FYI, the fourfold way principles are on Angeles Arrien's website which you can find via Google if you didn't use it when I posted it on the OS listserv. I don't have it at my fingertips or I would send it to you.
Also, FYI, SW aspires to make itself available to all who feel attracted. We have a great financial assistance program for anyone who would like to ask for money. We do not have travel funds. I have decided that Ethel's Foreigner's Fund should be used for travel because the workshop fees themselves can be paid through our financial assistance program. This doesn't really apply to you because the money is to be used for foreign nationals. . . but you can certainly apply for registration assistance if you can get yourself to Seattle. I only have about $260. . . . We also have a policy (I am not sure if it is funded at the moment or not: SW is undergoing major financial transition at the moment) of seeding SW communities. We have decided that we would welcome participation from folks interested in starting SW in their area. We have decided that we would offer two free season of participation for two people representing a potentially new SW group. This would give folks a chance to see how we do it and, hopefully, seed their efforts to start their own. We don't put this out publicly because we don't want people to just use it to come for free. We try to make ourselves available to those who feel attracted to the work. . . so the attraction has to come first. I have felt your strong, intentional energy since you first landed on the OS list, Raffi. Think SW over. If you feel really drawn to get to know our work, let's explore it further. One of the things we have done to facilitate participation by folks from far away is some of our members can sometimes arrange for a person to earn money while they are in Seattle, which allows them to pay for the trip. I am newish to Seattle and don't have great connects but Mark, Anne and Peggy do. I have seen folks do a workshop locally when they came to Seattle so they can pay their travel expenses. I am just seeding ideas here. Internally, SW is in a bit of flux (chaos, in my humble opinion but I am trying to be charitable) but a core of us believe deeply in its power as a new kind of collective container. Regarding the OS listserv community question. . . we have an ongoing dialogue in SW. Some folks consider us an OS organization, a view I strongly oppose. I feel we are an open space community. Is there a difference betwseen an organization and a community? a collective? I don't think there is such a thing as an OS organization. I have put quite a bit of energy into trying to find an organization that operates comprehensively in OS and I have not found it. I have talked to HO about it and several longtime OS professionals. . . there are many orgs that use OS but not one that has an organizational structure designed around OS. . . that is something I long to see and I think SW would be a great place to experiment with practicing it. The problem at SW is that the people who understand OS deeply have grown disengaged. Peggy, Anne and Mark have all been dedicated elsewhere this year. The leadership void is taken over by folks who think OS means anything at all and . . . . . well, I don't need to go on. I just wanted to give you a taste: SW is an ongoing experience in collectivity and it is very much an experiment with attendant struggle. >From: Raffi Aftandelian <ra...@pochtamt.ru> >Reply-To: OSLIST <osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu> >To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu >Subject: Re: Fourfold way and more (longish and on various topics) >Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 23:55:33 +0400 > >Dear Eva (and everyone else), > >Others on the list I imagine have used the principles of the 4fold way >(Therese, for example) regularly. And they can add to this topic. > >While I was going thru the Genuine Contact program in Raleigh right before >OSonOS, my not having done the exercises in Angeles Arrien\'s book came up time >and time again during the workshop. I have the book and I have read it but >never done the exercises. After having completed the GC program, I intend to do >the book\'s exercises. I think it is essential to being in OS/GC... > >Those that I remember: >1. Show up and be present. >2.? >3. Tell the truth without blame or judgement. >4. Let go. > >I understand (correct me if I\'m wrong) that the SpiritedWork community >introduce those practices in the opening of their OST meetings and many OST >practitioners of that community (Mark spoke of himself specifically) have been >voicing (and posting) these principles in their OST meetings for 8 years. I >realize that I could introduce some of these practices to some of the times I >open space. > >I recall during Birgitt\'s workshop that just doing #1 regularly would take a >lot out of me...At least me thinking about it helps me realize how so much of >the time I am NOT present. How refreshing! > >Therese, thanks much for your offer. While Mark did tell me a little about the >SpiritedWork community, I haven\'t had a chance to look at your website, which I >would do at some point. I really enjoyed the folks from SpiritedWork at OSonOS. > >As regards the foreigner\'s fund, I am not sure I fit. I am a US citizen (yes, >cash-thin) residing in Russia...I do, (proud to admit) have a very good track >record of sharing with colleagues in Russia what I have learned when I have >raised funds to attend trainings/meetings abroad. > >*** > >I want to touch on another topic. One of the fascinating questions for me >remains can we call this OS listserv a community? Can we call the people at >this (or any) OSonOS a community? This question was touched upon at the OSonOS, >but we didn\'t quite fully go there. And that\'s curious. > >I realize after having lived in so many \"communities\", I\'m not quite sure what >a community without quotations is. And if the OSlist is not a community -- as >implicit by very strong postings on this question in the past-- what is it? And >what would it require to be one? > >*** > >I think Zelle\'s point on your speaking with blame, Alex, is well-taken. > >I recall feeling rather turned off the first (inaugural) night of the OSonOS. >It was that first stage of \"norming\" within a group. I wanted to see >authenticity with people right off the bat. And it takes some time for our >masks to come off; and even so, we will do that to the level we feel safe >enough to do so. > >But, I caught myself being judgemental about that first night and just stayed >with it... > >*** > >Want to say thanks to all the folks who replied off-list regarding praying for >people in the North Caucasus. > >*** > >As for apparent \"weirdness\" during the OSonOS, yes there were things that I >think were unnecessary in terms of form: various exercises and songs to get us >in the now. I felt very uncomfortable in at least one case, and I chose to stay >in the room and participate to the level I felt ready. And, if the \"weirdness\" >were to exceed my discomfort level or I think inappropriate for the group, I >would\'ve said something if that felt like the right thing. > >It was fascinating to come to Goa and participate in an OSonOS meeting (my >first time) and know (drawing only on my experience) that what we were >partcipating in in terms of form was not your vanilla OST meeting. I think it >tested many of us. > >In terms of closing circle and the exercising of choice (a little bit different >from law of 2 feet), one person expressed to me privately that there were 1-2 >people at the closing circle who said things that sounded inauthentic. This >person wanted to ask those people to start all over in what they were saying. I >said to this person that I don\'t see anything wrong with interrupting the flow >of a closing circle to say something important to me. A closing circle for me >is not about all of us feeling warm and fuzzy necessarily. One of the most >\"successful\" OST meetings I ever ran ended with lots of \"I feel disappointed.\" >And that was just where people needed to be. > >I have no trouble being the troublemaker if that what makes sense to me. I >didn\'t see any need for me to say anything terribly provocative. I was busy >posting too many sessions and not having time for other people\'s sessions. > >I quite like, Lisa, by the way how you have posted sessions in the past. I >recall seeing the session report for one OSonOS: a xerox of a leaf. That >must\'ve been your \"nothing\" session. > >*** > >Is there any way of getting OSlist in digest format without all the html code, >which makes the digest oh-so-long? > >*** > >Warmly, >Raffi Aftandelian > >* >* >========================================================== >osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu >------------------------------ >To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, >view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: >http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > >To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: >http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist _________________________________________________________________ Dont just search. Find. 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