This Group Relations Conference, organised by OFEK, is based on the Group Relations model first developed  at the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations in London during the 1950s by A.K. Rice and Eric Miller. The structure combines deep concepts and ideas from Psychoanalytic Theory (primarily Freud, Bion, and Melanie Klein) with Open Systems Theory (Bertalanffy and Kurt Lewin).

We are delighted to share this invitation to the 37th Group Relations Conference organised by OFEK in the Tavistock tradition

Message from the Conference Director

We live in an era of profound contradictions. On one hand, the world is open and connected, technology is developing at an unprecedented pace, enabling the transfer of information and innovative developments across continents. On the other hand, the world is more fragmented than ever, filled with struggles and wars, people are more suspicious, societies are increasingly polarized, and there is little room for complex perspectives. Such reality diminishes our capacity for nuanced thinking and our ability to maintain open dialogue that transcends the boundaries of self.

How can we understand this pendulum movement between openness and closure? How can we navigate within it, in what ways do these contradictions affect our daily lives, our personal and professional circles? How does this reality influence our ability to take up authority and hold formal and informal roles?

If you are interested in understanding more about how the external influences the internal, in different areas of life, if you would like to learn more about yourself within these dynamics, if you are curious to experience the movement between power and vulnerability in complex situations, consider joining us at this conference.

The 37th OFEK International Group Relations Conference provides a space for exploring conscious and unconscious processes at personal, group, and organizational levels. The conference offers experiential learning in various group settings, enabling participants to learn through hands-on experience about personal and organizational processes.

Due to the war in Israel, and with a commitment to creating an accessible space where participants from all over the world can gather and engage under optimal conditions, this time the conference will be held in Cyprus.

I invite you to register for the conference, and take the time to pause, engage in learning through experiencing, and return to your daily life with new insights about yourself and the groups that surround you in your immediate and broader circles.

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Hagit Shachar-Paraira, Conference Director
together with the Conference Staff