Thank you, Suzanne, for your wonderful heart-felt message. It is an exciting and meaningful moment when circumstances galvanize people into action, and remind them of their deeply-held dreams and visions of a better world.
OST is one of the practices we have now ~ a "place" where people can choose to speak, listen, learn, and act according to their own inner guidance. To do this easily together is a great blessing, a resource for awakening and for co-evolution. I am enheartened by all the story-sharing, thoughtful responses, and open-minded connections happening on this list. Thank you to everyone, known & unknown, for the gift of your attention. Yours Truly, Chris On Sun, Aug 11, 2013 at 8:47 AM, Suzanne Daigle <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Chris, > > Thank you so much for sharing this initiative with us. Thank you Artur for > asking the question which led to Chris' response. As far as I'm concerned, > what is happening in North Carolina is a microcosm of what is happening in > America and in the World. > > I read the NYTimes > article<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/opinion/the-decline-of-north-carolina.html?_r=0>and > listened to Dr. > Reverend Barber's video <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjL7X6gt16s> and > I was inspired and moved to the core by the words, the message and seeing > the 10,000 people (families, all races of all ages together) gathered in > Pack Square. > > Chris, you said: "I might have slept through this too". This too speaks > to my core. Another wake up call for me about what is at the heart of Open > Space that gives me purpose and hope plus a simple process to guide me that > I can return to when I feel confused and alone. Not a panacea but a way to > remind myself that if I can somehow help break the isolation and solitude > in small and big spaces, it is something. > > I have been so disheartened by what has been happening in the world, what > happened to the now bankrupt 100+ year forest products company (lumber and > paper) where I worked and the small town (all white, mostly French > Canadian) where I lived for so many years. Where honest middle class people > worked hard, raised their family and could look forward to a modest pension > in their last years. No more! It was troubling to see people in their 70s > and 80s lose 35% or more of their small retirement income, for them to see > that their children and grand-children, many well educated whether a blue > collar or white collar job had no jobs or had no choice but to seek > employment elsewhere and even then...! > > The same is true in North Carolina...furniture, textile, railroads and so > many other places including Artur's Portugal. > > Perhaps it is no coincidence that the Civil Rights movement deeply > affected Harrison too. Perhaps it was not just the two martinis and him > noticing the energy and spirit of the coffee breaks at those big national > conferences that he spent weeks and months organizing that led to Open > Space. > > When I read Spirit (free for > download<http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.openspaceworld.com%2FSpirit.pdf&ei=2YUHUt_CEoae2gX_y4HAAQ&usg=AFQjCNEW7xxsC6JD324gsWbHNTx4lpIGAA&sig2=oqUjXlF9qHB8ENgV_zU0hQ&bvm=bv.50500085,d.b2I>), > I was moved by these words also: > > "While I can't say that I was totally unaware of the major changes that > were > occurring in the country at large, and particularly in the South, the > whole business of > desegregation and civil rights by no means held a central place in my > consciousness. My > world was certainly not perfect, but I had no inclination to change it. > One day as I sat in the graduate student lounge watching the TV, the > program > was interrupted with a special announcement. There had been a bombing in a > Birmingham > church, and three little children had been killed. There seemed to be > little question > that the bombing was in retaliation for civil rights activities that had > been organized > there, although no suspects had been apprehended. For reasons which I did > not > understand then, and still don't today, my world radically changed in that > moment. It all > looked the same, and in many ways I was still doing what I had been doing > before — but > it was different, and no longer very comfortable." > > So Chris, as our mutual Conversare <http://conversare.net/?page_id=250>friend > Alan Stewart often says: > > "Looking forward..." yes looking forward to reading about how things go > in your *Local Education Support Collaborative. > > * > and* > * > * > * > *"*Go well" > > Suzanne > * > > > * > > > > > > > On Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 10:12 PM, Chris Weaver > <[email protected]>wrote: > >> You also wrote: "I'm also active in a most inspiring response to the >> current alarming political situation in my home state, including by using >> OST." >> >> That is something that, if you have time, I also would like to know more >> about. >> >> Hi Artur, >> I'll try to put this story in a nutshell, and it will get to the OST part >> after the first paragraph. >> >> I have spent many years living and working in an apolitical (perhaps >> anti-political) bubble, teaching in a wonderfully progressive school, >> living in a lovely progressive city, and tending to the home fires of >> family and spiritual practice. In the past six months, the governor's >> office and the state legislature in North Carolina have both been in >> republican control for the first time in well over a century, and they have >> enacted a dizzying slate of pieces of extremist legislation that leaves >> even my republican friends feeling embarrassed and angry (see NYTimes >> editorial - The Decline of North Carolina <http://goog_242060000> >> http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/opinion/the-decline-of-north-carolina.html?_r=0 >> ) >> I might have slept through this too but for two things. First, the state >> budget passed a few weeks ago cut thousands of teaching assistants and >> teachers, raised class sizes, eliminated pay for advanced degrees, and >> wiped out the meager job security that public school teachers have in our >> state. The second thing is that a country preacher named Dr. Rev. William >> Barber, who is the head of our state's NAACP, has stepped up like the >> prophet Isaiah to "speak truth to power," and inspired by his inclusive >> message and his eloquence, nearly 1,000 people have been arrested this >> summer for civil disobedience (requesting an audience with leaders who have >> refused dialogue). >> >> As a teacher, I am responding to this situation in several ways, one of >> which involves OST. So let me say first that I do not consider OST as a >> tool for engagement in partisan politics. In fact, I do not consider any >> of my own actions as engaging in partisan politics, which I see as >> basically a group projection of the meaningless dramas of our egos. One of >> the beauties of OST is that it is anathema to tyranny in any form by any >> political agenda. >> >> My use of OST is a simple one: a sponsoring team of educators from a >> wide variety of types of schools is starting something that we are calling >> the *Local Education Support Collaborative. *The model is to host a >> bi-monthly OST over the weekend (including storytelling, OST, and >> convergence) around the theme of *Supporting our Students, Teachers, and >> Schools. *One of the functions of this OST is as a "Gift Circle," where >> needs and resources can find one another as part of a non-monetary *gift >> ecomony *(see the work of Charles Eisenstein for lots more about this)*. >> *We're developing our web platform to serve as a kind-of >> educational-gift-economy-"Craig's List," where teachers can post what they >> need and donors can contact them to provide it. The same web platform will >> include the books of proceedings from the OSTs (including action plans). >> >> Although I have enacted some similar projects before, this one is >> exciting because the political situation is lending intense relevance and >> interest to what we are doing. And the magic of OST to reveal hidden unity >> will help us to cross many existing barriers - between district-public, >> public-charter, independent, and home-schools, between political parties, >> between economic classes and across racial boundaries. >> >> We *were* going to host our first OST next weekend, but we have >> postponed it until October to give us time to prepare our sponsoring team >> and to build a web platform that can do all the things we want it to do in >> user-friendly ways. >> >> When we get it together, I will share the invitation on this list, and >> make the time to tell the story when our first OST is complete. >> >> And in case anyone has a spare 33 minutes and would like to watch the >> speech that Dr. Rev. Barber gave in my hometown this past Monday, have a >> look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjL7X6gt16s. >> >> Warmly, >> Chris >> >> >> >> >> On Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 3:01 PM, Artur Silva <[email protected]>wrote: >> >>> Hi Chris: >>> >>> Thanks for your clarification. >>> >>> It always has been - and it is now - a great pleasure to read your posts. >>> >>> You also wrote: "I'm also active in a most inspiring response to the >>> current alarming political situation in my home state, including by using >>> OST." >>> >>> That is something that, if you have time, I also would like to know more >>> about. >>> >>> Regards >>> >>> Artur >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> *From:* Chris Weaver <[email protected]> >>> *To:* Artur Silva <[email protected]>; World wide Open Space >>> Technology email list <[email protected]> >>> *Sent:* Saturday, August 10, 2013 3:53 PM >>> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Certification? >>> >>> Hi Artur! >>> >>> So glad to have you turn around, I didn't see you here in the pub under >>> that hat :-) >>> >>> Here is a perhaps indirect answer to your direct question about *certificate >>> vs. certification.* >>> My thoughts about it likely do not correspond to common usage of the >>> terms & ideas. >>> >>> The way I think of these particular "certificates" is that they are a >>> symbol and reminder, *for me*, of an experience. The experience was >>> the workshop, and the certificate is like one small gift that is a part of >>> a complex "gift-exchange" of energy (in many forms) and attention that >>> constitutes the workshop itself. In this sense, the "certificate" could >>> just as well be a stone or a shell or a bottle of Oporto; it is a physical >>> reminder of an experience. >>> >>> To me the verb "to certify" does imply the act of one "qualified" person >>> *granting *a *rank* of qualification on another person as a result of >>> some form of measured judgment. So in this common sense, I would of course >>> love to have one of those *certificates of non-certification *mentioned >>> above, especially with regard to Open Space Technology facilitation. >>> >>> To me, an interesting underlying aspect of our conversation is about the >>> symbolic "language" for a community of practice. We are exploring a gray >>> area between the idea of "certifying" and the idea of "naming" something. >>> In the example I shared in this thread: When I chose to invest time & >>> energy into Genuine Contact workshops, one of the responding opportunities >>> was to be part of a community of practice that naturally develops out of >>> shared experience. So the words "Genuine Contact" may become the name for >>> a community of practice, without any of the "power-over" implications of >>> the idea of *certification. * >>> * >>> * >>> With "Open Space Technology," we're exploring the same territory. What >>> IS it? What ISN'T it? What does it mean for "IT" to have a name? What >>> are the perils of putting forth a *definition* for the name? >>> >>> I have one more response Artur to your post to me. You wrote: >>> Nice to see you back to a list were you were once a frequent >>> contributor, until you had your time and interests diverted to another >>> movement and list, as you have now explained. >>> >>> So yes, that is for a while how I used my two feet. Like many on this >>> list, I apply my attention to the online communities of practice that are >>> most useful to my work within the limits of time I choose to spend sitting >>> at a computer. (The Genuine Contact list is an interesting list, and open >>> to anyone, at [email protected]). But I am relishing >>> being back in these conversations, and I have always enjoyed reading your >>> posts Artur. >>> >>> Unfortunately I will begin teaching in about a week and my time will be >>> under much greater demands than in summer. I'm also active in a most >>> inspiring response to the current alarming political situation in my home >>> state, including by using OST. I'll at least be dropping by to share how >>> that goes. >>> >>> Cheers, >>> Chris >>> >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Aug 9, 2013 at 8:01 AM, Artur Silva <[email protected]>wrote: >>> >>> Hi Chris:**** >>> >>> Nice to see you back to a list were you were once a frequent >>> contributor, until you had your time and interests diverted to another >>> movement and list, as you have now explained. **** >>> >>> You were not, by the way, the only person that almost disappeared from >>> this list. In fact, as I see it, it was like a schism, with some people >>> that stayed beyond, for reasons that only they know, but anyone can >>> speculate about.**** >>> >>> I was not in your virtual table of the pub and could not taste the pinot >>> noir, but it happens that I was in a close table, drinking an Oporto wine, >>> and could not avoid listening to your interesting story.**** >>> >>> I think that there are a lot of interesting stuff in your post, that >>> probably could give occasion to have (or repeat) discussions about, in >>> other threads (one probably - again - about the "givens" question - if one >>> does not want to search the archives; another about the history of what you >>> have called the ""falling out" that apparently was at the origin of the >>> schism, that has an historical interest, and maybe others on and off topic). >>> **** >>> >>> But, for the moment, and to stay on topic, I would like to remember that >>> you wrote:**** >>> >>> «When I completed the Genuine Contact "Working with OST" workshop, I >>> received a certificate, but not a certification. (The distinction is >>> important because there was no intention on the workshop leader's part to >>> evaluate my "competence" in any way.) »**** >>> >>> I could not understand the difference between "certificate" and >>> "certification" (maybe I had already drunk too much Oporto wine or, more >>> probably, the cause is my lack of English proficiency...). Could you be so >>> kind to please elaborate a bit more about what is the difference between >>> the two concepts?**** >>> >>> Thank you and best regards**** >>> >>> Artur **** >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> *From:* Chris Weaver <[email protected]> >>> >>> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list < >>> [email protected]> >>> *Sent:* Friday, August 9, 2013 5:45 AM >>> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Certification? >>> >>> Greetings All, >>> >>> Ah, I can't resist jumping in to stir the pot. It is an honor to join a >>> thread peopled by so many folks whom I respect (and appreciate and love) so >>> much. I invite you to settle in for rather a long story, which may, at >>> some point, have something to do with "certification." >>> >>> After learning of Open Space in Anne Stadler's kitchen, I walked around >>> as a newbie at the OSonOS in Monterrey (the one fifteen years ago, from >>> which Harrison was unexpectedly absent, due to a nasty flu, I believe), >>> with my jaw hanging open to meet so many bold and brilliant facilitators (I >>> remember especially Michael P, Alan Stewart, Brian Bainbridge, Roxy, and >>> Birgitt Bolton) sharing stories that I sweetly strove to wrap my head at >>> least half-way around. >>> >>> For a few years I engaged actively on the OSLIST as I began to >>> facilitate some OST meetings (without even "finishing the book," as I >>> recall) in the Seattle school where I worked as a teacher. In 1999 I >>> landed here in North Carolina, where I attended my first OST workshop as >>> part of the Genuine Contact Program with Birgitt (Bolton) Williams who had >>> recently landed a few hours away. >>> >>> Now I will say that I have an assumption only that at around that time >>> there was something of a "falling out" between Birgitt and her work and the >>> work of some other OS facilitators. I do not know, nor need to know, the >>> details. But I do know that there are some points of practice that have >>> generated some heated passion in the community and that I think are worthy >>> of putting on the storytelling table. (I know that there is not supposed >>> to be a table, but I suddenly imagine myself with Jeff, Chris, Peggy, >>> Harrison, Michael in a pub somewhere with a rough wooden table, on which I >>> am happily uncorking a bottle of pinot noir.) >>> >>> When I completed the Genuine Contact "Working with OST" workshop, I >>> received a certificate, but not a certification. (The distinction is >>> important because there was no intention on the workshop leader's part to >>> evaluate my "competence" in any way.) Based on my participation in the >>> four-day experience, I could, if I chose, refer to myself as an authorized >>> "Genuine Contact professional." The workshop included an exploration of >>> the form & essence of OST, as gifted so effectively in Harrison's *User's >>> Guide. *The workshop also shared some suggested approaches and tools >>> for working in depth with the sponsor of an OST meeting (usually a >>> leadership team within an organization), both prior to and after the OST >>> event. My own understanding is that, by referring to myself as a GC >>> professional if I chose, I would be sharing the simple message that I had >>> had exposure to the approach of using OST that included these pre- and >>> post-OST meeting practices and tools. The choice of whether and how to >>> apply these practices and tools was up to me. >>> >>> So that is the part that relates to this thread topic of certification. >>> As a practitioner, I honor the open-source nature of OST as Harrison's >>> "discovery" and gift to the world. I refer people to the *User's >>> Guide*(and also the >>> *Non-User's Guide *and other community resources) frequently. >>> >>> As an aside, I continued in the years that followed to participate in >>> workshops on other methodologies that are shared through the Genuine >>> Contact Program (most notably *Whole Person Process Facilitation*, >>> which I use very often). I collaborated with my Genuine Contact colleagues >>> around the world in developing the minimal appropriate structure for our >>> international community. I participated in many mentoring circles, >>> completed the Train the Trainer workshop, and became one of the 43 >>> "co-owners" of the program. I also shifted my virtual community >>> participation to the GC List, and dropped off of the OSLIST for a number of >>> years. (I am enjoying being back.) >>> >>> So here, the plot thickens :-). One of the practices included in the GC >>> "Working with OST" workshop is the use of...the "givens." So, lubricated >>> with wine, I am going to place the notion of givens on the wooden >>> storytelling table for our enjoyment. (This is worthy of its own thread, >>> of course, but I'll just keep going here.) >>> >>> I have only infrequently worked as an external consultant/facilitator. >>> Most of my work with OST has been within schools and community >>> organizations. Over the years, I have come to value highly the practices I >>> learned in the GCP of working with the sponsor prior to and after an OST >>> (and I know that among other OST facilitators, pre- and post- meetings such >>> as these are skillfully used and valued). >>> >>> In my experience, the purpose of careful preparation with the sponsoring >>> team is to assist them in considering the state of their organization. >>> What is the story-line that has brought them to considering an OST >>> meeting? What's happening in terms of the grief cycle within their >>> organization? What (deeply now) is the *purpose* of the meeting? What >>> (deeply now) is the *context? *Basically, I ask the questions, and the >>> team has the conversations. All this I explicitly place in the reality >>> that when you sponsor an OST, there is not, nor should there be, any >>> turning back. >>> >>> I use the givens as an essential tool in this process. I draw a circle >>> on a flip chart and say, If this circle represents the open space, what are >>> the non-negotiables that form the parameters of the open space? >>> >>> In the past, there have been passionate objections to this practice on >>> this list, based, I think, on the belief that to establish givens is to >>> close the space before it is even opened. My long-haul experience within >>> organizations has taught me something different. >>> >>> What happens when I ask what the non-negotiables are is that a bunch of >>> stuff goes up on the flip chart. Then, I probe each one, and ask, "Is this >>> REALLY a given at this time for this meeting?" The fifteen givens get >>> whittled down to twelve, and then eight, and then maybe five (ish). As you >>> can imagine, the level of trust that organizational leaders have in the >>> people plays in heavily. I let it be. I cannot make them trust more; I >>> can only model trust, and hold space for trust. >>> >>> But I also find that the few givens that remain are, every time, very >>> important and meaningful. Some examples: Perhaps the organizational >>> purpose is a given, and perhaps there is value in re-sharing the >>> organizational purpose at the start of the OST. Perhaps there has been a >>> year of good work by a sub-group within the organization that has >>> culminated in a policy that not everyone attending the OST is aware of, and >>> that policy is a given. Perhaps a "law of the land" that administrators, >>> but not all participants, know about is a given. Perhaps it is a given >>> that the organization will stay within a certain budget, and any ideas >>> generated beyond the budget will have to include the funding source to >>> support them. >>> >>> Yes, the givens are shared with the group at the start of the OST. In >>> my experience, this does not close the space, but rather it opens the space >>> clearly and honestly. More importantly, it is a tool for building trust. >>> When participants hear their formal organizational leaders share, clearly >>> and transparently, what the givens are, they are more trusting that their >>> own ideas will be honored after the meeting and not squelched. >>> >>> And this is what happens. Using givens is a way to profoundly mitigate >>> the phenomenon, with which any seasoned OST facilitator is familiar, of >>> leadership freaking out and clamping down on the results of an OST. The >>> practice does not (thankfully) prevent the productive chaos and re-framing >>> that happens after the meeting, but it greatly reduces the phenomenon of >>> *reactionary fear* on the part of formal leadership. The result is >>> that leadership is more inclined to sponsor another OST soon, and indeed to >>> invite other groups withing the organization to utilize OST themselves. >>> >>> Perhaps because I have worked inside organizations for many years, I >>> have a deep respect for the challenges that formal leaders face. Perhaps >>> an organization is possible without any formal leaders, but I have not yet >>> encountered this. In the school where I work, there is a fragile and >>> indeed even tender respect for our formal leaders whose responsibility it >>> is to hold the space for the organization in the community. When >>> leadership is in its integrity, followership is a natural and beautiful >>> thing. >>> >>> Okay, I will pour the last of the bottle into all the glasses. Sadly, I >>> won't hear your fine words until tomorrow, but so it is, according to the >>> odd and illusory parameters of space & time. >>> >>> Take Care, with Love, >>> Chris >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Thu, Aug 8, 2013 at 8:21 PM, Donna Read < >>> [email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> Amen to that, Harrison! Blessings, Donna >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>> On Aug 8, 2013, at 17:36, "Harrison Owen" <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> Jeff – as a sometime perpetrator and totally confused (certifiable) I >>> can attest that if at any point I were to intimate that I actually knew >>> what I was doing, that would be a significant error. However I feel quite >>> comfortable in my not-knowing if only because the “process” (OST) is not >>> something I “do.” Under the best of circumstances my contribution is to >>> invite folks to do what they already know how to do – to be what they >>> already are. It always works, and it works even better when I get out of >>> the way. **** >>> ** ** >>> Harrison**** >>> ** ** >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> OSList mailing list >>> To post send emails to [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: >>> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OSList mailing list >> To post send emails to [email protected] >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: >> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org >> >> > > > -- > Suzanne Daigle > NuFocus Strategic Group > 7159 Victoria Circle > University Park, FL 34201 > FL 941-359-8877; > CT 203-722-2009 > www.nufocusgroup.com > [email protected] > twitter @suzannedaigle > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > >
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