More on Empowerment - Moderation and Languages

[Winfried Ursin]

Hi all,

I love this empowerment thread, especially the 'skipping spacer' (may be a good jobtitle?), as I am currently thinking what happens in organisations before they embrace new tools, language, attitudes,...

Another question for me is how could one go about creating global spaces, which allow the creation of new solutions. Could the internet play a role (and the tools created in the past and current) should we believe in synchronicity - or both, or more? For me this is the opposite of the neo-nationalism, currently on the raise in Europe. 

Re languages:

Artur wrote:
>and a small supplementary "provocation" - if someone wants to work in
>"intercultural studies" or doing "international moderation" - as it is the case
>with the USA Presidency - how many foreign languages must one been
>able to understand and speak with a level of proficiency that allows oneself
>to make these kinds of distinctions? Can I "empower" myself to "moderate"
>the others if I don't speak their languages, and because of that I can
>never completely understand how they think and feel? Will they "empower"
>me to moderate? Can I use an "imperial language" and assume that the
>others must understand me? Must the President of the USA, and ruler of the
>world, be chosen between those that are able to speak at least 10 or 20
>languages? (As the current Pope, for instance). Can the "ruler" of the world
>continue to be chosen by the nationals of one single country? Etc.
>
>And, yes, this is "off thread" but not "off topic", I believe. What can we do
>to "Open Space for a Better World"?)
 
I think I understand, what you are getting at. But is it language? Having spend some years in a Chinese environment I came to a point, where I had to question all my interpretation of the spoken language (which of course was English), then I had to throw away all my (western) interpretations of body-language. At that point I felt really at a loss how to communicate in a culture, which was so alien to me. Until I noticed that yes, I could still communicate and slowly started to trust my instincts. Now I pay much more attention to the small cultural differences like the effect of not shaking hands every time you meet in the anglosaxon world. It is still unsetteling to me central european after all this years! How much bigger are all the big differences? But in hart and spirit you still find like-minded people, with whom one can overcome all this. OS fascinates me, because it seems to be able to work regardsless. Unfortunately we have to be together in one room, or not?

I am sorry that this is all only facetts and questions, but I could not help but jumping in ....

regards
Winfried



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