Abstract
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Local Organizing and Scientific Committee, I would like to announce the 2014 EGATIN Study Days, and invite all of you to take part in this event which will take place in Belgrade, Serbia on April 25-27th 2014.
In October 2013, it will be 25 years from the official founding of EGATIN and the signing of its constitution. The theme of the 2014 EGATIN Study Days is “Group Analytic Identity and Training” and it reflects this, 25th Anniversary Year. We, IGA Belgrade’s group analysts are happy to host this important event, and celebrate it together with respected and dear founding members, as well as colleagues who develop group analytic institutions in their own countries, or founded it in others by overseas training, and contributed to the development of EGATIN. We invite trainees from different countries too, to share experience of learning about ourselves through common group analytic language.
When Foulkes held his first group analytic session and described it as an historical event, the core of group analytic identity was established. Today, when group analysis has been in existence for more than half a century in its own essentials, we rather think about group analytic identity as an ongoing process over time (and space) than something completed. As in an individual, identity is an entity that remains incomplete, always being formed. It arises from lack of wholeness which may be filled with new theoretical sources and fields, or experiences that enrich the group analytic field and broaden its scope, but basically remain in its boundaries. Is that possible? What are the challenges of these processes?
The richness of Group Analytic identity was worked through by many interesting papers, discussions, large group experiences during the EGATIN Study Days held in the last 25 years, including identity of Group Analysis; diversity of group analysis in different cultures; different models of training; comparison of block and weekly training in GA; the importance of median and large groups in training; understanding leadership in GAT; the unconscious in training institutions; questions about diversity of theoretical framework of group analysis; gender issues; issues concerning Democracy in training; future direction of training; history about different institutions; questions about GA becoming an academic discipline; applied group analysis; foundation matrix; Groups in Individual psychoanalytic Training; New approaches in GA theoretical training; capacity of group analysis to adapt to changing times; group analysis as a first choice treatment; issues about power in group analytic treatment and training; and many more.
In the course of the Study Days 2014 we will attempt to enlighten the complexity of group analytic identity today, and its influence on training.
The venue will be at the Serbian Medical Society, a nice, old building that is in the center of Belgrade (George Washington str.) and our IGA Belgrade (Palmoticeva 24) that is across the street.
Please circulate and display the enclosed announcement to your members. We would like to encourage trainees to attend as well. There will be a special meeting for all participating trainees during the meeting and reduced fees for them.
Further information with the program will follow. Our e-mail address is:
Looking forward to welcoming you in Belgrade,