OS in community planning?

[Alan Stewart]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Aitken" <ja at svn.net>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 6:40 AM
Subject: Re: OS in community planning?


> Let me write that more skillfully.
>
> I think Janov's formulation is: we can help the leadership REFRAME their
> interests - away from control over everything, and toward certainty about
a
> few important things (what I call boundaries, what Birgitt calls givens) -
> within which creativity and inspiration can flourish.
>
> Jeff
>
Jeff

Your skillful choice of words came at a most opportune time for me, just as
I was
framing a response to the director of a planning team in an organisation for
which I
have been facilitating OS and other conversational processes.

In my preamble to this response I wrote:

"We are reaching a very interesting and critical phase of the consultations
about the purpose and design of the Cultural Center.

I believe that the process to date has demonstrated clearly that the
conversational forums have led to Council and the community working
together to find satisfactory solutions to issues of significance to the
people of Marion.

For the consultation process has been one in which participants have
provided ideas and energy, fully aware that these need to go through a
decision making processs. And Council has had some certainty about
boundaries - within which creativity and inspiration can flourish - in
exchange for letting go of control.

This can only augur well for a future in which the Council is seen
increasingly as representing the community, rather than being separate from
it, as your
acting CEO emphasises passionately!"

Jeff, I acknowledge and appreciate your contribution to developments in the
southern Antipodes.

Good to converse

Alan