: access

[Harrison Owen]

John Wrote: Subject: access or maybe those who couldn't come were:

1) modern day slaves - there's tens of millions of them around the world
2) too hungry and weak to be aware of the meeting and to get there - there's
hundreds of millions or more in this category
3) too humiliated because they were part of the wrong social class and knew
that there would be people who did not make them feel welcome because of
their accent, color of skin, state of their clothes, lack of education,
coming from the wrong family or ethnic background, etc. - again, hundreds of
millions in this category
4) were behind prison bars, be they guilty or not guilty of a crime

. . . and more

*********************

There is one way -- Go to these people and open some space. Which is exactly
what you have done, John, in Haiti. And many others have done the same or
similar things around the world. Doubtless we all need to do more. And I
know of a number of people who have used OS in prisons and similar
situations.

It would be wonderful, of course, if we had the resources to spring all
those held captive by whatever means or for whatever reason. However, I am
not at all sure that once released, going to an Open Space would be the
first thing on their mind. Moreover, I don't think you have to "go" anywhere
to open space. It can happen anywhere you are. In fact, I suspect it always
happens wherever you are (or not). And opening your personal space may be
(is?) the first essential step towards breaking the shackles.

The shackles of the mind and spirit are the most binding, I think. And in a
curious way they may also be the easiest to release, if for no other reason
than that each person holds the key, should they choose to use it. Of course
it is always helpful to remind people they have the key. It may also be
helpful to create conditions in which they may feel a little freer to use
that key. But at the end of the day the door to their personal prison opens
from the inside, and they have the means to turn the lock, if they care to.

Comparisons are always odious, but sometimes helpful. When Nelson Mandela
was locked away for 20+ years I have to believe that he enjoyed much more
genuine open space than the multiple overpaid, overfed, over-egoed
executives I encounter in many Open Spaces I have facilitated. People joke
about "golden handcuffs" -- but the tense, rigid, anxious faces I have seen
in some of the most luxurious of environments makes me long for the freedom
(open space) of the barrio.

Some years ago, I was in Jo'berg, South Africa, spending time in the
presence of the well off -- and in the Townships. The houses of the wealthy
were ringed with tall walls and barbed wire. There was little noise, no
music, less laughter.  Life (for me) began outside the walls, if you cared
to go there.

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
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of john engle
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 10:02 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: access

or maybe those who couldn't come were:

1) modern day slaves - there's tens of millions of them around the world
2) too hungry and weak to be aware of the meeting and to get there - there's
hundreds of millions or more in this category
3) too humiliated because they were part of the wrong social class and knew
that there would be people who did not make them feel welcome because of
their accent, color of skin, state of their clothes, lack of education,
coming from the wrong family or ethnic background, etc. - again, hundreds of
millions in this category
4) were behind prison bars, be they guilty or not guilty of a crime
5) know that they could not travel because of roadblocks, checkpoints,
general insecurity
6) unable to read the invitation - last credible stats i read were that
nearly one billion of the world's population does not read in their mother
tongue
7) unable to even conceive of having the luxury of time for a half day or
day long meeting given they work 6 days a week and make less than US$1 per
day - again, a good portion of the world.

and while many among these seven categories might overlap, i'm sure that
others on this list could come up with other categories of people who don't
have the luxury of "caring" for anything beyond survival in the moment.

is there a way that we who are on this oslist, who might not be subject to
any of the above conditions/restrictions can make sure that we're forever
aware of people who would love to have the luxury of being a part of these
wonderful experiences in os that we've all had? how do we do this? so many
of you have been involved in making os experiences accessible to people who
are normally the outcasts of society.... lisa heft, kerry, joelle, harrison,
peggy, chris, doug... fortunately, the list is long. and let's commit
ourselves to continue to push the envelope on this one.

john



http://JohnEngle.blogspot.com - Reflections about Haiti, life, and our work.
http://JohnEngle.info
http://TheExperiment.info


>From: Harrison Owen <hhowen at comcast.net>
>Reply-To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
>To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>Subject: Re: FW: 1st OS in Vietnam
>Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 14:36:24 -0400
>
>Masud Wrote: Do we need to use "right" or "appropriate" for people?
>If we say "whatever happened is the only thing that could have happened"
>(if I remember the words correctly) why can we not also say; "Whoever came
>are the only people who could have come"
>
>********************
>I suppose we could -- but that would miss the point, I think. Lots of
>people
>"could have come" but only a certain number really cared (enough) to come.
>And besides, they are the only ones present :-). Their "care" makes them
>the
>right/appropriate/present people. And in my book, it is the "caring" that
>counts. That doesn't make all the other "possibles" bad, evil, immoral, or
>ugly -- they just didn't care enough to come. Maybe next time????
>
>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
>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit:
>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Masud
>Sheikh
>Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 12:54 PM
>To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>Subject: Re: FW: 1st OS in Vietnam
>
>Do we need to use "right" or "appropriate" for people?
>If we say "whatever happened is the only thing that could have happened"
>(if I remember the words correctly) why can we not also say;
>
>"Whoever came are the only people who could have come"
>Masud
>
>On Tue, 12 Apr 2005 09:28:45 -0700, Elwin and Joan elwinandjoan at yahoo.com>
>wrote:
>
> >--- Harrison Owen <hhowen at comcast.net> wrote:
> >> Idiomatic language is devilishly hard to translate,
> >> and I suspect idiomatic (colloquial) English is the worst offender.
> >I
> >> opted for "right" = "appropriate." Sounded good to me. What do you
> >> think?
> >
> >Harrison,
> >
> >I think you did the "right" thing!  Since 90% of my OST is in former
> >USSR countries I am constantly asked the same question(s) about the
> >terms used in the Four Principles.  Again, you did the right...err
> >"appropriate" thing.
> >
> >
> >
> >Elwin Guild
> >Future Development International
> >Baltimore
> >elwinandjoan at yahoo.com
>
>*
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