Mobilization of Young Persons from the Nord Pas de Calais for Reception
and Interpretation
Reception of participants coming from all over the world, given that
only a minority of them spoke French, was a considerable challenge: reception
at the airports and train stations, at the hotels, material organization
of the Assembly, individual help to the participants. All of this was
possible through the mobilization of 150 young students,
18 to 20 years old, supervised by their professors at the Institut Universitaire
de Technologie de Valenciennes.
As all the participants were expected to be able to express themselves
in their own language, the Assembly required recruiting more than 200
interpreters. For the most part, they were students on an internship
from the different faculties of the Region. This exceptional mobilization
was made possible thanks to the commitment of the teaching body.
Student interpreters in Lille
The student interpreters that were mobilized came from the University
of Lille III, the ESTICE, the LEA (Applied Foreign Languages) department
of the University of Roubaix, the Catholic Institute of Lille and the
University of Dunkerque.
"Crossing the different continents of the world in one place:
Lille." This awareness, among the student interpreters, of living
and sharing a unique event was a starting point to their participation.
Their first meeting with our guests from all over the world immediately
opened them up to the World Citizens Assembly.
These student interpreters made their knowledge available to the participants,
the journalists, and the organizers. They worked on the interpretation
during workshops, on the logistics for the material, as well as on the
translation work, but also with the participants as guides, interpreters,
and advisers.
They took part in this exceptional meeting, demonstrating both polyvalence
and professionalism, with a pleasure that they shared with the participants.
Students from the IUT of Valenciennes (North) go out and meet the world
The entire second-year class studying "marketing techniques"
at the Institut
Universitaire de Technologie de Valenciennes (North) and their teachers
made the World Citizens Assembly one of their educational objectives for
the school year 2001-2002. As early as the beginning of the school year
in September, 150 students had been mobilized for the preparation
of the World Assembly in Lille. Their curricula had been inspired by
the topics considered for the World Assembly (economic globalization,
fair trade, corporate responsibility, etc.). Guided by a team of four
students in charge of the project, their teachers, and FPH staff, the
students then became involved in the organization of the reception
of the guests in Lille.
Some welcomed participants at the airports, at the station, at the hotels,
at the Assembly venues, and at the marquee. Others were in charge of orientation
at every venue (badges, descriptives). Some helped the workshop facilitators
in their work (summaries, secretarial and administrative work, accounting,
and Web team) and made photo reportages of all the participants both for
the Web site and for the constitution of a photo album photo that was
given to every participant at the closing ceremony. For ten days, they
were at the participants' side and were attentive to their needs with
respect for their linguistic and cultural differences.
"This experience is worth more than a dozen internships!",
"This collective mobilization has sealed strong friendships within
the class": such were the words that were heard throughout the whole
Assembly.
Most students were able to meet, for the first time in their lives, Ecuadorians,
Czechs, or Pakistanis. Dynamic, professional, and efficient, these
students from the Nord-pas-de-Calais met the challenge of hosting the
world at home.
|