New Words from the President

Dear Friends, the Lyon Congress has just ended and it has been an incredible event: many people (1660), many different formal encounters and presentations (505), an atmosphere of curiosity, energy, responsibility and awareness. Energetic alertness, fun to meet and many emotions in the many pause moments. I would love to bring all these moods and emotions in the next three years of our work together!

I am personally very satisfied also of the past three years, I only wish for more participation from each of you. I would like you to share with us your necessities and your workwise desires. What can we help you making come true? Who could we invite because you think it would be an enrichment for you and all of us? Which theme are you interested in?

The congress has started and ended with two videos about what is happening in the world. This does not mean I wish to “politicize” EFTA but that we need to be aware of what is happening, since each client brings the world with her/himself, even if it does not talk about it.

It means that we can use our professional expertise, credibility, and position to advocate for justice, social change and policies that improve individual and community well-being. That we need to take charge for our lives in order to help our clients take charge for theirs.

For this new mandate I also wish that we do not only reflect on the work we do between the four walls of our office but also of the Community work we perform, the consultations we propose, the meetings with other professionals we organize. I have a wish: that systemic thinking becomes shared more as a transversal language that deals with complexity, unites differences and enhances participation. If the world is “invented” as my master Heinz von Foerster used to state, we are part of the Universe we live in and whenever we act we are changing ourselves and the Universe as well. This implies that we need to take responsibility for what emerges from our actions, both singular and collective.

In October I will meet with the GB and together we will make the three years plan for EFTA. Within it there will be attention to alphabetize us all to AI, the possibility to build research networks to increase publications and grants, a special attention to the younger generation of our Association, a special focus on supervision and many other plans that could see you personally involved.

Be with us, express your wishes, help us make EFTA reliable and interesting!