this is all a really long way of saying Volte Morte is a giant ass. On Mon, Feb 6, 2017 at 2:23 PM, Merle Lefkoff <[email protected]> wrote:
> When I received an unexpected and overly-generous research grant to see > how Complex Adaptive Systems science might have something to contribute to > the search for coexistence in a world of endless war, I felt like > Goldilocks and the Three Bears as a I searched for a home for this > windfall. I am not a "scientist" (I'm a social scientist), and I don't > write code, so SFI rapidly scooted me out the door; the Advanced Concepts > Group at Sandia invited me in, but after attending a few sessions with them > I decided they were just blah, blah, and I wanted the REAL complexity > science! So I took my grant to CNLS at Los Alamos, where I was greeted > with open arms (I was deemed a "domain expert" in terrorism because I had > mediated in N. Ireland and the Middle East) and given an office, a > computer, post-docs from all over the world, and a title as Guest Scientist > and Affiliate--enabling me to present my team's research at conferences in > the credential-crazed world of academia. > > After four years, I left to reinvigorate our small social-profit > organization (we don't like the term "non-profit") and find new partners > with whom we could apply the principles and concepts of CAS to > peacebuilding. It's been an amazing journey ever since, and FRIAM has been > an important part of that journey. Count me among the grateful--even > though I leave for awhile when Complexity science is put on the back > burner, supplanted by esoteric dialogue that I'm too unschooled to > understand. > > I just finished teaching a graduate course in Complexity Thinking for > Integrative Peacebuilding, and my students were adult learners who work for > Trudeau in the Canadian government--many deployed around the world in > conflict zones. I've never looked back after getting the boot from SFI. > Fuck 'em! And thank you, FRIAM. > > On Mon, Feb 6, 2017 at 1:39 PM, Nick Thompson <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Dear all, >> >> >> >> Steve Smith wrote: >> >> >> >> I feel we *don't* discuss as many Complexity topics as I would like, >> >> >> >> I will talk about tornado formation, a n y t I m e, Steve. >> >> >> >> Seriously, I wonder if the fact that we have stopped talking about >> complexity might have something to do with the state of play of that >> field. I reached a point where I began to feel that complexity-talk went >> on in some alternative universe that, without the initiation and the golden >> key, I was never going to enter. You will remember, Steve, that I worked >> for a couple of years, trying to make a translation between that universe >> and mine, and was never able to manage it. When the working vocabulary of >> a science is inaccessible to a diligent, moderately intelligent, >> practitioner of neighboring sciences, does that not limit the development >> of that science? >> >> >> >> By the way, when I first came out here I tried to make contact with SFI. >> At the time, I wrote up the result in a *satirical* account, which, to >> be honest, reeks of sour grapes. Still, in the present context you might >> find it funny. See attached. >> >> >> >> Omitted from this account was one life-changing exchange with Dr. X. At >> some point, during Phase II of The Ritual Reception and Rejection, I asked >> him, “Given that The Institute is such a charismatic place, and given that >> you have no room, where do all the people go when you reject them? There >> must be a lot of them around Santa Fe.” >> >> >> >> I am everlastingly grateful for his response. He thought a very long >> minute and then scribbled on a Posty and handed it to me. It said, “Call >> Steve Guerin. FRIAM.” >> >> >> >> The rest is history. >> >> >> >> Nick >> >> >> >> >> >> Nicholas S. Thompson >> >> Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology >> >> Clark University >> >> http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/ >> >> >> >> *From:* Friam [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Steven A >> Smith >> *Sent:* Monday, February 06, 2017 12:00 PM >> *To:* The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group < >> [email protected]> >> *Subject:* Re: [FRIAM] SFI to Trump: The dangers of simplicity in a >> complex world >> >> >> >> I appreciate FriAM, even though I don't attend Friday Congregation very >> often, or even WedTech Congregation either! The *active* voices here are >> familiar and even though I may have a lot of different perspectives and >> opinions, I truly value what I hear here, and more than anything I look >> forward to one of our *many* lurkers chiming in. >> >> I feel we *don't* discuss as many Complexity topics as I would like, but >> I like knowing that there are many with strong Complexity backgrounds >> engaged in the more sociopolitical discussions that seem to dominate. >> >> Since I feel a bit like Glen in his statement "Since I don't belong >> anywhere, I obviously didn't belong there"... I'm enough used to being an >> outsider or an interloper that I generally can slip into alien situations >> and keep a low enough profile to not raise alarm or cause disruption. >> >> This forum, being asynchronous and as Gary points out, "easy to delete" >> feels like a safe place FOR me to speak up above a hushed whisper... so I >> value it as well. >> >> SFx was intended to be a more open and welcoming environment to share the >> wealth from... I think we did a moderately good job much of the time, but >> still missed the mark in at least developing a sustainable funding model. >> >> - Steve >> >> >> >> On 2/6/17 11:49 AM, Gary Schiltz wrote: >> >> It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway - FRIAM, both the list and >> the actual gathering at the "mothership" of Santa Fe - has always felt >> welcoming. It's the only list I've stayed with since its inception. I don't >> know if there are any SFI lurkers here, but there do seem to be a lot of >> people who "used to" have some association with it rather than those who >> are actively involved with it. I've no idea how much is due to a bit of >> snobbery vs. just simply the fact that the list is open to such a wide >> range of stuff that isn't interesting to folks interested purely in >> complexity. I find it easy enough just to delete messages when I get too >> overwhelmed, confident that they are archived so I can eventually look them >> over. >> >> >> >> On Mon, Feb 6, 2017 at 1:34 PM, glen ☣ <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> FWIW, I felt fairly unwelcome soon after I left to work in our Agua Fria >> office (1997 maybe), perhaps since I was merely a research technician >> rather than any sort of academic. Then it got even worse when they >> expanded down the hill by staffing a receptionist. I always managed to >> sneak past without being grilled to badly ... but the concept was clear: do >> you belong here? Since I don't belong anywhere, I obviously didn't belong >> there. 8^) >> >> >> On 02/05/2017 03:40 PM, Frank Wimberly wrote: >> > That makes sense but I just sat there quietly and listened. No >> > self-aggrandizing questions. And then I left. >> >> -- >> ☣ glen >> >> ============================================================ >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College >> to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com >> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ============================================================ >> >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> >> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College >> >> to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com >> >> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove >> >> >> >> ============================================================ >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College >> to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com >> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove >> > > > > -- > Merle Lefkoff, Ph.D. > President, Center for Emergent Diplomacy > Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA > [email protected] > mobile: (303) 859-5609 > skype: merle.lelfkoff2 > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove >
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ by Dr. Strangelove
