Binghamton University Hosts IATIS Regional Workshop on Translation and Intercultural Studies

The conference not only facilitated academic discussions but also showcased Binghamton’s local history. Participants took a guided tour led by Associate Professor Sharon Bryant, who highlighted the significance of the new Harriet Tubman statue and various sites along the Downtown Binghamton Freedom Trail, initiated by Binghamton University in 2021, which details the area's role in the Underground Railroad.

This year's theme was "Translating Resistance: Literary Activism in Conflict and Solidarity," allowing presenters to explore humanitarian topics related to translation, such as historical feminist writings and contemporary poetry addressing political violence. Keynote speaker Professor Samah Selim from Rutgers University delivered a presentation titled "Translating Archives: 'Radical Remembering' and the Politics of Solidarity," discussing her work on the commissioned translation of three books by Egyptian painter and activist Inji Aflatoun. Selim described her project as evolving into a "passion project" that connected her to an important archive of transnational feminism and provided new perspectives on contemporary women's struggles in Egypt.

Throughout her talk, Selim characterized translation as a medium of memory and political labor. This sentiment was echoed by subsequent presentations, including the final one by Professor Omid Ghaemmaghami from Binghamton’s Department of Middle Eastern and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, who stated, "Translation is never neutral. It can frame, it can amplify, and contest, and the act of undertaking it can determine who gets to read a text at all."

The organizers hope that workshops like the IATIS event will continue to foster global discussions on translation, clarifying the roles and responsibilities of translators while examining who and what is translated throughout history.