I agree with everything you have written, Justin. OSI/US is the name of the
Open Space Institute/US.
I completely agree that we are the only country with America in the name and
this simple truth gives us a kind of 'right' to be called America. And,
there are all kinds of considerations. . . it is standard in terms of
copyediting to refer to countries with a two letter abbreviation . . .
Canada is CA. . . US is US, etc.
Lots of folks coming from outside the United States of America identify as
Americans. . Latin Americans, South Americans, Central Americans. . .this is
true. . .
all kinds of interesting considerations. . .
in the narrow context of OSI/US, our name is OSI/US.
On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 6:49 PM, Justin T. Sampson <jus...@krasama.com>wrote:
> Howdy,
>
> I certainly have no objection to the name "OSI/US", and no advocacy to
> change the name of the organization, but some thoughts do come to mind that
> I feel like sharing.
>
> Tree's eloquent narrative proves that "OSI/US" is a better name than "OSI"
> or "OSI/America" -- but I wonder why not "OSI/USA".
>
> I actually prefer "America" over "United States", and here's why: The
> United States of America is the ONLY country in the world to have "America"
> as any part of its name, so "America" is a reasonable nickname when it's
> clear that a country is being referred to.
>
> However, there ARE other countries with "United States" or something
> similar in their names -- notably, the United States of Mexico (locally
> known as Estados Unidos Mexicanos). So "United States" and "US" are actually
> ambiguous nicknames, though of course they're quite common ("US" is the
> standard two-letter country code for the United States of America while "MX"
> is the standard two-letter country code for the United States of Mexico).
>
> So anyway, I think that if it's okay to refer to the United States of
> Mexico as simply "Mexico", it should be okay to refer to the United States
> of America as simply "America", and that if we're concerned about "America"
> being too broad then we should use the full formal name, not the
> even-more-ambiguous "United States".
>
> Cheers,
> Justin
>
>
> On Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 5:42 PM, Tree Fitzpatrick <
> therese.fitzpatr...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Some folks asked why 'OSI/US' . . . the simple answer is that the correct
>> name is Open Space Institute/US.
>>
>> Now, speaking only for myself, not on behalf of the OSI/US board (I have
>> been on the board almost six years). . . there is North America, with
>> several countries. There is Central America, with many countries. And there
>> is South American, with many more countries. There is also the concept of
>> 'Latin America'. It is a misnomer to consider residents of the United States
>> of America as Americans, as the 'only' Americans. . . people in North
>> America, Central America, South America and, even the more amorpohous, Latin
>> America. There are many American countries.
>>
>> As a young woman, I lived and studied cultural anthropology in Mexico and
>> then in Bogota, Colombia. Thirty+ some years ago, there was a lot of
>> anti-U.S. animosity amidst the young college students that I knew. Young
>> South Americans consistently complained to me if I ever made the 'slip' of
>> referring to myself as American or my country as America. I am just one
>> person, doing my best to be a good person. I am not an 'ugly' American.
>>
>> Sometimes I feel pressure from colleagues in other parts of the world to
>> feel apologetic about being a U.S. citizen, or to be apologetic for my
>> country. I have heard plenty of whispers during my decade+ participation in
>> the WOSonOS community (yes, I've been around that long, even if you don't
>> see me on the list all the time . . I am always present and reading . . and
>> have been for a long time) from OS colleagues, who remind me that my country
>> is not 'in charge' of OS. . . I have never made such an astonishing
>> assumption. I have never asked colleagues from other countries to remember
>> their country's image in the world or hold such colleagues to any kind of
>> account for their country's various histories of disappointment -- I won't
>> name any names or countries!! . . but sometimes, it feels like an
>> unnecessary burden for me to feel that I have to softpedal the inescapable
>> fact of my citizenry or my cultural orientation.
>>
>> I have heard many a whisper of warning that OSI/US ought not to see itself
>> as a leader amoung OSI's. . . we absolutely don't see ourselves that way. We
>> are, at the moment (whoever shows up are the right people) nine wonderful
>> people holding space in the world for Open Space. I have formed a resolve
>> to stop feeling like I have to apologize for being based in the United
>> States. . . and reminding the list that our legal name is OSI/US (I am
>> trained as an attorney, after all) is our name. It seems respectful of all
>> the other 'kinds' of Americans that dwell in North, Central and South
>> America. . .
>>
>> And, stay tuned -- OSI/US just had its first ever, three-day face-to-face
>> board retreat. Our meeting was hugely productive and you will be hearing
>> about it as time goes by (soon!!!).
>>
>> Very truly yours,
>>
>> Tree Fitzpatrick
>>
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--
Love rays,
Tree Fitzpatrick (check out my new address)
. . . the great and incalculable grace of love, which says, with Augustine,
"I want you to be," without being able to give any particular reason for
such supreme and unsurpassable affirmation. -- Hannah Arendt
2175 Kittredge St Apt 615
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-665-4825
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