Iiconn.org (1 of 5 points)

I'm a retired UN interpreter and language teacher and have done volunteer work for decades, as I did here for the last year, teaching free English classes. When called upon by IICONN to help with their "interpreter/Translator Training program, with the " language coordinator's" agreement I offered, at an introductory presentation, to offer students free training for 6 Saturdays at the "Institute" , as agreed . A couple of days later, I was dismayed when the coordinator told me that this class would get no certificate ( a common form of recognizing training classes ) from the Institute because" she didn't plan to to take attendance (!?) and had already made one certificate" ( for the introductory session ) and didn't want to make another. She angrily wrote : " Nobody told you to offer to do this for free --Make your own certificate!" --I appealed by email to the "Exec. Director," saying that I'd always taught free classes there, being a volunteer, and that of course the students deserved a certificate--At first it appeared that a compromise was possible , but then the "language coordinator" counterattacked, writing that the real reason she'd denied the certificate was money --that I was interfering with her own classes, the purpose of which was to raise money---and I shouldn't have gone over her head to the Exec. Director--, which wouldn't help anyway, she boasted , because the two were close "collaborators" *( her word ) and SHE was the final decision-maker--When I tried to appeal to the Director again, she said "Thanks for your service and it's time for us to part with you. " She expressed no concern, no regret whatsoever at any the documented facts of the dishonest, abusive actions of her "collaborator"/friend. In earlier incidents that same year, I was not paid for many months for work for which pay was promised . After multiple complaints and questions, the pay finally came and , I was told , the "paymaster" had been released for incompetence. More frustratingly, when I was teaching English classes, one night, the "grants" specialist emailed me ( a retired, volunteer teacher working for free) around midnight one night, telling me to change my lesson completely by the next morning (He'd call at 7 AM to make sure I did that, he wrote ) by downloading a lesson on industrial safety he wanted me to teach to impress a visiting client . I had to respond that this lesson was above the heads of the class , who were women , children and seniors and beginners in English , and were not industrial workers --also, as I told him , I would have had to stay up all night to carry out this strange plan.
Some people at this "Institute" do good work for their immigrant/refugee clients, for sure, but a clique around the Exec. Director never demonstrated any concern whatsoever for the well-being of their clients, or for humane or educationally sound treatment of volunteers, for that matter , when I was there. As was documented in their emails, which I showed the
"Exec. Director," her "collaborator" attacked me nastily, simply for volunteering as I always had for them and other agencies around the region. She then suddenly admitted that it was "about the money" , thus tacitly admitting that she had misled me by at first just claiming ( also bizarrely and unconscionably ) that she simply didn't feel like taking attendance , and that , since she'd recently "made one certificate" she wouldn't make another : She didn't give a hoot about the importance of recognizing these people's hard work ---The three people mentioned above never showed any interest in the well-being of their "clients" in any of my dealings with them , and they showed no interest in ( or even understanding of ) basic rules and standards of education or work in general ( by assuming I would work all night because of one man's midnight whim) --but they were aggressive , adamant and uncompromising when they suddenly decided to attack me for offering free classes as I'd always done in the past -- The only passion and energy I ever saw them demonstrate was when they attacked me for working for free , worked to undermine and ultimately cancel my class in order, as they admitted, to eliminate competition with their "money-making classes," and , lastly, stressed that they were "collaborators, whose final decisions should never be questioned. In this last issue they were dishonest about money , unbelievably rude to me , a senior citizen-volunteer whose only motivation has been to help others through education, and downright obsessive about asserting power and control for the young woman who dissembled in money matters , then admitted she had done so in writing and refused to "make" a routine certificate for a class because "she'd already made one for another activity. Job seekers, prospective interns, well-intentioned innocent young people and senior citizen volunteers alike: If you wish to be treated fairly , honestly or decently , and not to have to struggle in vain against or be pressured to go along with their abusive practices, you should avoid these individuals,

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