wonderful work Chris.. Love
Phelim X ________________________________ I generally pick up emails only at the beginning and end of the working day. I am currently aiming to respond the following day. If it is urgent please call me on 07956 187298. _____________________________________ www.improbable.co.uk @openspacer > On 25 Jul 2016, at 12:14, Chris Grady via OSList > <[email protected]> wrote: > > May I share this blog as I realise that I have just been immersed in an open > space technology world whilst chopping veg to help feed the refugees from all > over Europe and beyond who are camped on the edge of the English Channel. > > http://www.chrisgrady.org/blog/calais-warehouse-open-space-principals-the-right-veg/ > > I would welcome any sharing or reflections which you might be able to offer. > There are two other blogs from the same visit if you want to learn more about > the amazing work of the Refugee Community Kitchen and the Jungle Books > library/learning centre. Both should be completely unnecessary in this day > and age, but as long as governments create limbo-land for human souls, > charity is needed > > In case it is more helpful, I offer the text only below. > > "I have just spent 3 days in and around the Jungle in Calais, and there are > two preceding blogs circulating which look at the work of the Refugee > Community Kitchen and Jungle Books. These are just two parts of an intricate, > fully functional, completely unexpected operation or organised chaos to bring > the maximum level of life and hope to the 7000 people living in political and > governmental limbo in Calais. > > When not knee deep in carrots, I work quite a lot with the system developed > by Harrison Owen to help to run effective meetings and events called Open > Space Technology. Over 20 years it has been used to help to ensure that each > person is working most effectively when they are present in a space where > they are collectively tackling an important issue about which they are > passionate. > > I realised that, with the addition of a quick principal about > veg/ingredients, the operation of the kitchen, and the whole interlocking of > services and support across the whole of the Jungle, observe the basic four > principals and one law which Harrison put forward. He will not be surprised > by this. I was delighted to muse over it whilst chopping aubergines. > > The camp is totally supported by volunteers who arrive in waves or trickles > and stay for days or months depending on their own external life commitments. > On any one day or shift the organisers have to get used to the principal > “whoever comes are the right people” – there is no time to wish for a few > more, or worry whether they will stay long enough – we just get on with the > job with whoever is there. The principal, once accepted, takes so much of the > pressure away from wishing it were different. It ain’t. The challenge for us > all, back here in Blighty, is to make sure the right people, whoever they > are, know there will always be work and a welcome for them. > > Principal 2 states “whatever happens is the only thing that could” – and as > the Warehouse awakes to start work in the morning with preparations, > deliveries, support services and care, they need to be aware that overnight > the militaire may have closed a restaurant, or stopped 700 children being fed > in a safe area, or decided that no building/repair materials can get through > the gate. Whatever happens, outwith the immediate control of those ready to > start work, has to be accepted. There are contingency plans between the > organising volunteers for some eventualities, but in the main they roll with > the punches. Behind the scenes there will be political and governmental > negotiation, but on the ground the work continues relentlessly. > > Open Space suggests that all topics or area of work should generate action > points, so that “we” get stuff done. No point wishing someone else would sort > the mess out, whoever is there at the moment needs to get on and deliver > whatever is possible. “When it starts it starts” – and whilst the stew > should have been on the simmering gas jets by 11am, there is a problem if the > 30 bags of tomatoes are not chopped and ready, or even available on site. > Then it can’t start. [Editor’s note — times and quantities are > fictional…please don’t make stew with my timings or quantities…these are for > illustration purposes only !] > > And now I would like to add a specific principal for the kitchen, a variation > on the 1st principal, “whichever veg are in the fridge are the right veg” (or > variations on that theme whether the department is distributing food, or > helping to clothe the 7000 people in the jungle). The chefs have to be > endlessly inventive. The donations have to keep flowing. The deals with “just > past their best” suppliers, and larger business distributors have to be made, > and without that it won’t start, and it won’t arrive in time. By a miracle, > god’s will, power of the universe, skill or luck it just about keeps > arriving. But that needs us to keep sharing the news in a positive and > empassioned way, and reaching out to all contacts we can. > > The next and final principal which we use in facilitating an Open Space event > is the one which suggests “when its over its over”. This can be very > powerful. If a job takes ten minutes and we’d allowed 30 minutes, then finish > it, clean up, wash the knives and chopping boards, and get on with the next > task…there is always a next task. But similarly, this crisis of human > limbo-land is not over. It has been going on for too long, and will continue > until governments re-consider the waste of money and human life that they are > causing by their failure to act together. It is not over, and so every day of > the week, every week of the year, a hot meal is needed by 1700+ people in the > jungle, and many more if the militaire keep up their strategies instructed > from on high. Tonight I have booked my Eurostar cheap deal to get over again > in October for a week because, I suspect, it will not be over. And if it is > then I will have time to sightsee in Calais, and the North area of France. > But I suspect I will be back in the kitchen with new friends (whoever comes) > and jumping in a van to get “the right veg” from somewhere. > > Although I have written two blogs in quick succession about just three days > in Calais, this third blog is hoping to reach a different group of “right > people”. People who might google Open Space or things like that, or read > business networks. By reaching out with Calais Jungle as the heart, I am > hoping to reach some new people. > > There is one Law offered by Harrison Owen to encourage the best use of Open > Space, and it also applies to the Jungle. It is called the Law of Mobility or > the Law of Two Feet. > > Even as I type this I realise the awful impotence which the word mobility > rises in my gut around this situation. We can use our two feet and we are > mobile. Those that we serve and support have had their mobility removed by > the limbo-madness that they are in. They cannot go back to their homes which > we and our governments have helped to destroy, and they cannot reach their > destination because of an unhealthy distrust of “foreigners” coming to swamp > Great Britain. > > But we the privileged free citizens of the UK and other nations can use the > law of mobility and go where we are most needed. That’s the point – we all > have a part to play, and something we can do. But we may need to make a move > to be most effective. I am afraid I don’t have “treasure”, but I do have > “time” which as a freelancer I can offer. So my feet took me to Calais to > help…and I didn’t need much talent to drive a van or chop carrots. Others may > be time-poor but a bit more cash-rich, and there a short move to your bank > account, or one of the online donation portals can have an immense good > effect – such as http://refugeecommunitykitchen.com/ > > Within the Warehouse working area the law of two feet works seamlessly – if > there are too many people around the carrots, and not enough people at the > washing up, then the flow of volunteers move with just the tiniest prompt to > down knives and pick up dish cloth. There is endless washing and cleaning, > to ensure the best possible hygiene in the kitchen. One of the smallest jobs > of the day is washing up the 150 plates and forks from the volunteer lunch – > everything is like home, but scaled up to enormous numbers. > > So dear colleagues who use Open Space, friends who have been to D&D over the > years, and those who know me from many other lives and ways. I hope you will > have a think about how you can use your time talent and treasure, and your > own mobility, to help those who are stuck in limbo so close to re-starting > productive and UK tax paying lives here in this country A country that they > all believe to be the most welcoming and supportive for a multi-cultural > workforce and community. > > My final blog (which will be the 4th of 3 – with homage to Douglas Adams) > will follow when Anna is ready for me to shout about a plan/event she is > thinking about. > > Thank you for reading and sharing these blogs" > > Thank you so much Harrison, Phelim, and all those who have led me to > understand Open Space. > > Chris > > > Chris Grady FRSA > Chris Grady.Org > > Gothic House, High Road, Great Finborough, Suffolk IP14 3AQ > 07713 643971 [email protected] skype: chris_grady > > > www.chrisgrady.org > Chris Grady.Org Limited Company No 8827507 > Directors: Chris Grady and Kath Burlinson, > Associates 2016: Kate Taylor (Edinburgh) Tania Azevedo (London) Kate Reed > (New York) > CGO - Making Connections & Creative Life Support > > Creativity and Business Life Coach > "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" > Mary Oliver, poet > New e-book offering creative life support > http://bookboon.com/en/the-anatomy-of-your-creativity-ebook > > Event Dates > CGO Surgeries: Edinburgh Sat 13th Aug, London 23rd Sug & 20th Sept > Producers' Pool: London 26th July & 27th Sept > Creative Workshops: Edinburgh Sun 14th Aug > Creative Business 1/2 Day with Nicky Raby & Chris Grady: London Tue 4th Oct - > Book > Clothing Optional Theatre - 2nd conference: London Sun 13th Nov > _______________________________________________ > 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 > Past archives can be viewed here: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
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