self organizing systems and world peace

Tue Jan 29 02:00:06 PST 2002

Hi Birgitt:

Birgitt Williams wrote:

> Dear friends and colleagues,
>
> I don't know if I can encourage this to make it to the  FAQ...

Well, they aren't very frequently asked questions yet!  ;-)

> ...however, if we
> are telling the world that Open Space is a self organizing system,  we
> should be able to answer the following:
>

Before we go on, I'm not sure if anyone is exactly saying that Open Space is a
self-organizing system.  At least I don;t understand it that way.  What I do
understand to be the relationship between Open Space and self-organization is
that OS works because it works in harmony with the processes of
self-organization, which are processes that also seem to underlie much of the
workings of the universe.

>
> "if Open Space is a self organizing system, why don't we have world peace? "

This assumes that self-organization is good, I think.  And I think that
self-organization just is. Peace self-organizes as does conflict.  That's what
makes unpredictable social interactions so maddening to me.  I wish I could
understand why it is that human beings are able to self-organize for death and
destruction as easily as they can for peace, which is to say not easily at all.
But here is a story.

In 1914, during the first Christmas of World War I, soldiers at the front
self-organized a temporary truce.  It is one of the great stories.  More at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/special_report/1998/10/98/world_war_i/newsid_197000/197627.stm
and http://history1900s.about.com/library/weekly/aa122100a.htm

>
> "if Open Space is a self organizing system, why are so many of us on the
> list working as consultants who facilitate Open Space Technology meetings
> and thereby interfere in a self organizing system?"
>

Is there something to the fact that interventions are a part of
self-organization?  Chaos is just chaos.  Self-organization happens when
something begins to intervene in chaos.  I don't see a contradiction.  Open
Space holds it all.

And anyway, I like what Jeff said.

Chris

--

CHRIS CORRIGAN
Consultation - Facilitation
Open Space Technology

http://www.chriscorrigan.com
chris at chriscorrigan.com

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

phone (604) 947-9236

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>From  Tue Jan 29 11:34:22 2002
Message-Id: <TUE.29.JAN.2002.113422.0100.>
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002 11:34:22 +0100
Reply-To: florianfischer at ff-wey.com
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: florian fischer <florianfischer at ff-wey.com>
Subject: Re: self organizing systems and world peace
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Birgitt Williams schrieb:

>
> -----"if Open Space is a self organizing system,
> why don't we have world peace?
>
>
> -----"if Open Space is a self organizing system,
> why are so many of us on the list working
> as consultants who facilitate Open Space Technology meetings
> and thereby interfere in a self organizing system?"
>

dear birgitt,
let me think about your two questions.

if we agree that the universe, including our world,
is a self organizing system
we have to accept, that in fact every  happens is self organized.

if there is peace its the only thing which could happen: self organized.
if there is war its the only thing which could happen: self organized.

we have to accept that very world, because there is no other one,
not like it is, because it is not , but it is steadily unfolding itself
as a prozess, not asking us wether we enjoy it or not.

our doing as facilitators and consultants is part of
the selforganized process of the display of the world.

i'm afraid to accept that it is totally not our personal decision
to work as facilitators in OST-meetings. it happens selforganized,
we serve as  part of a wideranged systemical process.

under  systemical aspect our doing is connected
as well as bad with peace as with war. well, there is a difference
and there is a distance between, we are more or less
pending to one or another direction within the complex space,
but we are part of the selforganized process, connected, involved,
reponsible to all, all, all which happens and to all who are acting.

without our doing the system would show a void.
let us go on in passion, patience and responsibility
pending for peace.

(hoping my english works so far)
florian

florian fischer
begleitung im wandel
muenchener 6
10779 berlin
fon 0049.30. 2116752
fax 0049.30. 2115943
florianfischer at ff-wey.com

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Birgitt Williams schrieb:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE> 
 -----"if Open Space is a self organizing system,
 why don't we have world peace?
  
-----"if Open Space is a self organizing system,
 why are so many of us on the list working
 as consultants who facilitate Open Space Technology meetings
 and thereby interfere in a self organizing system?"
  </blockquote>
dear birgitt,
 let me think about your two questions.
if we agree that the universe, including our world,
 is a self organizing system
 we have to accept, that in fact every  happens is self organized.
if there is peace its the only thing which could happen: self organized.
 if there is war its the only thing which could happen: self organized.
we have to accept that very world, because there is no other one,
 not like it is, because it is not , but it is steadily
unfolding itself
 as a prozess, not asking us wether we enjoy it or not.
our doing as facilitators and consultants is part of
 the selforganized process of the display of the world.
i'm afraid to accept that it is totally not our personal decision
 to work as facilitators in OST-meetings. it happens selforganized,
 we serve as  part of a wideranged systemical process.
under  systemical aspect our doing is connected
 as well as bad with peace as with war. well, there is a difference
 and there is a distance between, we are more or less
 pending to one or another direction within the complex space,
 but we are part of the selforganized process, connected, involved,
 reponsible to all, all, all which happens and to all who are acting.
without our doing the system would show a void.
 let us go on in passion, patience and responsibility
 pending for peace.
(hoping my english works so far)
 florian
florian fischer
 begleitung im wandel
 muenchener 6
 10779 berlin
 fon 0049.30. 2116752
 fax 0049.30. 2115943
 florianfischer at ff-wey.com
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  </html>

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