Publications and IAGP symposium.

[Adam Blatner]

Paola De Leonardis   (Email: paoladeleonardis at fastwebnet.it)   in Italy wrote: At the forthcoming International Association of Group Psychotherapy and Group Process conference coming up in Rome in late August, 2009, I hope we will be able to realize a real Encounter between editors, authors, and interested people in Rome---especially at a symposium I've organized. 
    Here is the abstract: Title of the symposium: Anglo-American psychodrama and Latin-American psychodrama: scientific communication in a time of (internal) conflicts?
      In the last decades, Morenian thought has been throughly analysed and has received a more organic settlement. In some cases it got a significant development through the connection with other psychological and social disciplines. Quite a large number of good books about  psychodrama have been published and  some good scientific journals are periodically  issued in the world, containing researches, reflections, experiences. Nevertheless circulation of all that job  is often limited to very small circles of reading public. Moreover, in the psychodramatists' world we have the feeling  that two ranks are more or less indirectly  facing themselves: the Anglo-American psychodramatist rank and the Latin-American psichodramatist one, with many European and Middle East and Far East  allies in both sides. The two branches often reciprocally ignore, they act “as if” the contribution of the “other part of the world” couldn’t be efficaciously integrated. While this is certainly not a declared conflict, it might be a latent conflict. This Symposium intends to promote an exchange on these matters and to invite to an Encounter all the psychodramatists  who work either with paper’s or on-line scientific journals. Main purposes: to discuss the state of art in psychodramatic studies and  in scientific communication,  to share our experiences, and to explore the ways of better co-operation. The participants are kindly requested to bring with them journals and other scientific material. The co-ordinator is since ten years Editor of  “Psicodramma Classico”, the scientific journal of the Italian Psychodrama Association (www.aipsim.it). Key words: psychodrama, scientific communication


        Paola continues, " This is a slightly provocative title, for a Symposium that is looking for Encounter, but we all know that authentic exchanging and communicating may be a challenge. What can you suggest in order to make that Encounter a better chance for a significant "working toghether" and working in progress"?

 1. Passing this along also to the grouptalk community. 
 2. My comments (Adam Blatner): 
       a. I'm aware of not conflict per se, in terms of issues. You are right that there is a lack of coordination, but I think this is mainly because of a lack of people who can and are also willing to expend the time doing translations. Zoli Figush's two books about psychodrama in Brazil now translated into English are wonderful contributions! My inclusion of a history of psychodrama in Brazil on my website is a feeble effort. 
      b. The lack of numbers subscribing and the lack of contributors has led the previous publisher of the Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama and Sociometry to abandon publication and there are efforts at present to re-start the journal with another publisher. A side theme has been not only the general confusion and mild demoralization about this, but the previous few years in which there were just not enough submissions. Other themes include: If there was a submission, and the author was asked to revise it because it needed further editing, some just put it off and/or felt rejected. 
     c. If others can actually identify any conflcts, name them specifically, that might help. It may be that what seems like conflict is a premature diagnosis of a slump in the academic - publishing efforts at least in the USA. People are worried about money, tend to retreat into their own concerns, and inadequate surplus energy is given to the many components of maintaining and promoting group cohesion, Professional Society administrative affairs, attendance at conferences, and so forth. It is hoped that some renewal of many types of efforts may emerge, perhaps in the backwash of a renewed idealism from the national political scene (i.e., the new President Obama). 
   d. There is a need for many components of this re-enlivened infrastructure.
        (1) Horatiu Albini's extensive website work for the Federation of European Trainers (FEPTO) offers a good example. We need more people to volunteer extra time---with great gratitude and recognition for Horatiu' s heroic contributions!--- to pursue a variety of sub-tasks.
        (2) While I cannot afford to attend the Rome conference, I can post photographs. Many people haven't yet contributed photos or if they have, offered captions for these photos on the photo directory on my website.
        (3) I'd be willing to give these files to anyone else who would maintain and support a photo website. Or perhaps others might do likewise for their parts of the world and we could cross-link. Whatever will help.
        (4). In a similar vein, I would like to see some willingness to take the time to compose a paragraph of 100 words or so just to keep the rest of the world informed of what is happening in your country. I have asked for help this way repeatedly and only occasionally get any kind of response. Please see on my website the international psychodrama news webpages.
       (5) please submit news especially of new publications: We need specific information for people who might wish to subscribe to journals or obtain books---where can they be found. A casual announcement of a new book may not be adequate because it lacks specific information for those who wish to know more or purchase. The model webpage of psychodrama books available is also on my website. 
    It would be nice if other folks had websites again that we could cross-link, listing available books in German, Spanish, Portugese, and other languages. 
        
   ... as we warm up to the theme, probably other ideas might be brought forward, too!      Thoughts? Warmly, Adam Blatner  
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