Earlier this morning the Twittersphere exploded with a series of tweets from the Head of Delegation Orientation which suggested that no translators had been provided for the non-English speaking delegates. In fact, as GC2012 Business Manager Alan Morrison confirmed, translators were to be provided but for some reason were late in arriving at the Convention Center.
One of the great things about a General Conference is that when issues arise, delegates, staff, and observers are quick to jump in and help. Mr. Morrison reported that they were able to start the briefing through the good graces of some volunteers who assumed translation duties until the official translators arrived.
Providing translation services for several hundred non-English speaking persons to allow for full participation in all aspects of GC2012 can be a difficult task in coordination and logistics. Staff from the General Board of Global Ministries coordinate the work of providing for translation services , supervising a team of paid and volunteer translators.
