Empowerment and other matters (Short!!)Update on the 2.5 day Open Space with the Katzie First Nation

[Birgitt Williams]

Dear friends who are following this thread on empowerment,
I have learned that there are three modes of empowerment. The first mode of
empowerment is to achieve detachment  from outcome. The second is to embody
personal force and power, knowing that each of us within us holds the key to
create change and each of us within us has the resources that we need to do
so. In this second mode of empowerment, it is critical to create the
personal world in the image of your choosing (will is required) and to
engage in focused action. The third mode of empowerment is retaining memory.
This retention of memory is what we each draw on for knowledge and wisdom

I have explored these modes of empowerment for the individual and for the
collective of individuals (otherwise known as an organization).

Sometimes choices are to use empowerment to nurture life. And sometimes to
destroy life.

Does OST assist the individual or collective in detaching from outcome? I
say no. By working with passion, it does the opposite, often.
Does OST assist the individual or collective to embody personal force and
power and knowledge that the resources lie within. I say yes.
Does OST assist in the retaining of memory. I think it has more potential
for this than is commonly worked with.

I offer this to think about.
Birgitt

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Fr
Brian S Bainbridge
Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 7:40 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Empowerment and other matters (Short!!)Update on the 2.5
day Open Space with the Katzie First Nation


For Chris Corrigan and other friends:
I have two - or so - insights to add, perhaps.
1.  Warren Bennis once talked to me about empowerment as "a licence to kill"
- which I found shattering a couple of years ago.  But I don't find it so
now, because I have seen that very impact sometimes, especially when it is
translated as action without responsibility.  At an Open Space yesterday
evening, the view of a person (trained in South Africa) holding others
responsible, holding that they are empowered and thus act without
responsibility was very different from what the Australians in the group
saw, coupled with a seeming inability to go beyond that to see that people
can and do act with passion AND responsibility.  His learning and reading
and MBA training have done him a huge disservice, on the face of things.
But he was interested to engage and has been reading Harrison's "The Spirit
of Leadership".  It will be interesting to see how he changes when he reads
"The Practice of Peace".
2.    I love the notion "decolonization".  A major Open Space in New Zealand
seemed to result in not a lot of outcomes, but it did permit the Maori
participants to confess privately that the program process (Open Space) was
marvellous in that it allowed them to work in the way their tradition always
used to before the imposition and intimidation and controlling foisted on
them by the Pakeha (whites).  The only other significant comment they made
was to ask us not to convey this comment to the whites who (they believed)
would be utterly incensed by such heresy.  I know the very same responses
are present here in Australia among our indigenous people.
An extra two-penny-worth, maybe.
Cheers and blessings,   BRIAN.


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