Group-Analytic Contexts, Issue 80, June 2018

Newsletter – Summer 2018 31
– it was clear an actual structure was missing. An organizational
problem also arose during the gala evening. Measured in terms of the
number of the sold tickets everyone could have had a seat from the
beginning. Door control of tickets was stopped with the opening of the
buffet after only just three quarters of an hour. However, quite a
number of participants arrived without a ticket through the now
open entrance or via the terrace. The last third of the evening was a
highlight for the ones who had held out for a long time and wanted to
dance.
A new issue for a GASi symposium was that we had to
deal with the question of security.
Already in the opening evening, Seyran Ates was accompanied by
four bodyguards due to her being under heavy threat. In the days
before, there had been detailed arrangements with the police, with me,
Pieter and the security officer from the hotel. Since there had also been
threatening letters to one of us, which already had years of past history
and which had been taken very seriously by us, we very much paid
attention to the aspect of security during the whole conference. The
representative of the hotel, a former policeman, was present on several
days. Pieter and I were present every morning in the hall. The students
knew the photo of the person and asked for advice from me or Mrs
Geber repeatedly if they were unsafe.
In addition, after initial resistance, participants could
accept that we have more consistently than usual paid attention to the
carrying of name-tags. Also, at the gala evening, security was initially
present.
I would like to thank Pieter particularly. We had
some intuitive cooperation in this matter.
When I was watching the plenum on one side, he was
automatically, without having to arrange this, on the other side.
I would like to point also to the excellent work of our
photographer whom we had to engage only a few days before, as the
previous photographer had cancelled only some days before.
I would like to thank Kathrin Albert who has made an
essential contribution to tie the orchestra into the symposium.
Much gratitude goes to Robi, who has stamped the
atmosphere of our working groups from the first moment, beginning
in in Lisbon, with his attention, his permanently present readiness for
containment and his warm humanity.