Five translators respond to TRNUC’s call for volunteers |13 May 2021
Following its recent public appeal for more volunteers to help with its work, the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission (TRNUC) yesterday stated that it has received the services of five translators.
TRNUC’s chairperson, Gabrielle McIntyre, yesterday morning noted that five people have come forward as volunteers to the commission to assist in conducting translation work and she further expressed her gratitude to those five individuals.
“We would still welcome other people to come forward for translations, archiving, proof reading determinations, research or any other work—we would be extremely grateful,” stated Mrs McIntyre.
The commission’s need for volunteer assistance is due to financial limitations whereby its budget does not give it much leeway in terms of hiring new and key personnel to be able to achieve its mandate.
Prior to yesterday’s announcement in regards to the five translators, the commission did not have an in-house translator on hand, which in turn has led to a heavy backlog in translations.
The commission is not only low on human resource such as interpreters, researchers and legal staff but also on equipment such as computers, and have called for volunteers who will be able to manage the work using their own resources.
This lack of support and resources is surprising for a commission which was deemed crucially important for the country’s wellbeing and national unity only a couple of years ago, upon its establishment.
TRNUC’s current challenges have spurred rumours that either one or a couple of commissioners are planning to put in their resignation.
We contacted a member of the TRNUC who noted that, as far as they know, none of the commissioners have expressed a desire to resign.
The commissioner explained that the commission has only seen a couple of staff resignation which is why the TRNUC is a little bit more short-staffed than when it started.
Although all of its scheduled hearings conducted yesterday were in closed sessions, the TRNUC expects to broadcast several live hearings today most notably that of President Wavel Ramkalawan as a witness in the cases of John Gouffe and Philip Joseph Edouard.
Elsie Pointe