1. Evolution, 2. Kurds

[Ralph Copleman]

1.  Peggy Holman wrote...

> We are calling into being our collective soul so that our
> many-storied world can find its way and each and everyone one of us
> has our roles to play in it.

I like this.  For a long time now, open space has seemed to me the closest
we have to evolution as a meeting format.

2.  Susan Coleman¹s story of the Kurds in New York did include me as one of
the holders of the space for the final two days of Susan¹s five-day event.
I want to add two facts not mentioned in the version of the story Peggy
reproduced on this list.

* First, most of the participants spoke no English, and neither Susan nor I
speak Kurdish or Arabic.  We had a very helpful translator.  He helped us
produce the necessary flip chart pages (in both languages), etc. and was
obviously crucial.  One effect of the language ³barrier² was that Susan and
I sat through evening news and morning announcements with few clues as to
what folks we¹re saying.  We smiled a lot.
* Susan is more than a little amazing.  Consider this: at the time we did
the event, Susan had never been in open space and had never even seen open
space.  She gets my all-time award for most courageous consultant.  There
was a lot on the line for her personally, for Columbia, and others.  I had
nothing to lose; I knew what role I was playing and what I had to do, but
Susan was in an open space within an open space that was hers alone to
occupy.  Picture us sitting there together that first day, with an empty
open space circle.  She kept asking, ³This is okay, right?²  And I kept on
answering (because there was nothing else one could say), ³Sure.²

Ralph Copleman

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