Hello to all that are following this line.... I have been away from the computer for the last few days, and was delighted to find your postings upon my return tonight. As Harrison, Tova, Avner and Carol are doing extraordinary/ordinary work in their part of the world, on a smaller scale we are having those discussions here. I have been having quite a few conversations around conflict, peace, and OST. And have been asked to take it out into the world more. I've just returned from a national conference of conflict resolution and mediators. I was asked to offer a workshop on OST and conflict. I have been a mediator and have worked in organizations doing what they call conflict resolution, and cross-cultural conflict resolution, for over ten years. I was very privileged to have long conversations this morning with people from Bogota, Colombia, and many of our First Nation's communities where violence has taken place, who attended the workshop.
And, of course, the best way for an OST workshop is OST. I opened space around the theme of peacemaking. I then answered questions about my experience with OST versus mediation and other conflict resolution techniques I've used. We spoke of listening, being heard, non-blame, deep caring, passion and responsibility. I have found that when I've been called into organizations for conflict resolution -- it is most often to make an uncomfortable situation "go away" because someone doesn't want to deal with it. Transformative mediation, in my experience, creates more of a learning space for the participants -- not as much space as OST though. And, Julie, I often find in discussions of peacemaking those who also want conflict, tension, and uncomfortable situations to "go away". It seems to me that productive conflict is more likely to lead to peace. I love OST because of the conflict that can arise. I view conflict as growth. When I get that "oh oh" feeling in my gut -- I know that something is nudging me to open up. In most situations people are not creating conflict -- they are exposing the fact that conflict already exists. We all see the world with different lenses, and are surprised when people disagree with us, and yet that very disagreement is a chance for growth -- a collective examination of an issue. I strive to increase the voices of difference. Dan wrote: This is all by way of agreeing with you that we have a lot to learn about conflict resolution in and from Open Space and its ability to free energy as a positive force........... Dan, I would offer to the conversation that I see energy as a source ... neutral.... it is our response that makes it positive or negative. And, I am just jumping in with this report -- I list the topics posted at the conference I just completed below for your interest. And tomorrow I am attending the Shambhala Institute for Authentic Leadership. I was accepted to spend 6 days with a few other people in conversation with Meg Wheatley and in meditation. And, I'll be offering a workshop for the Institute on OST and conflict early next week. I'll let you know how that one goes. I am so aware and grateful... I present these workshops in a relatively peaceful setting ...... as Harrison, Avner, Tova and Carol brave the violence in your part of the world...... thank you seems so inadequate.... I send my love. the topics.... Using our bodies in conflict resolution Courage to let go of the drive to fight, to take revenge Nature and Music Respect yourself and each other Respect and acknowledge diversty and culture Conflict is important for real peace Can efforts towards peace benefit all those involved? Knowledge, tolerance, understanding of the other Respectful language and tone Meditation Cohesive community Recognising and managing disconnects between powers/decision-makers and wants/needs of grass-roots individuals and groups Empowering people to believe they can make a difference. with love and in peace, Judi Judith Richardson [email protected] Pono Consultants International Facilitating the Flow of Inspired Collaboration (902) 435-0308 www.ponoconsultants.com >>> [email protected] 06/13/02 06:33 AM >>> Hi Harrison, You wrote: >> Since my time 10 years ago in South Africa, it has been clear to me that OS has enormous power for what we might call conflict resolution, but it is a resolution that does not eliminate conflict. If anything the conflict is magnified, but space is provided so that the conflict, and the energy it contains, may become a positive force. << For many years, now, in our conflict resolution practice we have observed that for us, "resolution" in "conflict resolution" is as much about increasing our ability to see and understand with questions as it is about achieving and packaging "answers." It occurs to me "conflict" is a loaded word, having different connotations in different cultures. For example, we have Bahai friends who see no benefits in the category "conflict." They talk about "conflict free conflict resolution," with heavy emphasis on our common humanity. This and other examples notwithstanding, we use the term "conflict resolution" frequently, and we like the common association of "conflict" with the Chinese Mandarin word "wei-ji," usually translated as "crisis" and embodying the characters for danger and opportunity. This is all by way of agreeing with you that we have a lot to learn about conflict resolution in and from Open Space and its ability to free energy as a positive force. >> All of this takes place without any carefully crafted process or procedure. In a most remarkable way, it seems to happen all by itself. Which leads me to the conclusion that the apparent magic has nothing to do with Open Space Technology, and everything to do with the power of self-organization. All we do in Open Space is to create the conditions under which a completely natural process can start or re-start. << I am very interested in questions associated with what are necessary and sufficient conditions for constructive OS process. I notice in this case that a relatively large expenditure of energy must have been required create and fill the Open Space vessel we read about in Rome, far from the pressure cooker of home.? De Lange on the learning-org list many times has observed the following "essentialities" that give form to what he considers are conditions of emergence in self-organizing complex systems: Wholeness (associativity-unity) Liveness (becoming-being) Fruitfulness (connect-beget) Sureness (identity-categoricity) Spareness (quantity-limit) Otherness (quality-variety) Openness (open-paradigm) I think Open Space has potential to deliver on these "essentialities" quite well. All best wishes, Dan * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
