Please help me think this through...

[Glory Ressler]

Doug:
South African colleagues of mine speak of both the benefits and the
limitations of the 'truth and reconciliation' process in South Africa. If my
recollection is correct, 'formal apologies' and other material gestures of
reconciliation came AFTER the truth telling phase. This included both an
opportunity to tell individual/familial stories and a period of more formal
research and documentation....

I do think it takes a stronger individual/country to apologize than not. I
also think that the 'strongest' are those who learn from (evolve because of,
are moved by, grow through) their own experiences, those of others and,
especially, the suffering they experience and cause. We all experience
non-peace and we all cause it, at times.

I also think that worry over vulnerability is a function of not having fully
integrated either the wonder of life or our imminent death. Safety and
security is an illusion - we're just more aware of that now and, as usual,
are seeking to control the externals conditions in our favour rather than
examine/shift our internal state(s)... It's all griefwork (at some level),
if we are alive to the ever-changing (read dying) NOW.

I'm not sure that 'warriors for peace' would start with (or insist on)
apologies. I think that Open Space 'warriors for peace' would bring together
conflicted parties around 'issues and opportunities for truth and
reconciliation' - and then hold the space for whatever emerges. I also think
that 'warriors for peace' would model holding space for the immense tensions
that arise (in fact, are already present but are likely more explicit in an
OST meeting). At most, I think they might share how the current OS
experience has grown the inner 'peace'.

My take is that we continue to beat our heads against the same old 'control
the externals' wall, when the more realistic and effective path is to make
explicit the path of internal change/control (I don't like the word
control - it doesn't fit with my experience of internal shifting but I do
acquiesce that mastering our own reactivity is paramount).

Best wishes to all on this beautiful birthday of Canada!
Glory
'If it isn't a happy ending, our story isn't over yet.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Glory Ressler, B.A., Dip. GIT - Director
Avalon Consulting & Associates

www.edgeofavalon.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Douglas D. Germann, Sr." <76066.515 at compuserve.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 11:24 AM
Subject: Please help me think this through...


To my good friends--

Would you be so kind as to help me think this through?

The last few days watching the news the phrase "truth and reconciliation"
keep coming to me. Now I do not know much about the phrase, but I associate
it with a formal process that was undertaken a few years ago (maybe it is
still ongoing?) in South Africa to help heal the wounds of Apartheid.

What would happen if the USA would apologize to the people of Iraq for the
invasion and the atrocities done by us or under our watch? What is the
likely result if we would make sincere efforts to make amends? Even to dare
to vulnerably make amends?

Some would surely say it will be viewed as weakness, as an admission of
defeat. But it takes a strong people to make an apology, yes?

Is this not a form of griefwork?

What do the learnings of open space do to help us think this through? What
would warriors for peace do?

                             :-Doug. Germann
                            Seeking people making change.

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