several interpreters from the trial became founding members of our professional association: the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC) - and once there was an association to help decide how to train conference interpreters, and working conditions that were safe for all sides, the profession was born!

Today we still help you understand

Today, conference interpreters still help ensure justice and human rights in the International Criminal Court and other specialized international courts.

We give access to important information for people all over the world by interpreting at sessions that allow scientists to work together to combat the use of chemical weapons, and press conferences to let the world know the latest information and trends in fighting Covid-19.

And, most importantly, we can also help you take your message across language and cultural barriers.

Ensure that your interpreter has been vetted by their peers, has experience, and follows best practices - including confidentiality for your meetings! #AIIC

If you liked this article, please connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliapoger/ - and we can continue the conversation!