Summary
From September 24-26th the 19th Conference of the European Federation of Therapeutic Communities was held in Gdansk, Poland with the theme “Shaping the Future Together”. The conference was organized by the Polish Federation of Therapeutic Communities at the extraordinary European Solidarity Centre. The opening ceremony had a surprise guest speech by Lech Wałęsa, former President of the Republic of Poland and Nobel Peace laureate. The conference had a global reach with over 300 participants from 24 countries from all regions! Key figures of the TC movement presented at the conference, including EFTC president Phaedon Kaloterakis, Jolanta Lazuga-Koczurowksa the driving force behind the TC movement in Poland, Martien Kooyman founder of the first TC in continental Europe in 1972, George De Leon (USA) the most renowned proponent and researcher on therapeutic communities, professor Igor Koutsenok from University of California San Diego, and the WFTC president Dr. Sushma Taylor, among others. The conference also had other distinguished speakers including Jean Luc Lemahieu (UNODC) and Marica Ferri (EUDA). The conference emphasized the essential elements of TCs while presenting innovations and discussing about emerging challenges for the benefit of the populations we serve.
EFTC General Assembly
On the second day of the conference, the general assembly of the EFTC was held with representatives from many countries. We welcomed two new members: Caritas Malta Drug Rehabilitation Services from Malta and TC Zajednica Susret from Croatia. An invitation was extended by Projecto Homem to attend the next EWODOR Conference in Braga, Portugal, in October 9-10th, 2025. Fédération Addiction announced the 20th EFTC Conference to be held in Bordeaux, France in 2026.
Eric Broekaert’s Award
At the gala dinner, the EFTC president Phaedon Kaloterakis announced and handed to Dirk Vandevelde (CEO of De Kiem, Belgium) the Eric Broekaert’s Award, the highest recognition on Therapeutic Communities in Europe. Dirk Vandevelde has been the EFTC secretary and treasurer for nearly 30 years. A well-deserved prize for the tireless contribution, humble work, and serving leadership to the TC movement across Belgium and Europe.
A Big Thank You!
We express our most sincere thanks to the Polish Federation of Therapeutic Communities, particularly to Yolanta, Michal and all staff members for organizing such an exceptional conference. We extend our appreciation to the National Centre for Addiction Prevention, the City of Gdansk, the Res Humanae Foundation, the Regional Centre for Social Policy of the Pomeranian Marshal’s Office and the Gdansk Tourism Organization as co-organizers and for welcoming us to the beatiful Gdansk with open arms. We would also like to thank the young residents from Association MONAR who supported and ensured that the conference ran smoothly!