AW: more post-OS on OS reflections

Sun Aug 13 23:45:06 PDT 2006

Dear Raffi, follow your heart and wander with your question, the answer will
come. Don't host "several OS-learning events in a row" out of a head
concept. Your heart will tell you.

The first time I met Russians in an OS-context was in OT9 in Hungary, 1991,
the European offspring of OT conferences, which used to last an entire week,
on the topic of Organizational Transformation. I was thoroughly amazed at
the quality and warmth of the Russian (very open) hearts. What a huge
difference to us here in the west! It was before the Berlin wall fell. One
Russian participant said "if only the world could be like this, people
sharing so freely and working together so honestly and openly!". During the
week, something dangerous happened in politics, and our Russian friends were
weeping, afraid to go back to their country. I found myself telling them
"They can only kill people, they can't kill ideas." That was a comfort then
- and look at the development which has happened since!

I shared a room then with Nina Janowska, a Polish professor and
psychotherapist from Lublin, and we are still in touch, visit each other
from time to time and have become friends. A wonderful experience.

Lots of love - Catherine

Catherine Pfaehler Senn
Open Space Begleitung & Coaching
Kellersriedweg 8
CH - 2503 Biel
+41-(0)32 - 365 68 41
c.pfaehler at bluewin.ch
www.open-space-konferenz.ch

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Raffi Aftandelian [mailto:raffi at bk.ru] 
Gesendet: Sonntag, 13. August 2006 17:07
Betreff: more post-OS on OS reflections

Dear colleagues and friends,

I recall Judi Richardson sharing after the 13th International OS on OS that
she
was chosing to feel sadness. I think I know what she meant because I
am feeling the same. Something we put energy into for a whole year
came and went.

Thank you Thomas and Birgitt for sharing your experiences of the OS on
OS onlist.

My wish for OS on OS XIV had been that we had a great time, learned a
lot, be of use to ourselves and each other, left with one good question,
and one more thing (see end of message). My sense is by and large that
happened.

I also want to acknowledge something that has not been spoken to
directly yet: Moscow was not an easy city to come to and stay in for
some people. This was in part because people stayed in hotels and
apartments around the city and people had to travel to the OS on OS
site each day. There were other aspects of the organization that I
want to recognize were not perfect.

And that said, I would like to repeat Galina Tsarkova's words in the
opening: "We are who we are." We issued an invitation, we put our love
into making it happen. And it took place.

I want to express my profound gratitude that we were given the
opportunity to host a very significant event and continue to be amazed
by the generosity of this community/organization.

I personally appreciated the presence of elders throughout the
conference. Even if coming to Moscow was not simple, we were lucky to
have your participation and to learn from you.

Also, I'd like to express my thanks to Intertraining staff, Natasha
Ryazanova, Svetlana Pantukhina; and to Intertraining member Vera Vakulenko,
who indeed held
space in a quiet and powerful way throughout by offering the tea
ceremony. Vera designed the OS on OS logo. Also, she has special
connection to OST: she participated in the earliest OST meeting known
to have taken place in Russia- A conference on Health and Sexuality at
Izmailovo Hotel in 1989. About 300 participants. Of course, she
learned about that conference quite by accident.

Also, I'd like to express my gratitude to those who translated during
the conference: Svetlana Pantukhina, Marina Tyasto, Ludmila Ivanova,
Evgeniya Shamis, Anna Klyotsina, and others.

I also want to express my thanks to those who distance spaceheld for
this event, including people on this list. And a thank you to those
who sent messages of support before and after the conference.

A thank you to the Moscow House of Community Organizations for hosting
us so warmly.

There are many others whose help I'd like to acknowledge, too!

I also know that the Ukrainian team will do an excellent job of
organizing OS on OS XV. Michael Pannewitz and Jo Toepfer have provided
astounding support to Ukrainian OST facilitators since the Spring 2005
learning workshop and OST has really taken off there.

This year we have an interesting development with an OS on OS by the
Sea. I look forward to hearing how that OS on OS goes and where it
takes us.

At the end of day one of the OS on OS I said that it was my belief
that the invitation to this conference did not come from me, Galina,
or Mikhail. I think it was the land of Moscow that invited us. She had
a question for us. She wanted to engage us in a conversation. I hope
those of us who were there heard the question and were able to engage
in the conversation.

A huge thanks to Wendy Farmer-O'Neil who helped in many ways
throughout the conference and for conducting an introduction to
Community Weaving Workshop after the conference. A very rich and small
group of participants took part in this workshop, including
participants from Ukraine and different Russian regions- Chechnya,
Irkutsk, and Moscow. We look forward to seeing the development of
community weaving in the Russian-speaking space.

It is great to conduct OS on OS'es in North American and Western
Europe. And I think the logical place to take the conference is to
countries where the conference has not been to. Perhaps the Moscow OS
on OS was an indication that we need the support of the elders among
us.

Birgitt shared that she hosted Harrison's learning workshops 7
years in a row. This conference reminded me how little I know about
os/OST. Might it be right for us to host a series of annual OST
learning workshops?

I look forward to continuing my participation in this
community/organization/collective.

Warmly and in gratitude,
raffi

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