September 21st

[Ulla Gläßer]

dear birgitt / dear list ---

I am Ulla from Germany -
and I have been reading your OS-messages for almost a year now -
ever since Lisa and Laurel (HI THERE !!!) took me to the OSonOS in
Berlin,
from where some of you might know me.
(I would have loved to see you again in VAncouver - but could not make
it this year.)

I have been thinking about writing to the list myself before lots of
times -
but mostly, there were so many (good) words already
that it did not seem necessary to me.

Anyways -
I am writing NOW to say that
I will join you in opening space today.

And to send my love to all people on this fantastic list -
your messages - in general and particularly over the last week -
have touched me deeply.
I found the list to be a very encouraging and inspiring place of
sanity, compassion and "spiritual policy / political spirituality" -
especially in this time of crisis.

ANd to thank you for the diversity on this list:

I have been telling a lot of friends / people here in Germany
about the exchange going on on the OS - list
in reaction to the NY/DC terror acts --
in order to help differentiate the often far too homogeneous image
a lot of people here have from "the (US-)Americans".

Over the last week, I have experienced that
after the first wave of shock and immediate compassion with the victims,
very critical opinions about the U.S. become quite loud --
especially amongst the (young) critical people here.

In my view, there indeed IS a lot to critize and change in U.S. policy
--
but it does not help
if this is requested out of  a wholesale-negative image of the U.S./
out of an attitude of fear and ultimately (counter-)aggression.

People (here and probably in many countries)
who do not have (many) personal contacts to U.S. citizens,
who have not lived in the States themselves,
and who are getting their impressions of this country mainly via the
mass media,
are very likely these days to get an image
that "all / most Americans want revenge /
only think of their own country's good and not globally /
restore to "star spangled buttons" and "flag waving"
instead of self-critically reflecting their own role in the global
(economical and political) system".

This image of the U.S. combined with the awareness
of how much power this country has in the world,
is prone to produce fear --
frustration --
and hostility.

But this is not a good energy to create change from.

It seems to me much more promising
to create the feeling of a global network
of "spiritual activists" (I think I read this expression on the list and
LOVED it)
-
to join energies within and outside of the U.S.

but for that it helps if
diverse and SELF-CRITICAL voices from within the U.S.
are heard outside of the U.S.


Ohoh - I have no idea if you can relate to these remarks -
if they are understandable
and make sense to you.

I believe that these days it is more important than ever
to let the rest of the world know
about the more (SELF-)reflective oppinions and "alternative voices"
WITHIN the U.S..
via the mass media, your voices "do not get out of your country" that
much (as you sure all know) -
and it seems an important precondition for joining energies globally to
me that "people like you" are heard more widely.

I basically just wanted to let you know
how important you have been to me
over the last week to "differentiate the U.S. picture"
in my personal environment.

thank you.

AND:

something like Birgitt's global holding space initiative is something
very helpful to "join energies".

In addition to that,
I would like to encourage peace-committed North Americans to
BECOME MORE VISIBLE.
maybe you can do something
like a HUGE MASS MEDITATION on the streets of NY or San Francisco or
....
to make the media report
and thus let people around the world know,
that you are there, too !!


best regards from germany
ulla


PS:

some positive images from here:

On the Alexanderplatz, the central place in the East of Berlin,
there were large banners saying
"GRIEF FOR THE VICTIMS DOES NOT JUSTIFY MURDER"
etc

and quite a few of our more intellectual newspaper
seem to make a very conscious choice
to bring (very complex) articles of Muslims,
of everyday life circumstances in Afghanistan etc etc
on quite prominent pages (3-5).


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