organizing protests?

[Harrison Owen]

At 06:55 PM 5/28/2003 -0500, ted wrote:
I'm writing now to follow-up on a conversation I had with
>Michael Herman last week which was itself a follow-up to a conversation I
>had with some peace and justice activists earlier last week.  My experience
>in all sorts of anti-war organizing meetings is they are horrible, boring,
>inefficient, etc, just like meetings in other setting where people attempt
>to maintain control. Anyway, a smaller group has come together as a
>network of "affinity groups"
>where each group is autonomous but sends a representative to the
>coordinating meeting.  I think this should definitely be done in open space,
>but again, how to propose it in a way that doesn't threaten?  Michael
>suggests having a meeting on a different day and time and place and inviting
>everyone from the coordinating meeting as well as the members of all the
>groups (if possible).  Any thoughts on how to propose this type of meeting?
>Topic?  Invititaion ideas?  All thoughts welcome!  Thanks much!
>peace,
>ted

You have definitely hit a tender spot. Somehow the Peace, Love and Light
crowd always seem to demonstrate greater problems with power than almost
any other. In the name of peace, love, reconciliation, and
brotherhood/sisterhood, they create conditions in which very little of what
they seek is in evidence. Give me a bunch of hard nosed engineers any time.
or better -- some good old combat hardened Marines. Piece of cake! And you
are definitely right -- if ever there was a situation that cried out of
Open Space, it is the Peace movement. At a practical level, a little Open
Space would save untold agony, frustration and wasted effort. And as a
bonus, they would actually experience what they are seeking -- God Love
'em. So how to get there? I think you may be making it all too difficult.
Just do it. Make the offer, explain the possible (expected) benefits, and
let them choose. And give up any attachment to outcomes. They will choose
what they will chose. As an alternative, you might try to the old strategy
-- if they won't invite you to their party, invite them to yours. Open some
space around a theme (for instance) "Creating a Peaceful Peace Movement,"
and see who shows up.

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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