Fighting Open Space Organizations

[Meg Salter]

Interesting that you bring this up. The more I have been reading - just general info like newspapers etc. - the more it seems that al-Qaeda is a thoroughly contemporary creation - trans-national, flat org structure, dispersed, multi-sourced,  cellular nature. I'm no expert, but it reminds me of Internet structure. So it is another demonstration of self-organization. I suppose self-organization can be used for many kinds of intent - benign or malignant. Same as cell growth in natural systems; normal healthy growth and differentiation, or cancerous growth.

The other thing that seems to be a possibility is a cult-like nature, centred around a charismatic leader. Cult features (as noted by an ex al-Qaeda member) are exclusive focus on the group, giving up all other interests ("you forget everything; your family, your business...."). So it may be self-organizing in structure, but its focus and intent is closed. The only good news is that most cults (which can be found in every country and religion!) eventually die out. Is this because the universe is essentially expanding, creating ever more openness...?

So I wouldn't call it a open space organization, as a primary intent of Open Space is to open up possibilities, diversity, difference. Self-organizing, yes. Open, no.

Thanks for bringing it forward.

Meg Salter

MegaSpace Consulting
416/486-6660
meg.salter at sympatico.ca
www.megaspaceconsulting.com

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chris Corrigan 
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
  Sent: Monday, October 15, 2001 1:19 PM
  Subject: Fighting Open Space Organizations


  I am dumbfounded by this article: 
  http://www.stratfor.com/home/0109272330.htm 

  It describes Al-Qaeda as, essentially, an Open Space Organization, running on passion, responsibility and so on.  There may be some things that aren't OS about it at all, but the channeling of passion and responsibility and the diffusion of purpose, leadership and action is striking. 

  Since I have read this I have been struck by watching large governments and armies (by their nature NOT OS orgs) struggle with how to undo this "network."  I have been looking especially for references in the media to the darker arts of espionage and black operations against Al-Qaeda and others, the ones that Rumsfeld said we may never know the success of.  I suspect that the US and the UK are meeting innovation with innovation, but we may never know how. 

  So I pose the questions, separate and apart from the ethical considerations of the work of Al-Qaeda, which I find repulsive: 

    a.. What can we learn from the way this organization has been structured and the way it operates? 
    b.. Would an organization with global reach organized around a purpose of a "higher good" stand a chance of being as successful as Al-Qaeda has been in achieving it's objectives? 
    c.. What kind of invitation for good could create the kind of passion in people that causes them to choose to so fully devote themselves to a cause that they would be willing to die for it? 
    d.. For the countries that are at war against Al-Qaeda, what kind of thinking and organizing is going to be successful in defeating this network?  Is it possible for governments to fight an group organized this way? 
  I'd be interested in what folks think on this. 
  Chris 

  -- 
  CHRIS CORRIGAN 
  Consultation - Facilitation 
  Open Space Technology 

  http://www.chriscorrigan.com 
  corcom at interchange.ubc.ca 

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