Open Space in conflict zones

Chris Corrigan chris at chriscorrigan.com
Wed Mar 3 10:03:34 PST 2004


Paul.one more thing.

I don't think we can simply underestimate the collapse of the Soviet
Empire as a largely non-violent event.  What happened in Eastern Europe
was AMAZING, and there is a very good book about it and several other
non-violent shake-offs from colonization and totalitarianism by Jonathan
Schell called "The Unconquerable World."  He argues that non-violence
largely ended a standoff that even the threat of nuclear war had not
ended.  He also looks at India and Gandhi and he looks at what happens
when violent regimes are overthrown with violence which is what happened
in the Soviet Union at the beginning.  Essentially the book argues that
violence begets violence while only non-violent and deeply motivated
citizens who "live in truth" as Vaclav Havel calls it, can truly change
their governments and societies to sustainable liberal democracies.  I
can't imagine how much worse things would be in South Africa if the
power change had happened there violently.  Not that things aren't bad
there now, but look at Zimbabwe.

I think you'll find the book engaging and hopeful.

Chris

---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Bowen Island, BC, Canada
(604) 947-9236

Consultation - Facilitation
Open Space Technology

Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
Homepage: http://www.chriscorrigan.com
chris at chriscorrigan.com
(604) 947-9236





-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
EVERETT813 at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2004 6:17 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Open Space in conflict zones


In a message dated 3/2/04 9:31:02 AM, lisaheft at pacbell.net writes:




This fine gentleman of faith and skill and humility reported at our
workshop that the Open Space worked marvelously.


Lisa,

This is probably not a popular question but what does it mean for OS to
"work marvelously"?  My Senex Self is growling along the lines
of--working marvelously??  What are the criteria? What are the real
results on the ground?  Are there any changes in the decisions and the
decision-makers, the one's who decide who lives or dies in many areas of
the world?  Is the surrounding region more prosperous, peaceful or what?
Do people have truly better lives or is the OS just an oasis in an
otherwise bleak landscape, a temporary refuge from the desperate scenes
of their lives?

I'm wondering about Haiti where John Engle has labored mightily to bring
some sanity and hope to one of the most intractable, poverty-stricken
regions of the world.  I presume there were many OS's there.  Now, he
has had to leave in the face of the complete collapse of any sort of
order other than that which grows out of the barrel of a gun.

I guess what I am wondering about is can OS make lasting change in
un-free societies?  Is that a reasonable expectation or are we fooling
ourselves and our clients?  Or, equally valuable, does it open the door
for change but often nobody really ends up walking through because they
value their lives, health, etc., in the face of anti-freedom violence.

I'm struggling with the whole concept of making or enabling change in
the world.  Is force the only way for un-free people to become free?  It
would seem like it because I can't think of a transition from
dictatorship or other non-democratic government, especially a repressive
one, that hasn't been preceded by violence and force.  (I guess the
collapse of the Soviet Empire was relatively non-violent, although not
entirely so).  Or, in which the people didn't slip into abject poverty
and degradation first (there was a lot of violence in South Africa
before it emerged in a negotiated way from white rule).

And is OS really most useful for already-open societies to find out how
to work together better to resolve the inevitable collisions of
interests and that is its real claim to effectiveness?  Is that where we
should be focusing our efforts (and it probably already is where most of
the OS work is occurring.)

Man without answers.

Paul Everett
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