Elwin, Chris, Jeff, Kerry, Dave, Murray, Joelle, Artur, Many, many thanks for your reflections. My brother's message troubled me on so many levels it was tough to know where to begin. And yet, it was an opening, albeit a skeptical one. Your answers give me a way to respond to him that isn't as loaded as one from just me. Without intending it, I would undoubtedly put hooks in my message that make it harder to hear. You have given me the gift of many perspectives.
Thank you, Peggy ----- Original Message ----- From: "Elwin and Joan" <elwinandj...@yahoo.com> To: <osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu> Sent: Friday, March 30, 2001 7:42 PM Subject: Re: so how would open space handle this? > Dear Peggy, > > Chris introduced my small piece when he asked, > "Maybe I am begging the question about how much > you need to know about a client before you work with > them?" > > For me the Open Space answer was..."not much!" > > Last year I opened space four times for 120 directors > and staff members of the leading NGOs in Bosnia. The > theme for each 2 1/2 day OST was "Sustaining an NGO" > > That's about all I knew going into it; NGOs and > Bosnia. > > On the 2nd night of the 1st OST the group > simultaneously organized a party. They found the > band, singer, arranged the deal with hotel management, > ordered the food, went to town and purchased award > gifts, etc, etc. They hugged, danced and sang until 3 > am. > > After the closing circle the USAID official that was > present came to me and said, "this was an amazing > event! They were all behaving like members of the > same family." > > I said, "well that's the result of most OSTs I've > done; no big deal!" > > He said, "It is a big deal. Don't you realize the > group is 1/3 Muslim, 1/3 Croat and 1/3 Serb? Five > years ago they were raping and killing each other!" > > I said, "Oh! I thought they were all Bosnians!" > > PS- The same thing happened at the following three > OSTs that were also equally represented ethnically! > > It works because the right people come! > > Elwin Guild > Baltimore > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. > http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/?.refer=text > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > =========================================================== > osl...@egroups.com > To subscribe, > 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist > 2. Sign up -- provide an email address, > and choose a login ID and password > 3. Click on "Subscribe" and follow the instructions > > To unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@egroups.com: > 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist > 2. Sign in and Proceed * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html =========================================================== osl...@egroups.com To subscribe, 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist 2. Sign up -- provide an email address, and choose a login ID and password 3. Click on "Subscribe" and follow the instructions To unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@egroups.com: 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist 2. Sign in and Proceed
