Cross Cultural Facilitation
Brendan Mckeague
mckeague at iprimus.com.au
Mon Oct 3 06:06:43 PDT 2005
Thanks for your comments folks - both on and off list - I feel as though
I've planted a little seed, then gone away for the weekend and returned to
find a budding flower of such grace and beauty....such a wonderful gift.
What is now emerging for me from your knowledgeable and insightful comments
is the true complexity of discernment in this situation - this is the very
stuff of Open Space for me - deep listening to my spirit as I engage with
the multiplicity of voices bringing rich wisdom, challenge and affirmation...
And so I will speak to my client and discuss some issues further - about
1 Open Space - is this methodology appropriate at this time for this
group - and is one day sufficient?
I think that at least 1.5 days would provide that additional
sleep-space and familiarity with the process that enables more learning
to occur - and this learning might well include reflection on the role (and
gender?) of the OS 'holder'.
2 If we go with OS, then who is appropriate to open and hold space?
Would a white male 'facilitator' inhibit or enhance the experience?
What if the deeper learning that OS can access is prompted by the
reactions of some participants to the presence of a white
male facilitator? What if such learning is inhibited or limited by
the gender/culture of the facilitator?
AND - how would we ever know?
3 I honour the possibility of my fulfilling this role - I have a deep
empathy with those who have suffered oppression and violence and have
considerable experience now in providing the service of opening and holding
space for others - in this sense I agree with
Harrison that OS operates “beneath Culture, Gender, privilege (or
lack of same), education, etc
I believe that I do have the capacity and competency to be
authentically present to the service that this process might provide in
this situation - so far as I can determine at this time - and that
I will be blessed with sufficient spirit within myself to 'hold' in
an appropriate way (while not carrying the responsibility for) the
diversity of the gathered participants. Open Space is a process
that connects deeply to the heart - and as I believe this to be true -
then my heart-energy will be open to those who gather....and trust that
whatever happens...
4 However - is this (my centredness, self-belief and good intentions)
enough in this context? Am I the right person to be walking
the circle/holding the space at this time in the unfolding story of
these people?
I will need to bring this question to the client/sponsor and as
Lisa/Joelle and others say - ASK - and then:
'Trust your intuition, and ask your host team to trust their
intuition – and to listen for the answer inside.'
Thanks folks for truly inspiring feedback
Brendan
At 09:09 PM 1/10/2005, you wrote:
>Brendan – having done a number of Open Spaces in precisely the same
>circumstances you describe (or almost) I don’t think there is a problem.
>Or as you might say – No Worries! For example, I did an OS with 500 folks
>from the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) at a point where that
>organization was about ready to explode. There were 500 women and me. And
>the YWCA is a VERY feminist organization! I have also had the privilege of
>opening space with a number of Indigenous groups. Again – no problems, no
>worries. I think the critical thing is your authenticity – just fully
>being there. And Open Space (as usual) does the rest.
>
>I might take some small issue with Wendy’s suggestion that you acknowledge
>your maleness and privilege up front. I would not do that for several
>reasons. First of all it is really just a redundant statement of the
>obvious – you are male and privileged. But most of all, such a statement
>draws attention to you. What you want to do (or at least what I would want
>to do) is to move as quickly as possible to that moment when the group
>starts to do its thing and you leave center stage. Anything that slows
>that movement or gets in the way, I try to eliminate. Think of one more
>thing NOT to do.
>
>What saves the day in such situations is the “fact” that OS operates
>“beneath Culture, Gender, privilege (or lack of same), education, etc
--
>I think. Doubtless awareness and sensitivity to the issues involved is a
>plus, and we all have a lot to learn. But when facilitating an Open Space,
>I am not sure that such awareness makes that much difference, and indeed
>it may be a distraction in that you become so aware of difference that you
>miss the commonality. I have always found that people everywhere have more
>in common than they do in difference. In any event, I have never found any
>difficulty in situations such as you describe PROVIDED I was authentically
>present (as much as I could be) AND moved the opening along as quickly as
>possible to the point where the folks got to work, and I got out of the
>way. As we all know, it really isn’t about me/us.
>
>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
><mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
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>-----Original Message-----
>From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Brendan
>McKeague
>Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 11:22 PM
>To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>Subject: Cross Cultural Facilitation
>
>G'day folks in the OS global community
>A new client has asked me about facilitating a one-day OS for a group of
>stakeholders and others about the creation of a refuge/hostel for
>indigenous women - she has only minor concerns about using Open Space
>having recently experienced her first event with me - 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?
>Cheers
>Brendan
>We have an opportunity with the new site being built in ----- to devote
>some of our resources to responding to the plight of indigenous
>families. Having a different focus away from the mainstream site gives
>our service an opportunity to explore, with the assistance of indigenous
>stakeholders, a different way of responding to women and children from
>indigenous families escaping violence. I don’t know what this will look
>like and it will be difficult and we won’t always get it right. It will
>be a process of learning and experimenting with new ways of responding to
>families.
>
>This is like a leap into the unknown for us because it will change our
>service. It has not been undertaken by any other service to my knowledge,
>so there is no blue print to how we should proceed. Having said this, I
>do think it is possible and I believe it will have a positive impact on
>our service as a whole.
>There would be about 35-40 people invited to this gathering which would
>represent all of the key groups that would have an interest in a
>mainstream organisation taking on and providing a service to Aboriginal
>women and children.
>There has been a positive reaction so far to the proposal from Aboriginal
>organisations but I am sure we will face some resistance/perhaps
>hostility? (I will probably know this before we enter an open space) – and
>in a sense that is one of the reasons why I think an Open Space forum will
>be good so that we can hear and respond to people’s concerns.
>One of my concerns Brendan is how they will receive you as a facilitator
>of this process. I am confident about you holding the space for us to
>discuss these issues but I also don’t want to set you up in the process
>either. I am worried that there might be some hostility to a man
>facilitating the process and not a woman (you may be the only man
>there). I would love your thoughts around this and whether you have done
>anything similar before. Part of me says be courageous and go with what
>you think will work and another part of me is scared stiff!
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