Hi, A number of times in OS, participants have come to me and asked for help wording a sensitive or complex topic. Longtime amateur wordsmith that I am, I usually try to offer simple technical assistance. When the topic on their mind is very sensitive, I suggest they find language that is clear but not incendiary and that when they get into the session to make very clear what they have in mind.
Another way to help such a person might be to suggest the topic be in the strongest, clearest possible language to which they have no trouble signing their name. With regard to sexual harassment specifically, in the US (and I imagine elsewhere) there are laws that cover such offenses that aim to protect workers from abuse. An organization's lawyers ought to know about any alleged incidents so they may be investigated fully. They should also be informed about patterns of harassment, where specifics may be hard to pin down. Open conversations about who is doing what to whom may lead to mention of names, allegations against individuals that cannot be supported by facts, embarrassment for those who have been harassed, and other painful possibilities. Encouraging simple, open discussion on any topic by any persons at any time may not be the best way to deal with this. Let us all be very careful. This is not to say that such topics are inappropriate for open space. I think they are appropriate. But it's a question of how to be helpful if a participant seeks our guidance about such a posting. Ralph Copleman * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
