another peel of the onion

[Joelle Lyons Everett]

In a message dated 10/5/01 3:59:59 PM, kenoli at igc.org writes:

<<  Why is it so easy to get so many people riled up about war and
willing to spend huge amounts of money and resources on war, when we
never see this kind of unity or excitement about creating a peaceful,
egalitarian or environmentally respected world? >>

Kenoli--

I think you have hit on a piece of truth when you say that it is easy to
decide to go and kill the bad guys.  Somewhere in the midst of the past two
weeks, I spent an evening relaxing and watching the movie "It Could Happen to
You."  Trying to understand why I liked this simple movie so much, I realized
that just as children love a story where the good guys triumph, even grownups
can easily take pleasure in the same scenario.  And given the principle of
projection, the bad guys will always be someone else.

I heard a wise man say once that he found many people's visions of peace to
be boring, and he longed for an idea of peace that would be dynamic and
engaging to him.  Maybe this is part of what we are doing in Open Space,
creating experiences where differences are voiced and heard without war,
where solutions are not imposed by one person's authority but forged by
building solutions big enough for the real needs in the room to be met.  Good
practice!

Got a newsletter this week from a former client, an organization which
provides services to children in foster care.  One of the questions raised in
the meeting was how these children could better meet the challenge of
becoming independent after high school.  They now have two new programs,
initiated and staffed by community volunteers, one to support foster children
going directly into the job market and one to provide guidance and support to
those going on to college, which came directly out of that OS meeting.  Not
sure what this has to do with the question above, except to say, "It works!"

Joelle Everett

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