Not so simple answers

[S éamus McInerney]

Dare I say it! OS is not the answer to anything. It is the people who are
willing to do OS that are the answer. OS is a tool that individuals use.
But like any tool if it is left in the toolbox it is useless. It's the same
with self-organisation. Individuals have to be willing to let self-
organisation take it's course.

It seems to me that OS can only spread as fast as there are people willing
to give it a go. As we stand that is still only a very small % of the
people of the world. I'd imagine that the similarities noted with so many
other communities are real because they are common to any group of people
willing to be open to the opinions and ideas of others. The starting point
is always an openess to solutions that are not necessarily of our own
making. OS is a wonderful way of helping people take those last few steps.
It is also a wonderful way of balancing the energy of those who have
agendas of their own.

In a way it's beauty lies in the way it overcomes hierarchy and allows
leadership to arise from any layer within the group. The reality is that
people need "Gimmicks" like OS or Community Building or World Cafes because
they cannot find such openness and acceptance in other places. The great
miracle of the internet is that individuals have access to other
individuals of like mind. I dread to think what it must have been like to
have such ideas 200 years ago and no one to share your thoughts with.

For me it comes down to people. People who are willing to be open to
others. It has been said before on the list. OS is another step on the way
to something even greater. Yes let's spread the word and extend the base of
OS in the world. But let's not forget to reach upward and keep our minds
and hearts open to the prospect of the thing that will be so much more
powerful than OS, it'll make our heads spin.

Shay

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