Deep power differentials in OST

[Lisa Heft]

Hi, Brother Chris -
 
You asked 
<how the process works in places where there are deeply entrenched power
dynamics.>
-and-
<I'm wondering if others working in more rigid places than Canada, the
US or New Zealand might have had different experiences and if so, what
did you do either before the event or during?>


I agree with what's been said before - as long as you give it the 2 or
2.5 days instead of expect people to unfold quickly and find their own
voice in a 'mini'-OS, people always seem to find allies, talk together,
name things, create things that enrich the whole meeting - and they note
that this is the first time they have felt included / the first time
other participants have worked with them and not for them / the first
time others could listen without rushing right into solving without
listening, and so on.
 
I have not worked with a group combining people of different castes in
India, but I have worked with very different cultures and power dynamics
all in one big group (such as the International AIDS Conferences, such
as union, management and non-union workers meeting together, such as
violence survivors, such as immigrant, monolingual (non English
speaking) parents working with activist-sophisticated policy and social
service folks, such as parishioners of different languages and young
ages working with the Bishop of their congregation, and so on.  I know
you've done a bit of this too and have much experience to draw upon.
 
However my few additional thoughts are:
 
I would wonder if it would be always automatically useful to combine
people of such incredibly different power levels as low caste members
and others of much higher stratas - wouldn't it be most amazing to give
the lowest-caste folks their own special (and ongoing) Open Spaces to
give them a rich, solid voice and a shared experience?  And to do that
as a first priority?  To help a very marginalized group really get their
own great things going in Open Space for themselves, about themselves?
And then later to combine a mixed - strata group.?
 
And:  Often when there is a group of a much lower (quieter? What word to
choose?) power dynamic, I recommend to the event organizers that they
bring in this minority / subgroup in 1 or 2 days ahead of time - they
get acclimated to the space, often they get a day of workshop sharing
issues or learning vocabulary that will be used in the upcoming event; I
recommend they also get time for social interaction, celebration and
play (such as having a relaxed social evening with food and dance and
performers) - and also I assist that orientation/community building/work
day by helping them do something like co-create a group poem naming and
proclaiming realities, issues and hopes/dreams.  So then the other
participants come in the next day - by that time these earlier folks
really own and feel comfortable in the spaces in the building, have had
an intro to the space and the meeting and even a mini- or experiential
description of OS -- and so are more able to jump right in the day
everyone starts together, and they start by opening the gathering with a
group poem presentation given by some members of the sub-group - to make
them the welcomers, too; to set the tone for the event; to start the
event with their collective / co-created vision and energy.
 
Stray thoughts on power and OS,
 
Lisa
___________________________
L i s a   H e f t
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
O p e n i n g  S p a c e
2325 Oregon
Berkeley, California
94705-1106   USA
+01 510 548-8449
 <mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net> lisaheft at openingspace.net
 <http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net 
 
 

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