coping with drug use

Tue Jan 6 14:29:50 PST 2004

Harrison,
thank you for your kind words. I wish that I had written down all of the
stories over the years as they happened. You are right that the OST work we
did with the youth produced so much more than what I mentioned in my posting
to the list. Self esteem grew, conflicts were resolved, street gangs 'left
their weapons at the door' and participated in the community centers, and
held regular meetings to determine the running of the centers. In other
words, the youth started to expend their energies in more life nurturing
activities including the running of their community centers.

When they left, they still picked up their weapons for out on the street.
But with frequent use of OST meetings, a lot of progress happened.

Birgitt
  Well done Birgitt! And you might tell a little bit more. What I remember
from our conversations back in those days is that the kids involved not only
came back and talked – but also, and I think this is an important point,
seemed to grow in self-esteem. And that, of course is an excellent way to
start down the path of self-renewal.

  Harrison

  Harrison Owen

  7808 River Falls Drive

  Potomac, Maryland   20845

  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
  OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU

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  -----Original Message-----
  From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Birgitt
Williams
  Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2004 11:44 AM
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
  Subject: Re: coping with drug use

  Dear Avner,

  during the 90's we had many many OST meetings with two different groups of
youth in the inner city. One group were what are referred to as 'street
youth'. The other group were new immigrant youth generally from war torn
countries. In both cases, drugs/gangs/violence were significant complex and
apparently hopeless issues. We didn't have much success engaging the youth
in discussions until we started having OST meetings. We then had a lot of
success in keeping the youth talking with us,  bringing their concerns to
us, and so on as a result of the OST meetings and the follow up we did from
those meetings.

  The professionals in the community were involved in the OST meetings and
often were really challenged by the youth to change their way of doing this
as professionals to help the youth.

  We used the OST to reach the youth in a different way as a collective
instead of one to one approaches. We did not use the OST as a program to get
youth off of drugs. However, from the OST meetings, several youth made
decisions to change their lifestyles, developing the will to get themselves
out of gangs and off of drugs and so on. We then linked the youth up with
professionals and services that could best help them with this specialty
area. We referred youth to the 12 step programs including Alcoholics
Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, both of which as you probably know have a
good chance of really being helpful with addictions. The OST meetings were
1. a gateway to development of the will on the part of some youth to make
changes and 2. provided guidance to professionals and to the youth
themselves of different ways of support.

  Blessings to you and to all with whom you make Genuine Contact,

  Birgitt

  Birgitt Williams of Dalar International Consultancy
www.dalarinternational.com

  We provide inspirational and practical “how to” guidance for leaders who
want to achieve healthy and balanced organizations to produce exciting,
tangible results for the organization and for its people.

  View the calendar for upcoming training in the Organizational Health and
Balance series of workshops featuring the Genuine ContactÔ program at
http://www.openspacetechnology.com/training.html

  We invite you to join the Genuine Contact list serve at
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/genuinecontact

  Contact information for Dalar International Consultancy: Po Box 19373,
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 27619 Raleigh, North Carolina USA
Phone: 919-522-7750     Fax: 919-870-6599

  Founders of the Wellness Revolution for Organizations

  Founders of the International Alliance for Mentoring

  Creators of the Organizational Health and Balance series of workshops
featuring the Genuine ContactÔ program

    -----Original Message-----
    From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Avner
Haramati
    Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2004 11:57 AM
    To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
    Subject: coping with drug use

    Dear colleagues

    A small city in Israel (about 50,000 people) is interested in the use of
OS on the issue of coping with overuse of drugs, especially among the youth.
The local agencies and the educational system feel quite helpless.

    Do any of you have an actual experience with this kind of OS?

    Avner Haramati

    Jerusalem

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