Testing

Thu Apr 24 17:29:16 PDT 2003

Harrison,
You are right that I agree that there are a lot of Dead Moose under the
table. For those of you who don't know about the Dead Moose and its
relationship to Open Space Technology, please see the invitation at
http://www.openspacetechnology.com/articles_11.html

I suggest adding another reason to the three you mention regarding silence
and that is d) busy holding space. I vote for d). I believe in the power of
Open Space and what we know from our many years of experience with Open
Space Technology. The facilitator must not be attached to outcome (and not
to be shaken by events, even conflict as it happens---I remember from
working with you at the First Canada US Breast Cancer Advocacy Conference
what it was like to hold space in the face of huge conflict---a microcosm of
what we experience in the world).

And so, hundreds of us around the world are facilitating the "holding of
space for opportunities for harmony in the world". I stay focused on this,
on who I am as a being of light in the world, and I retain my balance no
matter what the events are. I see and experience myself as one of the
co-facilitators of "holding space" that we opened on Sept 21st of 2001.
Anyone who cares to join us in the co-facilitation of what is the biggest
"space holding" experience may join at any time to assist those already
committed. And because we are co-facilitating, even if one or more of us is
having a "down" day, we know that others are holding the space and so it is
like a magnet to energize oneself again through meditation and prayer and
being in nature, as we would do for facilitating an OST meeting, and to
rejoin the others.

I see and experience many many events and projects to foster harmony and I
am convinced that we are having an effect. Can I prove it? No. Do I believe
it? Yes.

So, Harrison, you got me started on this journey of learning to open and
hold space for which I continue to be deeply grateful. And now, we are
simply called to hold space for humanity using all the skills and capacity
that we have developed over the years.

For anyone who cares to join us in what we have called the Harmony Project,
information is at http://www.openspacetechnology.com/harmony.html

In the picture on that page, you will see a circle of stones that symbolizes
our holding of space (and remember that as facilitators we cannot be
attached to outcome). Within that stone circle, there are "seed stones" that
I am willing to send out to those who request them and want to use them to
start a circle in their own location. There are hundreds of such symbolic
circles in the world now, and we visualize them as all connected, weaving
this opportunity around the globe. Of course, there are some who have chosen
to carry their seed stones in their pockets  and to be connected in that
way.

I get great comfort from taking action in this way with my state of being
joined with others. And it gives me great hope. The good news is that Open
Space always works.

Blessings,
Birgitt
  -----Original Message-----
  From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Harrison
Owen
  Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2003 5:37 PM
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
  Subject: Re: Testing

  At 06:44 PM 4/24/2003 +0200, Eva P Svensson wrote:

    So quiet - just have to test that I'm still connected to you all!

  The silence is in fact deafening. And particularly noticeable for this
group. When silences come I find the reasons are usually three: a) Nothing
to say. b) Nothing need be said. c) What could, or should, be said takes
people to a place they don't want to go. I vote for c)

  The events of the past month are, indeed, a little overwhelming. The US
invades Iraq, SARS breaks out. And now North Korea threatens to do a nuclear
demonstration -- whatever that might mean. Sufficient to take your breath
away. Forget about talking. And the prospects for the immediate future are
hardly encouraging. Speaking just for myself, I can say that at such times,
space becomes claustrophobically small. And my daily activities verge on the
irrelevant. Silence. Very quiet.

  It is quite possible that we are really in the midst of very, very, deep
doo-doo, from which there is no easy or obvious escape. Under the
circumstances it is always nice to have somebody to beat on and blame.
George the Shrub comes immediately to mind. But regardless of what he did do
that he shouldn't have -- or didn't do and should have, the situation is
probably well beyond him. From where I sit, he remains what he has always
been -- an embarrassment. As Birgitt might be tempted to say -- We have a
lot of Dead Moose.

  And yet in such moments, there is the possibility of enormous learning.
For ourselves, how do we open our personal space so that in this present
moment we can be fully here -- fully alive? And for our neighbors,
colleagues, clients and friends, how can we open that communal space so
breath (and meaningful conversation) becomes a possibility? Opening this
sort of space is rather different, I think, from filling the air with trite
platitudes and the power of positive thinking. It goes to a deeper place.

  Slightly less than a year ago, I was privileged to work with a group of
Palestinians and Israelis in Rome. Relatively speaking, the world at that
point (compared to the present moment) seemed almost idyllic -- but for
those coming from The Middle East it appeared something other than a rose
garden. And in their presence, I could only share something of the brittle
fatalism reflected in the forced smiles, and nervous laughter with which we
began our gathering. Knowing full well that I could never be fully where
they were, I nevertheless felt compelled to share my own vulnerability -- In
my opening of the circle on that first day I said something like..."I had
come because I cared for my friends in Palestine and Israel, and also for
myself and my children. And although the people in that circle may feel
themselves isolated and alone in their own private Hell with their own
agonizing story, that story was also the story of our world. Like it or not
they were in the hot crucible of the future of humankind. The future of all
of us is being created in that strange place known as the Holy Land, even as
it has been for millennia. So I cared, but I was also on the edge of despair
or beyond. I could not think of any way out. The issues were so deep and
intractable that movement appeared denied. Space was closed. But still I
came, and still I cared – as I presumed was true for each of them as well."

  My learning during those days in Rome was profound. It became startling
clear that neither I, nor any single person there, had the wisdom, courage,
strength or perseverance to get us where we needed to go. But none of us
were called upon to do that -- we all were -- and all rose to the challenge.
In that rich space which contained all of our hopes, fears, frustrations and
anxieties, we collectively found a collegiality which included and
transcended them all.  Needless to say, we did not bring peace to The Middle
East, but we surely experienced peace in that moment. And that was a moment
we will never forget.

  So maybe it is time to break our silence here on good old OSLIST -- share
what we are, and what we are learning.

  Harrison

  Harrison Owen
  7808 River Falls Drive
  Potomac, MD 20854 USA
  phone 301-365-2093
  Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
  Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
  Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm

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