Dear Christine,
I've just shared your wonderful story with other
colleagues in Taiwan/Asia - both your personal
journey and the magic created by the group.
Great sign of possibility in the midst of the
conflict we find all around us. Congratulations!
Gail
Dear all,
It has been a great experience !
Till the very last day before the event, tension
has been palpable : articles published
condemning not only the goal, but also the
event, people taking their organization out of
the planning commitee... A few supporting but
low voices still came out and finally 130 people
had subscribed on the 150 expected.. I wonder
how many people there would have been if this
community had not been in conflict...
On the morning of the event, I was tensed, so I
went out for a walk a bit before the start.While
walking, I experienced suddenly a deep
shivering, and then I was quiet, realizing
that I had only to trust the process. Just
before going back into the sportshall, I got a
phonecall : the sponsor has just received the
news that a deputy was coming, and wanted to
know when this man could talk... So he talk: 2
mn after the sponsor's introduction ;-) And then
I started talking. Everything went fine, I just
forgot a few nimor details. Then people started
announcing topics : rythm of this group was 2-3
pause then 2-3 pause and again 1 or 2 topics
then pause. All important and disturbing
subjects came out.They decided to combine many
topics, and when discussions began, there were
mainly bigs groups, and only 1 or 2 whith less
then 10 people. This kept true during the whole
event. Around midday, I got a few remarks asking
for more structure (interestingly from people I
would not have expected to) ;-). But then
people self-organized again and went back to
their groups, and all conveners gathered to the
newsroom to type their reports. Newsroom has
been a very active point during all the event,
with typing and reading the reports and
correcting them and discussing them etc.. people
looked for accuracy of reports !
On the second day, there were more bumblebees
and many feedbacks of great informal
conversations. People were very busy all the
time, and 35 topics were documented, creating a
126 pages report of impressive quality.
Action planning gave 11 projects, and 9 were actively discussed.
Sponsor was amazed : this was the first time for
years and years that real cooperation had taken
place between all those organizations that were
usually either competing or in conflict, and all
projects were of great interest for the whole
community ( definition of central concepts,
organization, communication, ethics, training
etc..)
Now there are a few articles coming out, I hear
the words of "magic" and people start discussing
of what they will do from all this..
There should be some pictures coming soon
<http://forum-ouvert-mediation.dyndns.org/index_fichiers/Page331.htm>here
So magic happened
It always works
;-)
Christine
On Sat, Feb 19, 2011 at 2:40 PM, christine koehler <chris.alice.ko
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]> wrote:
Dear all,
You really are an amazing community, thank you
so much for all your answers and mark of support
!
Amazing Lisa, you got it all. Indeed the big
issue is about to professionnalize or not, and
the community is strongly divided about the
question. And indeed stated as it is, it's an
outcome...Thanks so much for this.
You also helped me clarify the importance of the
Book of Proceedings, which I had not seen so
clearly. You're right , and I just suggested the
sponsor that it be the goal of the OS (luckily
all has been organized to make it feasible).
I told them that it would be their gift to the
community, as a thank you for all participants
trusting them and making them the gift of their
presence to this OS.Let's see what they say.
Thank you all for underlying that words must not
become barriers, and that change can be made,
even at the very end.
Catherine, thanks for your suggestion to make my
hat obvious. While I had made it clear from the
very beginning with the sponsor that I was there
as the facilitator and not mediator (in the
beginning they suggested that we present the OS
as a mediation, and that I woud be the mediator,
so I had to let them understand that it was not
a good idea ;-)), it may not be clear for all
participants.
So at the beginning of my introduction I'll take
off my mediator's badge (the one I use at Court)
that I will have put on my clothing on purpose.
I like this idea ;-)
Thanks also for advising me to have a look at
Peggy's introduction. I'll look for it.
Diane, thanks you for your advice. Indeed, like
Michael & the Boscop team showed me so often,
I also believe that facilitating an OS event is
a team work, and my assistant for this event is
a wonderful person that you trained recently in
Belgium, Jocelyne. I am confident she will
handle perfectly all last time logistical
details and problems (which I already handled to
her last Thursday to be able to concentrate on
facilitation).
Christian, I love the citation of William Blake
on your website : "there are things known and
there are things unknown, and in between there
are doors". I may say add it to my introduction
;-)
Christine, thanks for the picture. Indeed I see yout point ;-)
My learnings here these days ;
Being part of the system is definitely not the
right place for a facilitator. It prevents from
seing obvious facts.
Here, being part of the system and knowing the
people, I was not willing to see where the
unconscious control was (although I could feel
it, I could not point it).
My comprehension of the role of the facilitator
has taken me, I think, a step further. I had
seen that some of you position themselves as
going with the participants through the process,
and only warrant of the process, while others
were what I would call "champions" of dialogue
(or other concept like self organizing or
emargence or peace., as I think that it depends
strongly of who you are) and would have an
"appealing" introduction or closing. Up to now
I was belonging to the first category, as I
trust the process, but was no trusting myself
100% probably. Maybe it may change...I'll let
you know ;-)
Thank you SO MUCH Suzanne, Thomas, Steve,
Phelim, Chris, Ria, Elaine and you all. I'll
open space at 9am next Thursday till Friday
5.30pm. I already feel you are with me, and it
helps !
Christine
--
Christine Koehler
Médiateur
Créatrice d'espaces de dialogue et de coopération
<http://www.christinekoehler.com>www.christinekoehler.com
Tel : 06 13 28 71 38
<http://twitter.com/Mediateur_>
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--
Gail West
ICA
3F, No. 12, Lane 5, Tien Mou West Road
Taipei, Taiwan 111
8862) 2871-3150
SKYPE gwestica
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