Abstract
Belgrade, 5th to 8th June 2014
The Conference was about the encounter of the three British traditions in groups: group analysis, group relations and therapeutic communities with the title ‘Learning through experience about inclusion and exclusion phenomena in and between the traditions of Bion, Foulkes and Main’.
Marina Mojovic and Bob Hinshelwood were the chairs of the event and Earl Hopper, Malcolm Pines, Hanni Biran, Tija Despotovic, Ivanka Dusnic, Dieter Nitzgen, Luca Mingarelli and myself were the staff members. Each day one of the traditions was explored and the interconnections between them were discussed, although the great majority of the 90 participants had a group analytic training. But many also had a training in group relations.
Marina is a fantastic host who always does her best to make us feel comfortable. This time it was no different and her house, the food and the weather outstanding. She also counts on a wonderful community of students and trainees. It is possible to observe how these young people are well prepared by their teachers and are so mature and sensible. Persons are always the best in Marina’s Conferences and each time I increasingly enjoy this community created and sustained by Marina, Tija, Ivanka, and Jelica.
Nevertheless it is not easy to work in a traumatized country with deep sad feelings existing in their inhabitants. This time the subject of inclusion and exclusion was the main topic and was visible during the conference, the lectures, the small / median groups and in the relationships among the participants and staff. It illustrated how it is difficult to deal with inclusion and exclusion processes. It was not easy…not at all.
In addition acquiring together three giants of group work in England - Earl, Malcolm and Bob – and observing the interaction among them was an incredible learning process. For me it was a pleasure to learn from them…
This time Earl’s participation was fundamental in conducting the large group and now, a few days after the end of the Conference, I can tell you that Earl was ‘dangerously’ well inspired. Let me explain. In Serbia the lack of father figures is a huge problem because during the 20th century men perished in many bloody wars. In counterpart, leadership in the country is problematic. Serbia had controversial father figures like Tito and Milosevic, but also had nice kings and a special Orthodox Patriarch.
During the working days there were many projections towards Bob, Malcolm and Earl and during the LG sessions this was clear and powerful. Earl had to contain all these strong feelings. It was not easy and now I understand that consciously or unconsciously he offered himself, his own body as a receptacle of intense, sometimes aggressive, but necessary projections. He allowed the making use of his person/body image which allowed the disclosure of important contents of the Serbian social unconscious. He was also able to “experience” in loco his fourth basic assumption which was great!
After four strong LG sessions Earl did his presentation, interweaving personal data with theory, which in the end framed the experience giving a special meaning to his courageous participation at the event. He was able to make people project onto him but afterwards to relate with Earl as a person made of flesh and blood. It was part of an important integration process for the community.
Now I understand what he says sometimes about sacrifice (I think that Marina also captures it very well too). His work at the Conference represented a good ‘sacrifice’ of the analyst/man on behalf of a group - representing a whole nation - in search of the safety of a good father figure (a good internal object to be finally introjected). He made his contribution to this and I believe that Malcolm and Bob in their own style contributed also to this so important wish/dream of Serbian Society.
Wars always destroy much more than we can imagine!!!! In Serbia it damaged some core values, and self-esteem that needs to be again cultivated/restored with hope and courage. This is what Marina and her colleagues are doing …. sometimes with the help of some friends.
In sum there is much more to tell, but for now it is enough.