Open Space in Westminster

[owen]

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The US Peace Corps has been using Open Space for a number of years in what
they call "Youth Development Projects." I am not quite sure how to get you
the information, but at one point they did a book titled, "Tales from Open
Space in Peace Corps" YTou might also look on the OSI Website for the
articles that appeared in AtWork. I think I remember Sandy Callier (Peace
Corps Staff) having writen an ariticle there. Anyhow, it has been used all
over the world with all sorts of situations. The one I remember best was in
Tonga, a very traditional society and everybody thought the Chiefs would
close the space down instantaneously. Wrong. Apparently they loved it as
did the youth.
Harrison
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>From:   "Wilter, Adele", INTERNET:awilter at westminster.gov.uk
>To:     "'Romy Shovelton'", romys
>
>Date:   12/10/98 11:24 AM
>
>RE:     Open Space in Westminster
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>From: "Wilter, Adele" <awilter at westminster.gov.uk>
>To: "'Romy Shovelton'" <romys at compuserve.com>
>Subject: Open Space in Westminster
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>WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL
>Please refer to the disclaimer beneath this message
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>As a Westminster resident, thought you might be interested to know that
>I recently facilitated my first Open Space event in Westminster. It was
>a consultation event about public consultation. We called it
>"Westminster wants to listen". It was attended by 80 people which
>included Council officers, and reps from the police, health authority,
>and voluntary organisations (i.e. not a public event)
>We held it in the Salvation Army Hall on Oxford Street (not many people
>know of its existence and everything worked beautifully. I kept
>reminding myself that Owen's book says "It always works" (although I
>couldn't help wondering whether people never report on their failures?)
>It was a great success with people having very intense discussions on a
>variety of important topics. People were coming up to me saying "It's
>going really well, are you pleased with the way it's going?" What could
>I say but be pleased!
>The method is now gaining interest in other parts of he Council e.g.
>youth conference, customers of the food inspections service, so it will
>be interesting to see if it takes off! (By the way do you know of any
>case examples where it has been used with young people?) I was asked
>about this and, although not knowing specifics, assured the questioner
>it must have been and would certainly be a good idea!
>
>I hope all is well with you and that you are still flitting round the
>world spreading the word!
>
>Adele Wilter
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>From  Sun Jan  3 20:48:34 1999
Message-Id: <SUN.3.JAN.1999.204834.0500.>
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 20:48:34 -0500
Reply-To: lpasoc at inforamp.net
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Larry Peterson <lpasoc at inforamp.net>
Subject: Calling the Circle
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Why do I have to write such long things. I don't know. This book was brought
to my attention. Synchronicity and all that. You may have all read it. They
do their work in Seattle area so maybe it already informs those folks. I'll
be interested if anyone has experienced PeerSpirit circles. It is a
"technology" and as such drew my interest and my need to write down some of
what I found useful. Happy New Year.

Calling the Circle
Christina Baldwin. 1998. Bantam Books. New York

A Quick Personal Review
By Larry Peterson

For Open Space Technology practitioners, sitting in a circle is a critical
part of gathering and bounding of Open Space. We acknowledge the circle and
that leadership must come from anywhere around the circle where there is
passion for the theme. We often close the space with a talking piece or
stick. Shamans and indigenous councils have used this approach for
millennia.

Christina Baldwin with her colleague Ann Linnea has created PeerSpirit to
foster the calling of circles in a particular way. They call councils of
people who create sacred space in order to accomplish specific tasks with
mutual support. There are some definite connections to Open Space Technology
and some real differences. I am writing this to help clarify my own thinking
and feelings about both. Having never experienced a PeerSpirit called circle
I can only go from what I have experienced through reading the book.

I resonate to some of the conditions they see needing to be present before
calling a circle:
* "Creating" a commonly understood context is necessary for the circle to
function.
* The person calling the circle invites participants. She or he does this
best when they have done the following:
* Set their intention
* Gathered feedback about the situation
* Envisioned the group

The process they use with the circle is certainly not Open Space, but has
some connections.
* They begin with ritual that clearly differentiates the circle from a
traditional meeting. The ritual usually includes
* Having or putting something in the center that symbolizes the divine or
sacred nature of the gathering. This could include a candle or objects from
the individuals who are part of the circle.
* The person who calls the circle states the reason for gathering and the
principles of the PeerSpirit circle and of the use of the talking piece.
* A volunteer "guardian" of the circle is sought. This person's role is to
intercede in the group process to call the circle back to center.
* The talking piece is passed around the circle once so that anyone who
wants to say something can and that the rim of the circle is bounded.
* Then conversations about the topic at hand can begin. At this point the
talking piece is often (not always) put into the center of the circle so
that dialogue can take place rather than waiting for the piece to
circumnavigate the circle.
* The guardian will interrupt the group when it appears to that person that
the center of trust and respect has been lost. This may mean a time of
silent reflection or sending the talking piece around the circle again.
* Sending the talking piece around the circle closes it along with
clarifying the administrative tasks of setting the next meeting and being
clear about responsibilities taken on.
* They recommend a circle logbook as a record keeping mechanism to be passed
from meeting to meeting.

They describe the "Three Principles of Circle" as an essential part of
"holding the rim".
* Rotating Leadership: Leadership is passed from person to person and each
person is expected to take one aspect of an issue to explore. The talking
piece models this in the discussions.
* Sharing Responsibility: Each person is responsible to pay attention to
what needs doing.
* Relying on Spirit: Rituals are used at the beginning and throughout
multiple meetings

These are not the only principles they feel are critical to holding the rim
for a successful council. "Council" is the term used for the dialogue, the
conversations or the words that fill the circle. The "Three Principles of
Council" are as follows:
* Speaking with Intention: They encourage circle participants to contribute
what heart and meaning and this usually means "story" and not just facts and
figures.
* Listening with Attention: This is the "active listening" with which I
assume most of us are familiar.
* Self-Monitoring Our Impact and Contributions: The do emphasize thinking or
discerning the impact before speaking. (They are originally from Minnesota).
To me these principles are similar to those stated by most good group
dynamics folks.

The author has clearly had those times when the "circle did not hold", when
the bonds of the community that gathered were not strong enough or the
connection to the center was not deep enough to contain the struggles. She
has had circles explode and even wonders if there are some people who are so
threatened by the bonds that being in a circle triggers the need to break
those bonds. She recognizes that "being woven" into a circle can sometimes
trigger rage and desires to find escape routes. PeerSpirit circling does not
have a "Law of Two Feet".

This approach is more guided than Open Space and I can't see it working with
large groups. However, it emphasizes the spiritual center of the circle in
some helpful ways. I have noticed that as a stronger part of OS on OS events
and it plays more of a role in my own thinking and work now. Their struggle
with the shadow side of their experience and the metaphor of being "woven"
into the circle are related for me. People are not forced to be "woven" in
Open Space but choose to connect. However, participants (even me) get
frightened when they experience the extent of connection or of when the
truth of the shadow of an organization emerges. Their emphasis is on the
circle holding the space, not the guardian (who is one of the group). We
emphasize that the facilitator "holds" the space by protecting it against
space invaders. They emphasize that the circle and the commitments made by
the participants actually hold the circle (rim) with the sacred (and
purpose) at the center. I hunch it is both in Open Space.

They mention that there is a lot of work now proceeding with circles. They
acknowledge Angeles Arrien's impact but do not mention Open Space.  I
learned from comparing Open Space to another sacred use of the circle for
meeting.