just wondering

[Michael Wood]

Marty
 
Interesting question you raise. I certainly don't have a clear answer,
but just a few thoughts.
 
At San Francisco this year someone convened a very interesting
conversation about what happens when communities "self organise
themselves into dictatorships"...or words to that effect. I didn't
attend that conversation but it did get me thinking.
 
I love Harrison Owen's observation that "Whereever space is opened,
peace breaks out" AND in parallel with that it seems to me possible that
Open Space could be used for people to self organise to evil ends as
well as to good ends (remember the famous TV Character, Maxwell Smart's
comment, "If only he had used his powers for good instead of evil").
 
So I think that what OS does is to bring things out into the open more
transparently so that we can see what we're actually dealing with. And I
presume that this does not remove the fact that governing bodies still
need, at the end of the day, to make public policy decisions which will
involve more or less government intervention, depending on one's
political persuasions...and this is what constitutes part of the
boundaries of the Open Space.
 
Michael Wood
Perth, Western Australia

________________________________

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Martin
Boroson
Sent: Wednesday, 1 October 2008 9:43 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: just wondering



I am wondering ...

 

The philosophy of Open Space seems to promote a genuinely free market
for ideas.  The underlying belief, as I understand it, is that allowing
each person to follow his/her passion is the best way to discover the
best ideas and solutions.  It's efficient, just like a market.  This
sure sounds like the 'invisible hand' and laissez-faire capitalism to
me.

 

I have even sold Open Space to some corporate execs by pointing out that
since they value the free market so dearly outside their company, they
might want to try a free market for ideas inside their company. 

 

So I have often wondered if people on this list believe as passionately
in the free market for the economy as they do in Open Space.   In the
current economic crisis, as the world clamors for greater regulation -
i.e. more rules and limits on the freedom of markets - I am wondering if
any of you have any thoughts or insights to share.

 

I imagine Harrison will remind me that Open Space runs on freedom and
responsibility... yet the responsibility asked of participants in Open
Space is pretty minimal - naming their passion and showing up for their
sessions and respecting others' freedom to do the same.   It's well
short of socialism.

 

Marty

 

 

 

 

 

 

Priory End House

2 North Street, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5NZ

United Kingdom

+44 784 344 5746 (mobile)

www.martinboroson.info

 

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