Story of an Open Space unlike any I have ever run before

[Chris Corrigan]

In the spirit of the stories about the September 21 space openings, and
Harrison's invitation to open space too, I thought I would share with
you a little about what I'm going through right now with a space I have
opened.  I realized today that I am holding space for something when I
noticed a bad headache and thought immediately of Joelle's diagnosis of
my problem from OSonOS IX.  Holding space is hard on the head.

I opened space on Sunday morning, very very early Vancouver time with an
invitation that I sent to this list and one or two friends.  The
invitation, as you now know, was entitled "The answer, according to my
daughter."

At the time, I thought I was simply reporting on an insight I had
gleaned from my daughter's take on how to deal with monsters, but now I
realilze that I was actually inviting something to happen.

I have been overwhelmed by the response to this little essay.  People
have followed their passions and taken responsibility for acting in a ll
kinds of ways.  Some folks have been acting around the piece itself.  It
has been illustrated beautifully, translated into German and soon nearly
a dozen other languages.  It has been the focus of two specifc web based
discussion forums.  Three people have offered to print it and distribute
it.  It has been read at an AGM of a Canadian woman's organization and
at a couple of peace rallies in the USA.

Other people have decided that the invitation was to act, and they have
written to politicians and heads of state, attaching the essay.  So far,
Jean Chretien, Geroge Bush, Gerhardt Schroeder and Joscha Fischer have
had it sent to them, to my knowledge.  It has been sent to the head of a
government policy caucus in Canada, and an opposition party policy list
in British Columbia.

People have acted too on the invitation.  At least one person, in the
midst of all the turmoil at Boeing in Everett, USA and totally uncertain
about the future of her job, has volunteered at a soup kitchen for the
first time.  Others have attended peace rallies or decided to speak out
as a result of the piece.

Reaction hasn't been universally favourable of course, but at least
people are engaging with it.  Every email I get I respond to, trying to
turn back either positive or negative vibes to creative action on the
part of the sender.  Exactly as I would do in a more conventional Open
Space Technology meeting: "What do YOU want to do?"

At my website you can watch this curious OST evolve.  I have posted the
invitation (the essay), as well as it's several translations, links to
other websites and most of the responses I have received.  I see this as
a news wall for the worldwide OST that is happening around this essay.

Whoever comes is the right people, including religious zealots,
peaceniks and war mongers.

Whatever happens....all offers to publish the piece have been met with a
big thumbs up by me, if that is where people's passions lie.  I am
adopting the Harrion Owen approach in this respect, and giving the thing
away.  After all, it was a gift to me from my daughter to begin with.

When it starts...for me it has only recently dawned on me that this is
an OST gathering, asynchronous, dispersed and diffuse, but all linked
through me, in as much as people have wanted to share what they are
doing.

When it's over....my greatest fear is that I'll be holding this space
open for a long time, which might be good news for the Tylenol company.
At any rate, given the response the essay has had, and given it's
seemingly instant conversion to an invitation, it is the least I can do
to hold the space open for it for as long as it works.  Any advice on
how I might do this is welcome from you all...:-)

Law of Two Feet?  People come and go.  I hear from them, they disappear,
they come back...this is not so much creating butterflies and bumblebees
as it is creating viruses and websites.  The essay spreads like a virus,
not from computer to computer, but from user to user, wetware to
wetware.  It roosts on web servers in various parts of the world, the
digital equivalent of sitting in the hotel bar and waiting for people to
notice you.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that this is what is
happening.

I invite you to take part, or just follow the story at
http://www.chriscorrigan.com/aine where you will find it all.  The site
changes daily, so if you're into it check back regularly.  I'll keep the
list posted to the little things that happen that might be of interest
here.

Love and peace to you all,

Chris

--
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Consultation - Facilitation
Open Space Technology

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

RR 1 E-3
1172 Miller Road
Bowen Island, BC
Canada, V0N 1G0

phone (604) 947-9236
fax (604) 947-9238

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