WORKING PARTIES COMMITTEE
Background and objectives
Working Parties have been operating in the EPF for a number of years, and, from there, they have been developed in the three IPA regions. Their development and approval in the international community of psychoanalysts came about as a result of the WPs proving to be very useful tools for reflecting on clinical work, developing psychoanalytic listening, understanding concepts and analytic training.
The WPs and Working Groups are devices that stimulate professional development, inter and intraregional integration, as well as Psychoanalysis itself. In this regard, they serve the three strategic objectives of the IPA (the ‘3 Ps’): professionalism, promotion and participation.
It is important to foster the development of the WPs and WGs within the context of the IPA, at least for three reasons: they help to meet the IPA’s strategic objectives (‘3Ps’), they provide the IPA with the opportunity for further scientific activity, beyond the IPACs, and are a good way to reinforce the connection with the Regional Federations (EPF, FEPAL and NAPSAC).
In addition, it is hoped that the WPs and WGs may be encouraged to achieve a greater level of abstraction and conceptualization, going beyond the rich clinical discussions in the workshops. To this end we would ask the members of WPs who are invited to participate in specially organized scientific activities to produce texts in publication format so that these may be published in international scientific journals or in the e-Journal.
We intend also to create bridges between the different WPs and WGs that usually work isolated in their "islands" and also to construct bridges inside each one of the WPs between the groups from different regions. We think that with the activities proposed below, we will be able to promote a dialogue between the working parties, which we consider of the utmost importance since they often work in isolation.
Structure
The proposal is to create a Working Parties Committee (WPC) comprised of a Chair, three Co-Chairs, one from each region and three regular members, one from each region. These should be individuals with knowledge and experience in the WPs of each of the three regions. They will carry out their work principally in virtual meetings via GoToMeeting, and occasionally in person at events and congresses.
It is to be hoped, and it would be favourable, for the WPC to act as a kind of Steering Committee with the coverage and development of the diverse activities of the WPs and WGs as its ultimate purpose.
Activities
- The potential for activities was initially explored alongside the Presidents of the Regional Federations and individuals with experience in WPs and influence in the three regions of the IPA. The idea of further developing and integrating the WPs within the context of the IPA met with an excellent reception.
- On the basis of conversations with the Presidents of the Regional Federations and/or their representatives (NAPSAC), it was thought that we could begin by holding, for example, WP Satellites Symposiums during Federation Congresses and the IPAC. WPs and WGs representatives from the three regions will be invited to take part.
In the case of the IPAC, the IPA would undertake to pay for the meeting rooms and, if possible, one night’s hotel accommodation for each guest and to the organizers, as it is being done for the WPs mediators. In the case of the symposium being held at one of the Federation congresses, the local Federation would undertake to pay for the meeting rooms and would split the cost of travel expenses and one night’s hotel accommodation for guests and members of the WPC from other regions.
A model and an example for a possible Interregional Symposium of Working Parties:
What are the current tools of psychoanalysts? Do they work? What have the WPs and WGs seen in relation to the current practice of psychoanalysis in its different areas (whether technique, theory or training), over their years of operation?
Plenary meeting (in the morning, with the participation of WP representatives from the three regions).
Internal Interregional WP Workshops (in the afternoon, the coordinating groups of a same WP or WG, from the three regions, would hold meetings to exchange their findings).
The WPs participating in these symposiums would undertake to produce a document as a result of their work in a format for publication.
3. Other possible activities
- The idea is to offer also the possibility that WPs can make cross-regional invitations so that members from other regions can be invited to coordinate groups in other regions or to exchange expertise and experience, using the WPC Budget or evaluating the possibility to utilize CAPSA's budget.
- We intend to be open to suggestions for other activities coming from the WPs themselves.
Budget
As was previously highlighted, part of the activities will be shared with the Regional Federations who have demonstrated willingness and interest. In North America, pending integration with APsaA.
The Committee will have access to the web and email support services offered by Lexicon, and will propose a budget during the annual IPA budget cycle..
Approved June 2016
Amendment to committee composition approved December 2016