International Translation Day / la Journée mondiale de la traduction is an annual initiative of the FIT (Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs / International Federation of Translators) – an international grouping of associations of translators, interpreters and terminologists. More than 100 professional associations and training institutes are affiliated, representing more than 80,000 translators in 55 countries. The goal of the Federation is to promote professionalism in the disciplines it represents.
This year’s theme is…
Translation and Interpreting: Connecting Worlds
Unissant les mondes grâce à la traduction et à l’interprétation
FIT’s message for 2016 is:
“The world of the translator and the world of the interpreter are two professions dedicated to one goal: facilitating communication between people. As the world becomes more integrated, fostering understanding between the multitude of speakers is more critical than ever. Whether it is in writing or in speech. Interpreters and translators are at the junction point that impacts the development of business, science, medicine, technology, international law, politics and a host of other areas. We provide the ability for each of these worlds to learn from each other to the benefit of society as a whole. The role of translators and interpreters in connecting worlds is to open up the whole world to all of us.”
Themes in previous years have been:
2012 – Translation as Intercultural Communication
2013 – Beyond Linguistic Barriers
2014 – Language Rights: Essential to All Human Rights
2015 – The changing face of translation and interpreting
.
Midnight tonight (30 September 2016) is the deadline to submit ideas for the day’s theme in 2017, that will see the XXI World Congress in Brisbane “Disruption and Diversification”. FIT has offered some initial suggestions:
- The Role of Translation and Interpreting in Language Development
- Translation and the Survival of Minority Cultures
- Translation and Localization – A Driving Force for Globalization
Submissions are invited, and should be sent by email to secretariat@fit-ift.org. Entries should include the proposed theme along with an explanation of the motivation behind the theme and what it aims to highlight (in no more than 300 words).
From Words to Deeds: translation & the law 
Hi Juliette, many thanks for this update, but I see on the FIT website that the deadline for submissions has now been extended by one month (to 1 November). Best wishes, Tony Parr
Great news Tony. Could you possibly post a link? I can’t find the extended deadline on their website.
Here it is, Juliette: http://www.fit2017.org/call-for-papers/
See the fifth bullet point in the section headed ‘Submission guidelines’.
Ah ha! I understand the confusion. The deadline referred to in the above post is for suggestions for the theme of next year’s translation day, whereas the link you describe refers, if I understand correctly, to the FIT Congress in Brisbane.
Oops. You’re absolutely right. Apologies for misreading your second post!
No problems at all Tony. Glad we got it clarified – others may have read it that way too as the posts were close together.