Democracy and Open Space

[Chris Corrigan]

Hi Elena:

Try just going to http://www.tmn.com and following the links from there.
If you need a user name, I think openspace is the one that Harrison set
up.  It's free to register there.

Cheers,

Chris


---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Consultation - Facilitation
Open Space Technology

Bowen Island, BC, Canada
http://www.chriscorrigan.com
chris at chriscorrigan.com


>  -----Original Message-----
>  From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
Elena
>  A. Marchuk
>  Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 6:45 PM
>  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>  Subject: Re: Democracy and Open Space
>
>  Hi Criss,
>
>  I did try the address you mentioned, as the idea is looking
interesting
>  for
>  me, but it did not loaded and asked my password.
>  Do I need any authorithation there?
>  How can I reach the material about 4N, if possible, please?
>
>  Best wishes
>
>  Elena
>
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
>  From: "Chris Corrigan" <chris at chriscorrigan.com>
>  To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
>  Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2002 7:04 AM
>  Subject: Re: Democracy and Open Space
>
>
>  > We had a conversation earlier in the year about forms of
convergence
>  and
>  > action planning that did not require voting.  In February I tried
out
>  > the 4N method that Michael Herman and I hammered out (Michael named
>  > it...he gets the credit for News Now Next Nuts - and he can have
it!).
>  > It worked really well.  The record of the conversation and the
story
>  are
>  > on The Meta Network at
>  >
>
http://community.tmn.com/tmn/swebsock/0007715/0679001/CS41/viewitem.cml?
>  > 22+6+54+23+0+0+1+x#here
>  >
>  > Not voting is empowering.  People see what work needs to be done
and
>  > pick up the tasks.  People move by choice to the work that holds
the
>  > most meaning for them, and new structures emerge.  I think voting
>  places
>  > predetermined boundaries about what needs to happen.  As much as we
can
>  > say that "every issues is still important" voting implies that some
>  > issues are more important than others, even if things are ranked
>  > strictly according to where people's energies are at.  The only
time I
>  > have found voting appropriate was at the end of a one day meeting,
when
>  > my sponsor wanted things prioritized.  At that time, we gave each
>  person
>  > five dots and asked them to rank the most important issues for the
>  > group.  That was all.  There was no follow up within the OST
meeting on
>  > these issues, they simply ranked them and left them at that.  With
a
>  > clear understanding of what we were doing, no one felt slighted.
But
>  in
>  > contexts where the voting then leads to groups to work out those
>  issues,
>  > I have found people generally miffed at the way that whole thing
goes.
>  >
>  > Maybe it's me (Harrison might think so...he once described the
aversion
>  > to voting as "Canadian.")
>  >
>  > Another thing that bugs me about voting is that it says "wasn't
that
>  > Open Space thing interesting?  Okay, let's get back to reality..."
In
>  > other words, it doesn't model the new reality, but reinforces the
old
>  > one.  I have had people express exactly this disappointment to me.
>  They
>  > have said "Oh rats...we were really starting to get somewhere..."
>  >
>  > And this "getting somewhere..."  Doesn't that echo John's notion of
>  > democracy as a journey?  I don't think that democracy IS voting,
nor do
>  > I think that voting in and of itself is democracy.  To reduce one
to
>  the
>  > other removes the role and responsibilities of the citizen to act
and
>  > improve the system.  Perhaps real democracy invites this action.
>  Voting
>  > is just a way to see what's popular.
>  >
>  > So OST is "democratic" if it invites folks to be citizens,
encourages
>  > them to use their feet, and provides a way for outcomes to unfold
>  > without domination from powerful interests.
>  >
>  > Enough musing for now.
>  >
>  > Chris
>  >
>  >
>  > ---
>  > CHRIS CORRIGAN
>  > Consultation - Facilitation
>  > Open Space Technology
>  >
>  > Bowen Island, BC, Canada
>  > http://www.chriscorrigan.com
>  > chris at chriscorrigan.com
>  >
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