Page 10 - Healing Voices_za sajt

Healing Voices

Introduction

I leave these interviews really shook up and no way to deal with it,
even if I am fine in the interview and interpret with empathic neutrality.
Interpreter for survivors

Who is a refugee? he purpose of this introductory module is to
Tprovide a clear set of guidelines and basic
The definition of a refugee is someone who: information for interpreters who work with
owing to well-founded fear of being perse- survivors of torture, war, and refugee trauma in
cuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, mental health and other clinical settings.
membership of a particular social group or
political opinion, is outside the country of his The majority of these survivors are refugees ,
1
nationality and is unable or, owing to such asylum seekers (referred to as refugee claimants
fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the pro- or persons in need of protection in Canada), and
tection of that country; or who, not having a asylees (those granted asylum in the U.S.). The
nationality and being outside the country of
his former habitual residence, is unable or, focus of this module will therefore be interpreting in
owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it. mental health settings for this population. However,
this information may be valuable for anyone
—United Nations (UN) interpreting for such survivors in almost any setting.
www.UNrefugees.org
It is estimated that more than 500,000 survivors
of torture have fled their countries of origin and
are now living in the U.S. Similar numbers are likely present in Canada and other nations
around the world that welcome refugees, although exact figures are hard to come by.

According to the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
the UN Refugee Agency, we are living at
a time of the greatest number of displaced
persons in the history of the world. This
is a planet “on the move.” But many do
not choose to leave their homes. They are
forced to move.

The UNHCR estimates that, at the end
of 2021, there were 84 million people
forcibly displaced worldwide (an
estimated 42 percent of those forced over
borders were children), including 26.6

1 For the international definition of “refugee” and basic information about refugees in general, go to
https://www.unrefugees.org/refugee-facts/what-is-a-refugee/

2