At 11:01 AM 4/27/2002 -0500, Gil wrote:
First and foremost, I can only agree in part with Harrison´s statement that OS is pretty much the same in conflict-violence situations as it is in "normal" situations. We have very successfully used OST in many conflict situations in companies, NGOs, communities and governmental agencias. Our learning, however, is that there is a point in the process of escalation of a conflict (Glasl, Gnass and Brenson, 1998) in which OST ceases to be a viable option, simply because there is no shared need to be agreed upon or met, only the "need" to destroy one another.
Your point is well taken, but it doesn't change my experience. "Business as usual Open Space" (in my view) only works when there is an issue of common concern and the people are present of their own volition. It doesn't work when they are forced to be there and can agree on nothing -- which I think is your point. Ergo -- doing an Open Space for Sharon and Arafat at this moment in time would not be very productive. From where I sit, these two are what I might call "professionally conflicted" -- which is to say -- without the conflict they would loose their jobs. I had a Palestinian and an Israeli (independently) tell me that they felt "caught between the mad men." All of which is to say that there are times when folks really don't want any open space, and none can be provided. However, I have found that even highly conflicted folks share areas of common concern, which if leveraged can begin a healing process that will change the context in which the Arafats and Sharons of this world operate. Things like Good Jobs, Effective Education, Better Roads -- bread and butter things that all people share. A useful strategy has been to invite conflicted people together around such issues in Open Space. Part of their experience is that they share more in common than in difference. It is sometimes almost amusing to watch sworn enemies lock arms "against" Blood Brothers. And suddenly life get a lot more complicated -- and possible. And if a few of the "professionally conflicted" are present they will suddenly discover some of their strongest supporters "consorting the with enemy." That can go a long way towards changing the context of discussions.
One of the basic tenets of Open Space Practice, ever since, has been -- never use it (OS) when folks already have the plan, think they have to have the plan, or are the sort who "must" have the plan... in other words Control, Control, Control. Especially if The Plan is Kill the opposition. That such people exist is obvious, that they are destructive, devious, and malignant -- a given. But they can be worked around with a little, equally devious strategy -- out flank them. Re-context their narrow position. It has worked. It can work. but for sure, never use Open Space when such people set the issue. You loose every time.
ho Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, MD 20854 USA phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm 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
