Every day SOS Children's Village staff are confronted with conflicts and their effects as part of their work. Before they came to live at an SOS Children's Village, many children were victims of rejection and violence. When they find a new home at an SOS Children's Village, the children live in a field of tension between their old and their new homes.
The task of the SOS Mother and all the other staff members is to support the children as well as possible in coping with their conflicts. This not only places demands on us as an organization but also as human beings. We must be aware that the way we deal with our own conflicts will set an example for the children and young people entrusted to our care.
"Conflicts. International Conference on Dealing with a Human Phenomenon" was the title of the meeting the Hermann Gmeiner Academy organized jointly with the Estonian SOS Children's Village Association in October 1998. The conference was attended by a total of 232 experts and interested persons from 26 countries, 74 of whom were SOS Children's Village staff.
The FORUM editorial staff decided to devote an entire issue of the journal to the subject of the conference. The result is FORUM 18. It contains the text of talks given by experts from various disciplines as well as additional articles and practical examples.