How can we foster sustainable outcomes?

Sun Jun 28 07:06:45 PDT 2009

Thank you, Harrison, for speaking the real power in 'em'powerment. ( I am just jumping in here without reading the rest of the whole thread~)

While your comments about process below offer the best practice of OS, (in my few OS experiences- I have seen this magic at play - genius emerges when the rest of us 'get out of the way'..) This simple wisdom (prefer not to see it as lazy or nasty..!) is guidance for living our lives everyday- OS, family, relationships and in whichever role we play: parent, facilitator, significant other, child. -And for those of us in "helping professions'- HELP- ! We go into that work to "help others"- duh, as you say, we forget - or perhaps never realize- what constitutes true 'helping.  I'll take a leap and say that without knowing the intracacies of all global cultures- we are 'masters' of this forgetfulness in the U.S. In education (OS being a form/venue for self- knowledge to emerge), we know that real learning takes place by 'doing'- vs. being told, shown, memorization.  Yet, as facilitators, because we are providing an "Open" environment we believe we're making space for 'whatever wants to show up will show up'- . 

As a parent who firmly believed in all of the above- the intellect in me did/does, I recall sitting on the floor with my then toddler son- and forcing myself to put my hands behind my back so that I would not interfere with his play! And whenever he would cry of being 'bored"- I forced myself not to give into his pleas for help by reminding him that he would think of something if he just gave it some time. Never failed - regardless of his cries- within about 10-20 minutes at the most- he would become involved in the most creative play that I could have NEVER provided!

(Ah, I wish this wise self would visit more often!).

Original Message ----- 
  From: Harrison Owen 
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
  Sent: Sunday, June 28, 2009 8:51 AM
  Subject: Re: [OSLIST] How can we foster sustainable outcomes?

  Raffi -- alternative harvesting, if I can call it that, has been around for a bit. There was a marvelous OS done with a group of Arts Councils where all the "reports were sung, danced, drawn, whatever. The use of graphics in OS started, I suppose with the "father of Group Graphics" David Sibbet, an old friend. I always loved what he did (drew) -- but would chide him gently by pointing out that it really wasn't "Group Graphics" -- but it was David's Graphics (which were superb!)  Were we able to make it truly the Group's graphics that would be a different thing. 

  My experience has been that the more you do for people, the less they do for themselves (duh). Obviously things we do for each other can be very nice, indeed wonderful. And it is also true that things we do for others are to some extent, disempowering. In small doses this is great, but much of what passes for facilitation takes this "helpfulness" to an extreme, I think. At worst, the facilitator takes on the whole burden and is totally exhausted -- and the people are reduced to the level of incompetent children. This of course makes them quite dependant, and thereby insures the facilitator's continuing employment.

  My aim is always to do as little as possible, not because I am lazy or nasty (although I may well be bothJ) - but because I have complete confidence that the people can and will take full responsibility for what they care about. In doing this, they will usually manifest a level of inventiveness that I never would have thought of - and no matter what, their invention will be appropriate to their situation. In a word they have that great sensation of experiencing their own power - that is called empowerment. Empowerment is not something you can do for another - you must claim it for yourself. Indeed, if I "empower" you - you remain in my power.

  Or something

  Harrison Owen

  189 Beaucaire Ave

  Camden, ME 04843

  207-763-3261 (Summer)

  301-365-2093 (Winter)

  Website www.openspaceworld.com 

  Personal Website www.ho-image.com 

  OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

  -----Original Message-----
  From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Raffi Aftandelian
  Sent: Sunday, June 28, 2009 3:09 AM
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
  Subject: AW: How can we foster sustainable outcomes?

  Reinhard thanks much for this thread.

  The idea of the participants themselves visually harvesting the essence of

  what has emerged sounds really exciting.

  From the standpoint of designing such DST (Doodle Space Technology) events,

  where does the ancient wisdom of KISS (Keep it Simple, Senorita) and "Think

  of one less thing to do" come into play?

  And this has me thinking, does the practice of facilitation/harvesting with

  the other senses also exist?

  Aural facilitation? Harvesting with music, a song? (a poem takes us part way).

  Olifactory facilitation?

  Proprioceptic facilitation- capturing the physical sensations of the shared

  body of the group?

  Facilitation from the other realms? (perhaps integrating a processwork

  (Arnold Mindell?) perspective?

  movement-based harvesting? using dance, drama, aikido (?), and other

  expressive arts to harvest.

  Many possibilities here!

  appreciatively, 

  from this southern suburb of Tehrangeles (aka San Diego),

  raffi

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