Liona Paulus and Margaret Odhiambo from IDGS at the Sign10 in Trinidad & Tobago

17 December 2024, by Pamela Sundhausen

Photo: UHH/IDGS

For the first time, an international sign language conference took place in the Caribbean, the SIGN10, from 9-12 December 2024 at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad & Tobago. With tropical temperatures and many interested participants from the region, this was a very special event and, for the first time, there was no interpreting service at this conference. Even the venue showed its entertaining side and provided the participants with a small, harmless earthquake. 
Here are Margaret and Liona's personal impressions: 
 
https://www.instagram.com/idgs_uhh/reel/DDujrQjMmD5/
 
Liona:
 
"Hello, Margaret and I are currently together at the Sign 10 conference, which ends today. 
It's been a really interesting few days here in Trinidad & Tobago. It's the first time we've had an all-sign language conference here, without interpretation! That was very impressive.
We have met many different sign language communities from the Caribbean and the rich program was filled with many interesting presentations. One of them dealt with the astonishing spread of a special finger-snapping gesture from Africa, also known as the ‘African Finger Snap’. This  gesture has a wide variety of meanings and is also used as a gesture by hearing people. It originated in Africa, then appeared in South America, found its way to the Caribbean and is now also being spread in Europe through social media."
 
Margaret: 
 
"Hi, I'm also very happy to have been there, what a wonderful experience! There were many exciting presentations and intensive dialogue among the participants. Among many other new impressions, the Caribbean sign for ‘woman’ will certainly remain in my memory: it is really unusual in its form: you indicate a holding of the skirt! The reason for this is that women in the Caribbean traditionally wear skirts and often have to hold them tightly on the windy islands so that they don't blow up."