London calling

Mon Jul 11 19:33:03 PDT 2005

Steve:
Many people responded to the posting that a member was missing. Perhaps you  
didn't get those postings? I saw several. I didn't respond because I don't 
know  this person but many others did.

As to politicization of this group, it didn't upset me. I feel  that these 
are important issues to discuss and open space is as good a place as  any. 
Indeed, to discuss these things means to me that our space is  open.

Regards
Esther

Hello All,

I am disappointed at the  politicization of this Open Space group.   Perhaps 
I can give a perspective that is more objective. 
Several years ago, long before  9/11, I worked with a gentleman, Vijay, whose 
family live in an area of India  where both Hindi and Muslim lived.   Over 
lunch, he confided in me that he needed to return to his home  village, because 
his mother was dying.   He needed to take his two young sons with him to meet 
his mother before  she passed.  His concern was that  extremists on both sides 
in his region would place soccer balls with  explosives in the street in each 
other’s neighborhood.  His concern was that one of his sons  would see such a 
ball, kick it, and meet his demise.  You see he left his home and family in  
India as a young man to escape such senseless acts of terror. 
I asked him how he would  explain the danger to his young children.  He told 
me this story.  As a young man he discovered a cobra  in his mother’s garden, 
he immediately destroyed the snake with a garden  hoe.  I asked him why he did 
 that.  He said in his culture, it  was an obligation to destroy the danger, 
not only for his family, but all  persons in his village.  I asked  him why he 
did not try to capture the cobra and move it outside of the  village.  This 
was his reply:  One does not try to make friends with  a beast that would 
destroy you if it can.  Not only do you place your own life in  danger, but all the 
people you know. 
As I understand the terror  situation, the extremists feel that the western 
culture is threatening their  society.  In the West, we have  become decadent 
and uncaring about their culture.  In their view, we are forcing our  culture 
upon them.  Their goal is  to disable our economic infrastructure through fear 
and terror. 
Recently, a member of our group  posted that one of our cohorts was among the 
missing in London.  This was the only posting and no one  responded to the 
post.  The  members continued to debate politics in terms of philosophy.  One 
post even said all lives are  important, what about our missing member? 
All cultures have their own  monsters.  Do we try to destroy  the beast with 
words?  OR, should  we listen and be sensitive in an Open Space where ideas 
are shared without  prejudice and spite? 
I will leave my soap box now  and go back to listening. 
Steve

----- Original Message ----- 
From:  _Marks  McAvity_ (mailto:mcavity at primus.ca)  
To: _OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU_ (mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU)  

Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 10:16  AM
Subject: Re: London calling

Wonderfully  put. 
Thanks; 
Marks 

Marks & Margaret  McAvity 
S50, C16  
Galiano, BC  V0N  1P0 
_mcavity at primus.ca_ (mailto:mcavity at primus.ca)  
604-947-0077(Bowen); 250-539-2881  (Galiano) 
604-616-7260(Cell#1); 604-328-4406  (Cell #2) 

____________________________________

From:  OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Brendan  
Mckeague
Sent: July 9, 2005  10:25 PM
To: _OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU_ (mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU) 
Subject: Re: London  calling
July 8, 2005   
If It's a  Muslim Problem, It Needs a Muslim Solution   
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN   
Yesterday's bombings in downtown  London are  profoundly disturbing. In part, 
that is because a bombing in our mother  country and closest ally, England, 
is almost like a bombing  in our own country.  
I am now  more acutely  aware that Africa is the Mother Country - in the 
sense of the human species  - the mother of us all - and while our MOTHER is 
suffering, we will all feel  the pain....I  hope that we can move beyond selective 
'tribalism' to  include our connection with all life on MOTHER EARTH.

One of our  Australian political leaders referred to the terrorists as 
'sub-human filth'  -  this type of demonising and monster-making will only add to 
the  justification for the perpetuation of the cycles of vengeance and violence. 
 Until we truly see that each of us is connected on this planet - it will be  
difficult to create the space for authentic dialogue with those who are  
different. 

Gandhi said it well, in words that sounded like:  
Unless I recognise that the evil that I see in my enemy also exists  within 
me 
and that the good that I know is within me also exists in my  enemy, 
I have no way of sustaining a commitment to nonviolent  solutions.

This is for me one of the most powerful reasons for  continuing to open space 
for dialogue - naming the capacity for evil and  hate within myself and 
recognising the humanity of others - regardless of  the acts of violence they feel 
compelled - or inspired - to  perpetrate

Peace to all  
Brendan
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Esther Ewing
The Change Alliance - Building Organizational  Capability
330 East 38th St., Suite 53K
New York, New York 10016,  USA

Phone: 212-661-6024
Fax: 866-296-6712

Distributor of  Panoramic Feedback (www.panoramicfeedback.com)
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