Experience with diverse cultures participating in OST?

Harrison Owen hhowen at verizon.net
Sun Jan 29 14:30:38 PST 2006 

One way of spreading the news in a credible fashion is to form what I call a
group of Co-Conveners. It is not exactly an organizing committee as there is
not much to organize. But it is all about invitation and particularly,
credible invitation. In your case, the Co-Conveners might want to include
some Black Folks. Then they, along with everybody else, just invite their
friends and colleagues. Seems to get the news (invitation) out in pretty
good fashion.

Harrison

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20854
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com 
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.ho-image.com 
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Phelim
McDermott
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2006 2:08 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Experience with diverse cultures participating in OST?

On 29 Jan 2006, at 17:36, Phelim McDermott wrote:

> This makes me think on one of the issues which came up around our "  
> devoted and disgruntled what are we going to do about theatre?"   
> open space event.
>
> One of the issues was that despite having targeted all sectors of  
> the theatre community there was a very small representation from  
> the Black Theatre Community.....
>
> this prompted one disgruntled person at the end of first day news  
> to say..
>
> "where are the black people here?   It's a case of Whoever turns up  
> is the WHITE people! " although I viewed this as a representation  
> of the landscape of the uk theatre world it was hard not to feel  
> criticised, As we had made a big effort to make sure the invitation  
> went to a wide audience. It also got the debate happening because  
> they weren't there but brought up lots of questions about the next  
> event. Any thoughts anyone?
>
> phelim
> On 29 Jan 2006, at 13:37, Harrison Owen wrote:
>
>> From: ORT MARIA [mailto:ptnrsmrt at mindspring.com]
>> Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 6:53 PM
>> To: hhowen at verizon.net
>> Subject: Re: Experience with diverse cultures participating in OST?
>>
>> . . . Make sure the space is open and folks will take care of  
>> themselves.
>>
>> Thank you Harrison. I'm an old hand at facilitation but relatively  
>> new to
>> OST. My intuition told me that would be the case but it's  
>> reassuring to hear
>>
>> it from you.
>> By the way, I was new to the listserv last month when you talked  
>> about OST
>> emerging over a martini. Made me laugh. My former business partner  
>> and I
>> wrote our first "business plan" on a cocktail napkin while drinking
>> martinis. We made a great go of it for 10 years before I was  
>> called to this
>> profession. More important, we're still the best of friends.
>> Maria
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Harrison Owen" <hhowen at verizon.net>
>> To: "'ORT MARIA'" <ptnrsmrt at mindspring.com>
>> Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 4:20 PM
>> Subject: RE: Experience with diverse cultures participating in OST?
>>
>>
>> This may seem a little short -- but having worked in a number of  
>> similar
>> environments I suggest that you not worry about the cultural  
>> details. First
>> off, you will never get them right -- but mostly, if you make sure  
>> the space
>> is really open, everything just takes care of it self. The space  
>> is theirs
>> and it is open. If they need to pray, be with, not be with,  
>> certain people
>> -- they will take care of that. Make sure the space is open and  
>> folks will
>> take care of themselves.
>>
>> Harrison
>>
>> Harrison Owen
>> 7808 River Falls Drive
>> Potomac, Maryland 20854
>> Phone 301-365-2093
>> Skype hhowen
>> Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
>> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
>> Personal website www.ho-image.com
>> OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the
>> archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of  
>> ORT MARIA
>> Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2006 5:21 PM
>> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>> Subject: Experience with diverse cultures participating in OST?
>>
>> Hello OST Listserv Guru's,
>>
>> Happily, I have the opportunity to OS with the Arizona Refugee  
>> Resettlement
>> Program next month. It will be my first opportunity for a 2-day OS  
>> (the
>> other three have been just 1 day events, so I am fairly new at  
>> it). The
>> State Agency is hosting a retreat for 30 representatives from both  
>> state &
>> federally funded Arizona organizations as well as volunteer groups  
>> that
>> serve specific refugee ethnicities or cultures.  Somalis, Sudanese,
>> Bosnians, Muslims and Jews will be participating. All speak and write
>> English fluently.
>>
>> My question: Are there adaptions required to the OS process? In  
>> general, I
>> know that Muslims prefer to separate men and women in meetings  
>> (example: if
>> there are any "juicers/energizer" activities, Muslim women can  
>> hold each
>> others hands, but not a males hand). I'm aware of dietary  
>> restrictions for
>> meals served at the retreat. However, I am ignorant of any  
>> adaptations to
>> the OS process that might be required to make it a welcoming and  
>> appropriate
>>
>> space.
>>
>> Many thanks, Maria Ort
>> Scottsdale, AZ
>>
>>
>> *
>> *
>> ==========================================================
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>

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