IJP Rio Conference, June 2004

The Editorial Board of the International Journal of Psychoanalysis (IJP) is committed to improving cross-cultural dialogue between analysts in different regions of the world. In this editorial we would like to underscore the importance—and complexity—of this dialogue, using a recent successful example.

With the aim of improving understanding of Latin American psychoanalysis, IJP convened a conference in Rio de Janeiro in June 2004. In this issue we share some of the fruits of that historical moment in the relationship between IJP and Latin American psychoanalysts by publishing selected presentations from the conference, including initial contributions from Ahumada and Ahumada, Etchegoyen and Zysman, and Cassorla.

The conference Program Committee, chaired by IJP Latin American Regional Editor Elias da Rocha Barros, considered 66 works that were submitted by authors from every region within Latin America. From these submissions, 10 were selected for presentation and discussion at the Rio Conference. In publishing these papers, IJP intends to promote an additional forum for establishing a dialogue between Latin American colleagues and those from other psychoanalytic cultures. In addition to these 10 papers, the Program Committee noted that nine others reached the standards for publication with the help of some editorial work.

This effort represents the outcome of a good deal of groundwork that has been laid since da Rocha Barros and Juan Francisco Jordán Moore assumed their positions as IJP Regional Editors for Latin America. They have consistently encouraged more Latin American submissions, having been concerned that, when they began their tenure, IJP received an average of only 12 papers a year from that region. After much work to improve the understanding of IJP's policies and procedures, and with the help of many supportive colleagues, the number of submissions increased to 30 in 2003 and will probably reach 50 by the end of this year.

The importance of providing a for