An opportunity for Civil Conversation

Wed Dec 17 20:45:01 PST 2003

Harrison,
I thought of your call for some "Radical demcracy" as I read this piece
by Margaret Wheatley who is entering into conversations with Americans.

"I've begun to invite the people I meet into conversation by asking:
"What is it that you love about America? What things must be protected
at all costs?" This question leads to wonderful explorations. People are
energized to talk about what they love, what it means to live here as an
immigrant, what they've learned about freedom, imagination, the human
spirit, creativity, democracy. Even if these ideals are receding from
our day-to-day experience, we realize how important it is to claim them
as our own. "
You can find the rest at:

http://www.margaretwheatley.com/articles/darknight.html

Harrison Owen wrote:

> Folks - Up for a little radical Democracy???
>
>
>
> For years I have been hopeful that the politics of the elite and
> powerful might give way to a deeper power - that of the civil
> conversation. Radical Democracy, in a word. Doubtless we will never
> get rid of the power of the elite, but if we could shift the balance
> towards the people, that would be an improvement. The key, in my
> thinking, would be the convening of Civil Conversations - not unlike
> the old New England Town Meetings where everybody said what was on
> their minds and decisions were taken for the good of the commonweal.
> Not always, not perfectly, but more often than not. In recent years,
> politicians in search of votes have also convened what they termed to
> be Town Meetings - but as far as I can see, those efforts are usually
> but a thinly disguised opportunity for the politician to do his stump
> speech one more time. Any relationship to genuine civil conversation
> is purely coincidental.
>
>
>
> We know how to convene effective civil conversations. And that of
> course is the heart and soul of Open Space. The question is how do you
> open up a little space in the current (US) political process so that a
> genuine conversation of the people can take place? I think we have an
> opportunity, although it does come with certain partisan trimmings.
> Those of us who have been watching the development of the Dean
> campaign will have noticed a most surprising thing. It has, in large
> part, come from the bottom up (if you think of the people as the
> bottom, which I resist). It is also very much self-organizing thanks
> to such Internet wonders as Meet-Up and Move-On. The traffic moves
> from electronic to face-to-face as Meet-Up groups are created, and the
> rest is pretty much history - but definitely history in the making. No
> matter what you may think of Dean, he and his campaign have definitely
> and (I think) irreversibly changed how politics is being done here in
> the US of A.  Here is the opportunity for Open Space - and the most
> important business of opening more space for the people. And it is
> simple, Just get on Meet-Up (see below) announce a group - and hold
> the gathering in Open Space. If it feels as good, and works as well as
> I think it might - other groups might (will) follow. And wouldn't that
> be fun? A countrywide Open Space. There is no need to go through the
> political establishment - just do it. Of course political contacts
> would never hurt, and if you had them - use them. But most of all just
> open space, and of course, let us all know how it works out. There is
> a lot to learn.
>
>
>
> Of course, there is the matter of partisanship. If you happen to be in
> favor of Dr. Dean - no problem, and personally, I find myself leaning
> in that direction. But even if your candidate is somebody else, I
> would believe that the adventure might be a useful one. Instead of
> announcing a theme narrowly focused on the Dean candidacy, try
> something broader something like /"Building the //America// we would
> love to Live in: Issues and Opportunities"./ Who knows you might get a
> whole bunch of great folks from all spectrums of the political world
> and the conversation would be not only fascinating but useful.
>
>
>
> If this interests you - and I hope it will - connecting to Meet-Up is
> no big deal. www.meetup.com <http://www.meetup.com/> will do it. And
> just to give you a flavor of what is going on see the following from
> Montgomery County, MD. Granted it is very partisan (what else?) but
> you could do the same in flavors more to your choosing. So if you are
> tired of politics as usual, you might just give all this a spin.
>
>
>
> Harrison
>
>
>
> Recent Email from Dean folks in Montgomery Country.
>
>
>
> Your next Montgomery County, MD Dean in 2004 Meetup is
>
> Wednesday, Jan 7 @ 7PM. The exact venue is open for a vote.
>
> Vote for your preferred venue now:
>
>
>
> http://dean2004.meetup.com/
>
>
>
> (AOL/Hotmail users: cut & paste this address into your browser.)
>
>
>
> Want a Meetup in your town or neighborhood?
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Here's how to make it happen...
>
>
>
> 1) MeetupPlus members can add a preferred local venue directly
>
> to the ballot. To nominate a venue, visit:
> http://dean2004.meetup.com/nominate/
>
>
>
> 2) Spread the word! Invite friends to attend here:
> http://dean2004.meetup.com/tellfriends/
>
>
>
> 3) Get 15 votes for your venue and you've got a Meetup!
> http://dean2004.meetup.com/
>
>
>
> When nominating a venue, PLEASE take into consideration the
>
> size and dynamics of the group when deciding on a venue.  Also,
>
> please ensure the venue is both willing and able to host this
>
> Meetup group.  Thank you for your careful consideration.
>
>
>
>
>
> Message from Dean for America Campaign Headquarters
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The Meetup on Jan 7 is the last before Iowa and New Hampshire!
>
> And plan now to join thousands of Dean supporters who will
>
> travel to Iowa and New Hampshire in the days after Meetup to
>
> campaign on the front lines with Governor Dean:
> http://www.deanforamerica.com/volunteer04
>
>
>
> Thank you for all the letter-writing you did at the November
>
> and December Meetups.  So far, you've sent more than 93,000
>
> personal letters to undecided voters in Iowa and New Hampshire,
>
> and they're making a difference!  You don't have to wait to
>
> keep writing -- you can have an impact from home right now:
> http://letters.deanforamerica.com/
>
>
>
> Dean Meetup T-Shirts
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Make sure to have a Dean Meetup T-Shirts for your next Meetup!
>
>
>
> http://www.cafeshops.com/deanmu
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> Need help? Visit: http://dean2004.meetup.com/help/
>
> Remove yourself or update your account settings at:
>
> http://my.meetup.com/
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Harrison Owen
>
> 7808 River Falls Drive
>
> Potomac, Maryland   20845
>
> Phone 301-365-2093
>
> Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
> <http://www.openspaceworld.com/>
>
> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
> <http://www.openspaceworld.org>
>
> Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU <mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the
> archives Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
>
>
> * * ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To
> subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
> oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit:
>
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>

--
Eric Lilius
Box 27
2675 Haliburton County Road #6
Eagle Lake, ON  K0M 1M0
705-754-9859
705-754-9860 (fax)
----------------------------------------------
`·.¸ ><((((º> .·´¯`·.¸.·<º))))><¸.·´¯·.¸
`·.¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º> ¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º>
<º))))><·.¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º>·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸
·..·´¯`·. <º))))><.¸.·´¯`·.¸.·<º))))><

  "Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop." (Ovid)

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20031217/263010b8/attachment-0016.htm>