Cross Cultural Facilitation

Sat Oct 1 08:02:32 PDT 2005

Dear Brendan -

You wrote of an upcoming OS for a client:
< her major concern is about using a non-Aboriginal white male as the
facilitator - see honest and forthright comments below - and this event
would be in a different part of the country from where I live and where
I'm not known locally in the indigenous community - any thoughts on this
query? Any stories of this sort of cross-cultural/gender scenario?>

I know what you are like and you are a most amazing model of a humble,
open, life-affirming, spiritual man.  What a gift to those who may not
have experienced someone like that of your culture.  

And yes, no matter how fabulous we are as individuals, people see what
they first see and make assumptions about what they see (white man, or
young person, or old person, or whatever).  And when the participants
are survivors of brutality or violation, this can trigger even more
emotional response - for some, you cease to be an individual and you
wear the mask of their oppressor. 

And this potential hostility thing your client mentions - it could just
as well be hostility towards your client's organization - a good thing
to find out. Is that organization full of people who are not of the
culture they are serving?  Just wondering.

And yet if the invitation is thoughtfully developed and shared person to
person, if every effort is made to invite more and diverse (even within
a culture) people to participate, and every effort is made to help folks
with less perceived (or actual or historical) power to be able to be and
feel welcome at the meeting (their peers inviting them, the availability
of childcare, nutrition, transport, and materials in different
languages) -- and if Open Space is chosen as the process for the meeting
- all of these elements actively model a shift to new possibilities and
the potential of co-creation.  

The facilitator (ideally) interviews some participants, learns the words
and codes of a culture (even if an outsider's understanding of those
words and codes), learns about the issues, listens for the tender parts
-- to hold space for the people and their work and to name and frame
things thoughtfully in the opening.  Ideally the theme is co-created by
a host group including members of the culture of the participant group -
so the right words and the right focusing question is found.  Plus the
way you talk and introduce the guidelines of the meeting - and even your
physical presence - show that you are there to serve them.  And in Open
Space the facilitator gets out of the way very quickly and becomes
invisible.  All these things can help someone not of the participants'
culture to serve the participants.  And then they get the extra added
bonus of experiencing a person who *looks* like the kind of person
they've had bad experiences with - but who is different, in every way.
It gives hope, and a visceral experience of goodness, and it renews
faith.

I have had experiences where I am really obviously not of the
participants' culture.  Open Space puts the meeting in the hands of the
participants.  And participants' comments indicate they felt served by
this not-of-their-culture person - that is, if they notice me at all by
the end.  Usually - and more appropriately, their closing comments are
not 'look what she did' but 'look what we did'. As it should be.

Having said that, it is also great to support emerging leaders.  I have
an OS coming up for a conference of young activists under 24 years of
age.  I l-o-v-e working with young people.  Although, I am a 'geezer' -
an old lady to some (I'm 50), and though some of you younger folks on
this list who have met me have mentioned that I'm cool and full of young
person energy and we share many sensibilities -- people who don't know
me don't know that.  Well, this usually works out in Open Space (because
people can feel your energy and support by the way you Open Space), and
because just like anybody else, my role shifts quickly into totally
present / completely invisible as the young participants fill the space
and get to work.  

However, in a particular OS I'm about to do (for people of people of all
ages), the younger delegates in this conference have indicated their
frustration that typically the older folks lead all the events - they
want to see themselves as equal leaders this year.  So it's reasonable
to give them a young person *as* their OS facilitator.  There were no
local young OS facilitators to be found, so I searched for, interviewed
and found an amazing, incredible 20 year old man who has all the wisdom
and life experience to really *get* Open Space values.  And I am
training him in the months before the event - he will be the facilitator
(I will be present to support him) for this conference.  So: not only do
they get one of their own as a facilitator, but this young man gets
one-on-one mentoring, training and support to learn and feel confident
about this method, plus he has this great professional experience for
his resume, plus I get the most incredible delight of working with him
and learning from him.  Plus my cats get to hold space as he walks the
circle in my living room (Lucy cat is mesmerized by Robby's calm
presence and intention as he opens space).  And everyone is served.
Including the cat.

I don't know if you have the time to train a facilitator or
co-facilitator (if you want to do it with 2 of you facilitating), but
this is a delightful option.

I know you will do so well, no matter what you and your client decide.
When people are invited with openness and intention, when they come to
the meeting and see the circle, when they feel the facilitator's
invitation and presence, when they jump into Open Space, they will do
great work together.  And when they meet you - whether you are the sole
facilitator or supporting or co-facilitating with another, they will
thrive in your presence.

Wish I could be there, Brendan - tell us how it goes,

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 

* * ==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To
subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about
OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20051001/29c01004/attachment-0016.htm>