Dear Metta, Last October I had the privilege of opening and holding space for the Texas Families and Inmates Association . My partner, Kelvie Comer lives in Belton. I've sent three e-mails to friends in Texas letting them know what you are doing. The world truly seems smaller.
Audrey Coward 2281 Lakeshore Blvd. Toronto, Ontario Canada 416-259-6215 audreycoward @bellnet.ca ----- Original Message ----- From: "Metta Zetty" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2003 9:43 AM Subject: Opening Space for Peace > Dear friends ~ > > Convergence always is a fascinating dynamic.... > > Usually, I simply listen, in this virtual community. > However, for some time now I've been planning to share > an invitation with you all...and now in response to > Harrison, Birgitt's and Ashely's recent posts, it > seems the time has arrived.... > > In light of recent event world events, Harrison, > my son and I have come to the same conclusion that > you and Birgitt have -- we're ready to open more > space. And, Ashley, we're doing it here in Texas! > > So, for those of you are interested, we invite > you to... > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Join us in ... Opening Space for Peace: > Imagining the Possibilities, > Creating a New Reality > > http://peacespace.com > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > We will be gathering here in San Antonio on Sunday, > May 4, and, if you do not live near enough to be > able to join us, please consider supporting our > event by inviting others you know in Texas.... > > If you join our mailing list, we'll send you a sample > invitation to share with others. And, if you let us > know you're helping to spread the word: > mailto:[email protected]?subject=Add_my_name > > ...we will be honored to include your name (along > with a link to the URL of your preferred organization) > on our list of acknowledgments: > http://supporters.peacespace.com > > Harrison: please note -- we've included a link to > your new book at the foot of our Questions page: > http://faqs.peacespace.com > > Birgitt: Gary and Nathan and I would *love* to see > you again if/when you come to Texas.... > > And, Ashley: where are you? It would be great to > meet and share more.... > > This is a fertile time -- a good time now for all > of us to tend our gardens, and plant more seeds.... > > With respect and appreciation, > Metta Zetty > http://open-space-technology.com > > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 17:36:58 -0400 > From: Harrison Owen <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: Testing > > At 06:44 PM 4/24/2003 +0200, Eva P Svensson wrote: > >So quiet - just have to test that I'm still connected to you all! > > > The silence is in fact deafening. And particularly noticeable for this > group. When silences come I find the reasons are usually three: a) Nothing > to say. b) Nothing need be said. c) What could, or should, be said takes > people to a place they don't want to go. I vote for c) > > The events of the past month are, indeed, a little overwhelming. The US > invades Iraq, SARS breaks out. And now North Korea threatens to do a nuclear > demonstration -- whatever that might mean. Sufficient to take your breath > away. Forget about talking. And the prospects for the immediate future are > hardly encouraging. Speaking just for myself, I can say that at such times, > space becomes claustrophobically small. And my daily activities verge on the > irrelevant. Silence. Very quiet. > > It is quite possible that we are really in the midst of very, very, deep > doo-doo, from which there is no easy or obvious escape. Under the > circumstances it is always nice to have somebody to beat on and blame. > George the Shrub comes immediately to mind. But regardless of what he did do > that he shouldn't have -- or didn't do and should have, the situation is > probably well beyond him. From where I sit, he remains what he has always > been -- an embarrassment. As Birgitt might be tempted to say -- We have a > lot of Dead Moose. > > And yet in such moments, there is the possibility of enormous learning. > For ourselves, how do we open our personal space so that in this present > moment we can be fully here -- fully alive? And for our neighbors, > colleagues, clients and friends, how can we open that communal space so > breath (and meaningful conversation) becomes a possibility? Opening this > sort of space is rather different, I think, from filling the air with trite > platitudes and the power of positive thinking. It goes to a deeper place. > > Slightly less than a year ago, I was privileged to work with a group of > Palestinians and Israelis in Rome. Relatively speaking, the world at that > point (compared to the present moment) seemed almost idyllic -- but for > those coming from The Middle East it appeared something other than a rose > garden. And in their presence, I could only share something of the brittle > fatalism reflected in the forced smiles, and nervous laughter with which we > began our gathering. Knowing full well that I could never be fully where > they were, I nevertheless felt compelled to share my own vulnerability -- In > my opening of the circle on that first day I said something like..."I had > come because I cared for my friends in Palestine and Israel, and also for > myself and my children. And although the people in that circle may feel > themselves isolated and alone in their own private Hell with their own > agonizing story, that story was also the story of our world. Like it or not > they were in the hot crucible of the future of humankind. The future of all > of us is being created in that strange place known as the Holy Land, even as > it has been for millennia. So I cared, but I was also on the edge of despair > or beyond. I could not think of any way out. The issues were so deep and > intractable that movement appeared denied. Space was closed. But still I > came, and still I cared as I presumed was true for each of them as well." > > My learning during those days in Rome was profound. It became startling > clear that neither I, nor any single person there, had the wisdom, courage, > strength or perseverance to get us where we needed to go. But none of us > were called upon to do that -- we all were -- and all rose to the challenge. > In that rich space which contained all of our hopes, fears, frustrations and > anxieties, we collectively found a collegiality which included and > transcended them all. Needless to say, we did not bring peace to The Middle > East, but we surely experienced peace in that moment. And that was a moment > we will never forget. > > So maybe it is time to break our silence here on good old OSLIST -- share > what we are, and what we are learning. > > 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 > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 20:29:16 -0400 > From: Birgitt Williams <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: Testing > > Harrison, > You are right that I agree that there are a lot of Dead Moose under the > table. For those of you who don't know about the Dead Moose and its > relationship to Open Space Technology, please see the invitation at > http://www.openspacetechnology.com/articles_11.html > > I suggest adding another reason to the three you mention regarding silence > and that is d) busy holding space. I vote for d). I believe in the power of > Open Space and what we know from our many years of experience with Open > Space Technology. The facilitator must not be attached to outcome (and not > to be shaken by events, even conflict as it happens---I remember from > working with you at the First Canada US Breast Cancer Advocacy Conference > what it was like to hold space in the face of huge conflict---a microcosm of > what we experience in the world). > > And so, hundreds of us around the world are facilitating the "holding of > space for opportunities for harmony in the world". I stay focused on this, > on who I am as a being of light in the world, and I retain my balance no > matter what the events are. I see and experience myself as one of the > co-facilitators of "holding space" that we opened on Sept 21st of 2001. > Anyone who cares to join us in the co-facilitation of what is the biggest > "space holding" experience may join at any time to assist those already > committed. And because we are co-facilitating, even if one or more of us is > having a "down" day, we know that others are holding the space and so it is > like a magnet to energize oneself again through meditation and prayer and > being in nature, as we would do for facilitating an OST meeting, and to > rejoin the others. > > I see and experience many many events and projects to foster harmony and I > am convinced that we are having an effect. Can I prove it? No. Do I believe > it? Yes. > > So, Harrison, you got me started on this journey of learning to open and > hold space for which I continue to be deeply grateful. And now, we are > simply called to hold space for humanity using all the skills and capacity > that we have developed over the years. > > For anyone who cares to join us in what we have called the Harmony Project, > information is at http://www.openspacetechnology.com/harmony.html > > In the picture on that page, you will see a circle of stones that symbolizes > our holding of space (and remember that as facilitators we cannot be > attached to outcome). Within that stone circle, there are "seed stones" that > I am willing to send out to those who request them and want to use them to > start a circle in their own location. There are hundreds of such symbolic > circles in the world now, and we visualize them as all connected, weaving > this opportunity around the globe. Of course, there are some who have chosen > to carry their seed stones in their pockets and to be connected in that > way. > > I get great comfort from taking action in this way with my state of being > joined with others. And it gives me great hope. The good news is that Open > Space always works. > > Blessings, > Birgitt > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 21:31:00 -0700 > From: Ashley Cooper <[email protected]> > Subject: Silence > > Awhile back some of Joelle's words were added to my wall of quotes (tucked > in between two New Yorker cartoons of people gathered and talking) "Hold > space for others to have the conversations they are longing for." > > I see the theme again with Harrison's words: > > And for our neighbors, colleagues, clients and friends, how can we open > that communal space so breath (and meaningful conversation) becomes a > possibility? > > Where I am experiencing unrest is that it is my perception that many people > do not want to have these conversations. that the silence is so much easier > with which to "deal". i so often feel like i am walking on eggshells just > to ensure that i don't upset another's day by communicating/ discussing > matters in which different perspectives/perceptions are present. > > on the flip side, i feel like "things" are very stimulated right now. > change brings about incredible opportunities. i sense this great passion, > void, feeling (...i haven't figured out what word to use!) that has been > buried deep within many, surfacing. it's invigorating how many are > embracing this opportunity to communicate, to drive passion into action, to > find motivation in this time, to hold the space. unfortunately in my life, > i more frequently feel many being stifled with confusion and avoidance. I > hear many venting (including myself) of the difficulties in their lives, > how suddenly things seem to be moving so fast. i can't help but to think > that while situations are occurring in daily life that could cause such > anxiety, uncertainty... that we are also susceptible to a greater mood that > prevails...during this silence. > > i am always drawn towards trying to learn the appropriate language to speak > to another. attempting to find the words, the sentence structure, the > visual images which both myself and another are capable of understanding. > > presently, i am amazed at how often i find myself sitting back, watching, > and listening...and yet there is so much bubbling inside. i am just trying > to find a meaningful way to share. > > one last thought: i am also living in a new place. i often wonder if my > observations are specific to this region in texas or similar realities > exist all over this beautiful earth we inhabit. > > thanks for reading my ponderings! > > with love, > ashley cooper > > * > * > ========================================================== > [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
