Dear Harrison I embarked on a journey to the USA in 1997 determined to find a new paradigm of change work in organizations. A year passed and I was deeply disappointed for I moved my family and found nothing. Luckily by 1998 I met OST through and the User's guide and in 1999, a moth before heading back home to Israel, I met you in a week's seminar. Meeting OST had changed me and the work I do in the world in a profound way.
In 2000, you wrote you were coming to Israel to teach with me. I was so intimidated and happy at the same time. No words to tell you how fortunate I felt. Working together in Israel and Rome, meeting again in POP on Whidbey Island, spending time in my home with my family, colleagues and friends, are all moments I cherish. Sometimes we agreed sometimes we fought but you are the person and teacher who changed my life more than anybody else. On your birthday it is a good time to remember and tell the story of how blessed I feel for being your friend, learning and working together. To thank you for having my back every time I needed it and opening more and more gates in my soul, as the space I opened was not enough… Thank you and bless you for all the richness and encouragement you brought into my life, and for some of the unnecessary burdens you helped let go of… J Wishing you great health of body and soul, friendship and calm, I miss you Tova Averbuch Holon Check out my new book! *Initiating and Inviting Generative Change <https://tovaaverbuch.com/?page_id=867>* [image: https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1cwHpXJdjcmQLlbdNAkgj8HapMTCKkqx1&revid=0B_yNcHN0z41LWjV3OHhYZE5sNk1ZTXVtK3R1cy9POXl1eERvPQ] Tova Averbuch, Dialogic OD consultant [email protected] ; +972 52 8305343 WEB <https://tovaaverbuch.com/>I Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/Tova-Averbuch-%D7%98%D7%95%D7%91%D7%94-%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%95%D7%9A-169672313219111> I LINKEDIN <https://www.linkedin.com/in/tova-averbuch/> *From:* Birgitt Williams via OSList [mailto:[email protected]] *Sent:* Saturday, December 2, 2023 8:30 PM *To:* Peggy Holman <[email protected]> *Cc:* Open Space Listserv <[email protected]> *Subject:* [OSList] Re: Happy 88th Harrison! Dear Harrison, Happy Birthday and blessings for a magical new year of your life. We met in April 1992 when you came to Ontario, Canada to lead one of your four day trainings in OST. The timing was just right in my life to experience all that you offered to me as beneficially life changing, transformative. Drs. Larry Peterson and George Herrmanson were the sponsors of that event and I continue to be grateful to them for bringing you and your work into Canada. By December 1995, Larry Peterson, Paul Levy (and his partner whose name I have sadly forgotten), and I formed the Open Space Institute of Canada with you present, challenging us to do so. You had, and probably have, a 'let's get it done' approach. I was also present at the inaugural meeting of the Open Space Institute-USA with a number of dear friends including Anne Stadler and Peggy Holman. I admit to being one of the advocates of a networked system of the Open Space Institutes, not wanting the OS Institute in the USA to be the hub for all of us worldwide. There was no resistance as we all were in co-creating and emerging. You and our conversations have been some of the most significant in my life. I have so much gratitude to you for the many gifts that landed in my life from our friendship. with love, Birgitt [image: Picture] *Birgitt Williams* *Senior consultant-author-mentor to leaders and consultants * *Specialist in organizational and systemic transformation, leadership development, and the benefits of nourishing a culture of leadership.* www.dalarinternational.com *Upcoming Workshops* *Whole Person Process Facilitation* | September 20, 21, 27 & 28, 2023 | Online *Individual Health and Balance* | November 24, December 1, 8 & 15, 2023 | Online *Strategic Planning the Genuine Contact Way *| January 8-13, 2024 | Online >> Learn More & Register <http://www.dalarinternational.com/upcoming-workshops/> for any of these workshops here. 16 Sunny Acres Dr., Etowah, North Carolina, USA 28729 Phone: 01-919-522-7750 *Like us on Facebook* <https://dalarinternational.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35ed818c946a88ba7344da05f&id=6677c35b38&e=e7zyhHfiqG> *Connect on LinkedIn* <https://dalarinternational.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35ed818c946a88ba7344da05f&id=c26173f86b&e=e7zyhHfiqG> On Sat, Dec 2, 2023 at 12:48 PM Peggy Holman via OSList <[email protected]> wrote: Dear Harrison, Just a few words to celebrate you. We met in 1995 when a friend from Antioch University Seattle sent me an article from Training Magazine on Open Space Technology and I called you. It changed my life. You gave words and a framework to something I’d been playing with: the importance of random encounters for creativity and innovation — for “learning organizations" to flourish. Of course I joined the party. WE started this listserv. When you came to Seattle as part of your world tour with the idea of forming the Open Space Institute (OSI) in 1996, I was one of 7 who contributed $10 so we had the $70 required to apply for nonprofit status in the US. We quickly learned that our colleagues in Australia and Canada, who also formed OSI’s, expected that we add -US to our name. We did. And a network was acknowledged. All this is to say happy birthday Harrison. Thank you for being you. It has been a ride! May we continue to be present to what emerges as increasing numbers discover the challenges and opportunities of living life in open space. Love, Peggy _________________________________ Peggy Holman [email protected] Twitter: @peggyholman Bellevue, WA 98006 206-948-0432 www.peggyholman.com www.journalismthatmatters.org Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity <https://peggyholman.com/papers/engaging-emergence/> "An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt, is to become the fire". -- Drew Dellinger OSList mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] See the archives here: https://oslist.org/empathy/list/everyone.oslist.org
OSList mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] See the archives here: https://oslist.org/empathy/list/everyone.oslist.org
