In the last few decades, I have been continuously involved in various clinical and teaching activities, psychoanalytic publications and positions in the Porto Alegre Society and Institute, in FEPAL (Latin American Psychoanalytical Federation) and in the IPA (former member and chair of the House of Delegates and currently vice president from Latin America).
[As a result of] all these experiences of psychoanalysis at home and abroad, together with shared discussions about our current challenges, and, encouraged by many colleagues, I am presenting my candidacy for the Presidency of the IPA.
Colleagues sometimes ask, “Why do we really need the IPA?”
In my view, the IPA is a unique, global organization of psychoanalysts, for psychoanalysts and for psychoanalysis. We have inherited it from Freud and its presence now gives us a platform from which we can address the tasks of today that face psychoanalysis around the world. So we must be prepared to act both internally and in our various interfaces with society, in order to keep the vitality of our discipline and to develop it further.
Very briefly, these are the proposals I would like to set in motion: increase availability of the IPA officers and leaders in the regions, stimulate greater members' participation; maintain international standards of training and stimulate continued discussion on its different models; encourage a theoretical reflection that will use data from clinical analytic work, empirical and conceptual research in order to develop the outreach and depth of our method; give greater attention to the specific needs of each region; increase exchange of ideas across analytic cultures via translations and small meetings; achieve greater transparency in preparing the IPA budget, enabling the participation of members, societies and federations in the discussions regarding priorities; organize international congresses taking more into account the representatives of regions and schools of thought; fund thematic activities, such as regional and inter-regional conferences; fund raise from external agencies, so that the IPA will not depend only on dues from members; and support activities in the various regional interfaces with culture and society.