Did you understand what I just said?

You’ve probably seen it before—rub a balloon on your hair, and static electricity crackles to life. Look around, and you’ll find it everywhere: from volcanic eruptions and coffee grinders to bees gathering pollen and even planet formation. However familiar it might seem, and despite centuries of research, static electricity still has us scratching our heads.

What happens when people don’t share a language but need to build trust fast? In refugee transit zones or crisis counselling, interpreters do more than interpret: they help foster safety and enable connection beyond words. This talk introduces the Erasmus+ project ReTrans, which developed training tools for interpreters in humanitarian settings, and a PhD project on interpreter-mediated counselling in Austria’s Violence Protection Centres. It explores how interpreters support inclusive systems—where language becomes a bridge, not a barrier. Join me in exploring the space between languages.