From: Vincenza De Petrillo

Rispondo alla richiesta, di aver maggiori notizie, inviando
la lettera che accompagna il primo numero della rivista

Per il momento è completata la versione inglese

Si sta lavorando affinché si possa avere una versione in francese,
italiano, spagnolo, tedesco

Si sta pensando ad una versione "cartacea" oltre a quella
virtuale
il cui sito è http://www.igc-grapho.net

Rimango a disposizione per eventuali ulteriori informazioni

Enza De Petrillo

--------------------

Letter from the editor

During the last five years, members of the International
Graphological Colloquium (IGC) are seeking solutions to unify,
coordinate and share professional knowledge worldwide. While working
together, in comparative-analysis sessions or in constructing an
international core-curriculum, we became aware of similarities and
variety in the different graphological sub-cultures, methods, ideas
and techniques, but our short meetings were never sufficient to
explore them in depth. We also came to realize that there is a wealth
of serious professional knowledge which has yet remained local and
unapproachable to other sub-cultures due to the language barriers.

Global graphology aims to fill in that linguistic gap, and provide
serious amateurs, professionals and teachers of graphology with
important learning materials, modern ideas and discoveries, and
research results, which have not yet received sufficient
international attention. Moreover, Global Graphology aims to
constitute a modest counter-balance against much of the shallow,
misleading, false and presumptuous information about handwriting
analysis one may encounter when surfing the net.

Global Graphology is a result of an international, multi-cultural
effort, and is planned to appear in at least four languages in
parallel. In our team of graphologists who brought it about there are
professionals from three continents, with seven different mother
tongues, different backgrounds, general education and graphological
approaches. We all share a great desire to learn from each other and
combine all our traditions to one body of knowledge.

Our different schools, albeit their differences in contents and
techniques, all use deductive, "top-down" approaches, looking from
the whole into its parts. Their principles resemble those of graphic
test evaluation in general. We strongly believe that graphology, as
we practice it, can be applied to all graphic imprints, and that its
universal laws can be transferred to further writing system, beyond
the Roman alphabet. Therefore Global Graphology intends to search the
global aspects of graphic imprints worldwide.

We perceive the Gestalt of handwriting samples, considering the whole
as more than the sum of its parts. Interestingly, the systemic
concept of "synergy" is often defined in exactly the same words: the
system as a whole being more than the sum of its parts. In both
cases, this more-than-ness lies in the dynamics, in relationships and
interactions, that are not just another part of the system, but are
the strengthening, modifying and unifying components. Consequently,
when there is a "Good Gestalt" or positive synergy, there is a sense
of the elements belonging together and well functioning together.
Positive synergy, such as the one we have experienced on the
Editorial Board of Global Graphology, in which diverse cultures and
schools are represented, has opened up new perspectives for each one
of us, and finally brought about the present new creation shared by
all of us. We hope that the insights gained in the process of sharing
our professional treasures shall bring about a change and synergy
will beget more synergy.

Thanks are due to Ted Barnett and the Board of the IGC for supporting
our initiative and believing in our ability to produce the journal
within four months for the Quebec 2004 International Congress. We
would also like to thank all the authors, translators and editors for
volunteering their precious time and professional knowledge, in order
to make the dream come true. Special thanks go to Marie-Noëlle
Gauthier, for her dedication and technical support.

Dafna Yalon
Ein Vered, Israel, May 2004