AW: Fear of abuse of the space (long)

Catherine Pfaehler c.pfaehler at bluewin.ch
Sun Mar 18 06:32:23 PDT 2007


Dear friends, Avner, Michael - I was not clear enough in my mail to OSLIST.
Sorry.

The sponsor is indeed myself and the Network Renaissance Thielle NRT, and we
are clearly one side of the conflict. The OS is part of the cultural summer
program of the naturist camp. The president of the board of the foundation
has so far never attended, but entitles our activities as a sect and would
like to stop us. This is not possible - 170 participants the first time, 100
the second time, likely 200 this summer because of a better date (no
conflict with sports tournaments any more). The first time, in 2005, the now
president presented the board of the foundation with a blackmail, on the day
before the OS: either myself and the other 2 members of the core team of NRT
are kicked out from the camp right away, or the manager will quit (I guess
he was very afraid of a riot). The rest of the board preferred the manager's
quitting, to the great relief of everybody on site, because he is everything
but a host for his guests (rather a terrifying dictator who yells at people
- especially weak ones, ill or handicapped persons, women - whenever he
feels like it, and who has installed a system of "observers" who denounce
people who sing a song at night after 10 or do other such things which are
not conform to the rules). Unfortunately, the now president succeeded in
re-employing this same manager later, which made the conflict public and
dramatized the situation. As a consequence of this impertinence, 2 members
of the board resigned, thus leaving the field entirely to the now president,
who had finally reached his goal - total power! (It is somehow like a
parable directly from Macchiavelli's "Il principe"...)
 
The main purpose of the OS still is to strengthen the community in the camp
(which is greatly suffering from this conflict of values), to keep us there
and to gain strength and clarity about who we are as naturists, despite the
difficulties. Participants greatly enjoy getting to know each other even
better and learning from each other. They keep asking for a next OS every
time. So the purpose of the OS, at least up to now, clearly has not been to
deal with the conflict. In this sense, I have no desires of the outcome
except keeping us all in Thielle. 

(The NRT has presented a lot of excellent ideas on how to resolve the
conflict to the board of the foundation, but none of them had even the
slightest chance with the board up to now (neither with our country's
department for the control of foundations, where we turned to in our
despair!). No mediation, no step by step concept, no participation (which is
one of the main ingredients of this community, they have built this paradise
all together over the last 65 years, with their own hands and a wonderful
sense of contributing to the whole!) - just maximal power, in a way which
couldn't be more contradictory to the foundation's by-laws. It's very sad,
and to me unbelievable, that such a thing can happen in our "clean",
"democratic" country. It looks that once a foundation's board has been
successfully undermined, there is nothing which can stop the foundation from
being changed into something absolutely different than originally intended.
We can only stop or slow down this process if we become more visible as
naturists and stronger, clearer in our values - fully ignoring the now
president's tendencies to spoil our holidays and make us leave. The leader
of the children's and youth dance performance last year chose "Joseph's
brothers" as their topic, which was presented in great dances and texts, and
pointed out to all the spectators at a certain point that "as pressure
rises, the people multiplies"... so we welcome new holiday guests with open
arms... :))

The first time, 2005, I managed to keep the conflict out of the OS in
refusing a statement about it by one of my team members. We simply wanted to
explore what naturism means today, as a basis of a possible vision statement
(for which we later never got officially asked by the board after the
escalation of the conflict, and which therefore has not yet been written -
but our offer stands!). The second time, 2006, as described in my first mail
to you, a woman brought the conflict in as a topic of her workshop. What
will happen this time? - I had this inner voice asking for more preparation
for the OS this year because of what I have described to you. I would hate
to naively fall into a trap the president might have set up for us, and
somehow feel responsible that this can't happen. In theory, you are right,
the facilitator would probably need to be an external person. However, the
more than 500 members of NRT might need to see us holding space as a proof
that we don't give up and keep catering to the needs of the community. They
have offered more than 80'000 CHF to help finance the legal battle up to
now... (German or French speaking volunteers willing to work naked,
welcome!! Because naked we are, every day, in Thielle... - I could translate
if needed!)

One result of the OS 2006 on naturism and health was that this year's summer
program is richer than ever. Many participants of the OS are offering
seminars and speeches on interesting topics, every day for 6 full weeks
(they are all for free, by the way!). This is the only way how we can take
action (up to now) - and we do! (Speaking about good and bad which are not
always so clear - this is definitely the good side of the conflict!) 

One thing we could do 2007 (in good weather) would be to hold the event
outside the camp, on the nearby grounds of the founder's widow. But this
somehow feels like a pity, a missed opportunity. Another thing might be that
I really decide to invite somebody else to hold space and become the
sponsor. In either way, in my welcome speech, I would probably have to
acknowledge the situation as it is, talk openly about the conflict and our
limited possibilities to do something about it. Then invite participation
within these limits and within the limits imposed on us by the board of the
foundation (who might perhaps have a look at results of the day, but decides
at will which ones would be accepted to go further with, if any, also in the
field of culture and sports, not just about the conflict - or which might
decide to use the results to stop us from making the summer program...). And
then see what happens, be open to surprises, and above all, leave the
responsibility entirely to the participants. 

Suggestions & help welcome... Thank you - Catherine

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


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Michael M Pannwitz [mailto:mmpanne at boscop.de] 
Gesendet: Sonntag, 18. März 2007 12:47
An: c.pfaehler at bluewin.ch
Cc: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Betreff: Re: Fear of abuse of the space

Dear Catherine,
very interesting stuff.
To your question:
"How can I hold space in this conflict in a way which prevents abuse?"
My first thought was: Just as usual. But if I assume that your agenda as 
facilitator appears to be to "prevent abuse" I ask: Why do you want to 
prevent abuse? And further: What happens to the concept of being 
unattached to outcome. What happens to the concept of being fully 
present and at the same time invisible?
If you were to hire me as a facilitator I might experience a bunch of 
bumps in the road with you as sponsor.
To your question:
"What do I say in the givens in regards to this?"
Givens, I think, are the concern of the sponsor. It is very helpful if 
the sponsor can state them. As facilitator I would feel abused if I had 
to explain givens to the participants.
To your question:
"What does the one board member on our side say in his welcome speech?"
My first response was: 1. Welcome 2. State the theme and say two or 
three sentences re the theme 3. Formulate his expectations, hopes, 
visions as to the outcome of the gathering and 4. Announce the 
facilitator who introduces the process (the night before the facilitator 
could coach him a bit on his opening of the space).
Second response: What does it mean "on our side"? What happens to a 
facilitator not being partial to "holding time and space" but being 
party to a particular fraction of the system?

My hunch is that your role might be participant or sponsor and that you 
and the entire system might profit if the sponsor engages an external 
facilitator...who might also contribute to clarify whether open space 
technology is the best approach in this affair.

Greetings from Berlin
mmp boscop eg


Catherine Pfaehler wrote:
> Dear Listers
> 
>  
> 
> As I am planning our 3^rd OS in Thielle (a naturist’s paradise in 
> Switzerland, which is in its 70^th year now), the conflict is still 
> going on. Mistrust is still strong on both sides. I offer this OS being 
> a member of the Network Renaissance Thielle, which is working to save 
> the original idealistic intents of this wonderful community and to 
> strengthen the community of naturists in this difficult time full of 
> stress. The other side are a few people who have seized power and are 
> doing everything to make the idealists leave. Their intentions to change 
> the focus of the place into a normal camp ground for nudists (and 
> probably also for sex tourists) were only realized when it was almost 
> too late - they have already taken control of the board of the 
> foundation in a very concealed way and have employed a manager for the 
> camp who has no understanding whatsoever of naturism, a hunter. 
> (Naturists are naked, like nudists, but their focus lies on spiritual 
> and consciousness development. They don’t eat meat – that’s why choosing 
> a hunter as a manager shows a lot about the current president’s values 
> -, don’t use drugs or alcohol, don’t smoke – if not 100 % in everyday 
> life, then certainly on the camp site. Many families are in Thielle in 
> their 3^rd and 4^th generation, every summer.)
> 
>  
> 
> My question to you is: How can I hold space in this conflict in a way 
> which prevents abuse? What do I say in the givens in regards to this? 
> What does the one board member on our side say in his welcome speech?
> 
>  
> 
> We have experienced time after time that our good intentions were turned 
> around and made into something which was then presented publicly as 
> horrible. Somebody from the other side last year even came into the 
> plenary to have a look and then called us a sect. This is how the 
> current president of the board works to eliminate those who do not 
> support his actions. He spreads some lies about us and then continuously 
> uses people who mean well for his bad intentions. In paradise, one 
> doesn’t think this way, and therefore only realizes this when it’s too 
> late. So this fear of abuse of the space is more than realistic.
> 
>  
> 
> Grateful for your ideas and experiences - Catherine
> 
>  
> 
> Catherine Pfaehler Senn
> 
> Open Space Begleitung & Coaching
> 
> Kellersriedweg 8
> 
> CH - 2503 Biel
> 
> +41-(0)32 - 365 68 41
> 
> c.pfaehler at bluewin.ch
> 
>  
> 
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Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
++49-30-772 8000
www.boscop.de   www.michaelmpannwitz.de


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