plexus, nexus

kerry napuk k at napuk.demon.co.uk
Mon May 26 15:25:50 PDT 2003


Dear Harrison

For me, the key to self organisation is the inclusion and
participation of equals.

Systems fail when structure dominates form, concentrating decision
making in fewer and fewer hands.  Organisations are, for the most
part, still pyramids based on the myth of the strong leader.

System distortion flows from unbalanced decision-making that excludes
people, especially the public, and relies heavily on experts
(specialists who know a narrow field well enough to repeat the same
mistakes).

Plexus should start their investigation with the evolution of
decision making and the exclusion of stakeholders, then the Institute
will start understanding large group processes, participatory
democracy, equality and open space.

As Theodore Zeldin (An Intimate History of Humanity, 1994) said:
"Conversation demands equality between participants.  Indeed, it is
one of the most important ways of establishing equality.  Its enemies
are rhetoric, disputation, jargon and private language, or despair at
not being listened to and not being understood."

Cheers

Kerry
Open Futures
Edinburgh


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