A Paradise Built in Hell

Mon Sep 7 14:34:25 PDT 2009

Interesting review in Sunday’s NY Times.  The book is of the title above and describes the following characteristics of “calamities”, “As the prevailing order… collapses another takes shape: … improvised, collaborative, cooperative and local society”.  First responders hierarchy and traditional media usually get in the way of what seems to me to be self-organization after chaos strikes.  The reviewer thinks this is new.  The author makes the case for the natural qualities of self-organization when the space is forcibly opened although she would not use that language.

Larry

Larry Peterson & Associates in Transformation

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 <mailto:larry at spiritedorg.com> larry at spiritedorg.com   416.653.4829  <http://www.spiritedorg.com/> http://www.spiritedorg.com

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Robyn Stratton-Berkessel
Sent: September-07-09 2:48 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: [OSLIST] Not ideal but worth the effort (Latin reflection)

As a virtual bumble bee on our OSLIST, it delights me how we drop in on conversations and choose to linger longer or not. In fact the whole web invites us to live the 4 principles and the 1 law, following our passions, engaging or not.  Here, I am energized by Suzanne's story - her personal experience and honoring of her own courage and how powerful it was at many levels.  What excites me equally is the group for whom Suzanne opened space - National Alliance for Media, Arts and Culture. Marvelous they get to experience the transparency and openness and passion of OS and what they may be moved to do with it in their own lives.   

Next, Artur and Juan's observations about the role of cultural traditions and the structures that may or may not be ready to embrace the openness of open space - "embracing the chaos" as he mentions - is a really interesting and important topic from my perspective.   I'm heading to India later in the year.  My life's dream coming true.  

If any of you has experience in any part of India  working with participatory, self-organizing methodologies, I would love to hear.  India is so hugely diverse, and I am wondering how open to self-organizing processes without set agendas, talking-heads and control mechanisms the various cultures might be. Awareness of the different memes in Spiral Dynamic terms helps a lot, as well as recognizing the cultural imprint and influence of our heritage, as Artur reminds us.  As an Australian, I feel strongly aligned to my cultural imprint as anti-authoritarian, delighting in bucking the system - serving me sometimes and other times not.  And I am respectful of others whose history is different.   

Warm regards from Atlantic Highlands NJ.

Robyn

Robyn Stratton-Berkessel

+1 732 291 0462

Skype: robynsb

Twitter:  robbiecat

www.positivematrix.com

JL Walker wrote: 

Dear Artur:

It’s an excellent hypothesis my dear friend. Thank you I think it’s true.

Juan Luis

De: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] En nombre de Artur Silva
Enviado el: domingo, 06 de septiembre de 2009 6:48
Para: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Asunto: Re: [OSLIST] Not ideal but worth the effort

Suzanne:

Being myself from Portugal, but knowing well Spain and France, I have come to understand that in Latin countries, mostly influenced by the Catholic tradition, than by Protestantism, people have even more difficulty to embrace the chaos than in some other cultures. Hierarchies and control have more influence in our heads and institutions.

So OST is more difficult to “sell” and even more powerful when we can get to it.

De Lisbonne, avec amitié

Artur

--- On Sat, 9/5/09, Suzanne Daigle  <mailto:sdaigle4 at gmail.com> <sdaigle4 at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Suzanne Daigle  <mailto:sdaigle4 at gmail.com> <sdaigle4 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [OSLIST] Not ideal but worth the effort
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Date: Saturday, September 5, 2009, 7:49 AM

Harrison -
Inviting people to live the Open Space principles and the Law of 2 Feet throughout the conference and beyond was my invitation. Doug said it was a little sneaky; Harrison said the whole thing becomes rather subversive: "Stealth OST". No criticism intended and none taken on my part. But it got me thinking and then grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Well the irony of it all is that OST is all about that. The beauty is its simplicity and covertness.  It worked for me by awakening my activist soul and putting the conformist me in a box somewhere. Being French, I'd say that OST can be the Bastille of Independence, Freedom, and Choice...the thing that awakens the dormant "passion" and "personal responsibility" in individuals. Society and companies do not easily embrace the chaos, confusion and conflict that you describe in Wave Ride often preferring the Closed System Hoax with its illusion of control and predictability rather than the messy alternative. Not working so well these days though! 

Now back to those 4 simple principles with the Law of 2 Feet, the Butterfly and the Bumble Bee and what they stir "inside" people when you let yourself experience them cause you can't really know it by reading it. They awaken feelings, emotions, connections, thinking on a more conscious and unconscious level, listening, participating, sharing, authenticity, fun and the list goes on -- all of the stuff that we are taught to control and contain. And then surprise, once that's released, creativity emerges, purpose, action and results which come under that beautiful law of nature called self-organizing --nothing new, always been there. OST I think invites this hope and magic back into our being and our lives.  Sneaky, subversive, stealth....yes indeed!  Fitting reflections for this Labor Day Weekend 2009! Thanks guys!

Suzanne

On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 7:46 AM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net <http://us.mc546.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=hhowen@verizon.net> > wrote:

Suzanne --

So you had fun! Great!!  And as I read along I had this strange sense of déjà view all over again, to quote the great Yogi. This is where we started with improvements!! OST was born out of the recognition that the really juicy part of a large conference happened in the coffee breaks, to which I would add the bar, long walks,  and just hanging out. Sure there were formal presentations and elaborate processes to include people, expand people, transform people. But for the most part the formal sessions provided stuff we had heard before or could have read in a book, and all the elaborate processes seemed great at the start, but simply couldn’t hold a candle compared to a good conversation at the bar or wherever. 

My learning from your experience for which I thank you – is that the good old informal, self organizing system is alive and well, and it will function regardless of all efforts to structure and control. And if you offer a little support (your “anywhere, anytime sessions”) it only gets better. Doug is right – the whole thing becomes rather subversive. You might call it Stealth OST.

My real learning is that we haven’t invented a thing. “It” (self organizing systems) always was. We may acknowledge its presence, support its process, but at the end of the day – it will do just fine all by itself. Of course it would feel better if folks stopped trying to organize a self organizing system.

Harrison

Harrison Owen

189 Beaucaire Ave

Camden, ME 04843

207-763-3261 (Summer)

301-365-2093 (Winter)

Website www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/>  

Personal Website www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com/>  

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

  _____  

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU <http://us.mc546.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU> ] On Behalf Of Suzanne Daigle
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 6:00 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU <http://us.mc546.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU> 
Subject: Not ideal but worth the effort

Back from Boston after facilitating “A Taste of Open Space” at the NAMAC (National Alliance for Media, Arts and Culture) Conference.  This was my first large event (300+ participants); did not have that much lead time to prepare; and the circumstances were less than ideal: blended with workshops, no opportunity to sit in a circle and for a while, I worried about wall space and ability to use masking tape on the walls of this ornate room in a historical hotel. We used blue painters’ tape. 

Looking back, I would not have traded a minute of this experience. Yes, it could have been so much better but ultimately it was worth it based on the number of conversations (20 – 25…more?) over the 3 days of the conference.  I had 90 minutes on the first morning with the plenary group to OPEN SPACE: announce the OS question tied to their theme (Lisa Heft was so helpful in offering some ideas with lots of other invaluable tips too), to explain the principles and the Law, to build an agenda, and  to open a marketplace. Within an hour, no less than 15 groups were talking.  I called it the Speed Dating of OPEN SPACE clearly indicating that this was just a “TASTE of Open Space”. I said it would be an opportunity for them to find each other quickly by connecting with others who shared their passion on common topics.  

I thought I would be a basket case but somehow having meditated twice daily for the 10 days preceding this event, rehearsing on my outside patio over and over, scouring Diane Gibeault’s training materials, reading everything I could get my hands on and seeking help from some OS trusted friends who were so very generous, I felt calm, clear and grounded.  It wasn’t about me; it was about the participants! The night before, working with a few volunteers, I took the time to quietly walk the room and did so again the next morning.  And I thought of this audience and my passion for their cause – free press, documentary film producers, youth, arts, media, culture, democracy, etc.  The hardest part was not having the circle and people writing and posting the topics at the back of the room. Clearly all the OS practitioners are right that you NEED a circle to keep the energy focused in the middle in spite of the fact that I had them visualize a giant circle as part of my intro. Not the same…at all!  As people were writing and announcing their topics, many started conversations around their tables and I had to bring them back to attention a few times.  I feel we could have had 60 to 75 topics in those first 15 minutes instead of the 30 we got.  Others topics were added later and some folks posted Summary Reports from their discussions.

Over the 3 days, there were six 90 minute OS timeslots on the program not including the Closing (no circle there either).  What I invited people to do was to live the 4 Principles of OS and the Law of 2 Feet  (Butterfly and Bumble Bee) throughout the conference and even beyond.  We had blank post-it notes so they could schedule their sessions anytime, anywhere and they did: in the coffee shop, in the bar (15 people form 10 pm until past midnight), early morning and lunchtime as well as in the assigned locations in our plenary room which became the OPEN SPACE hub. What they said they appreciated most was the gift of choice and freedom.

As I watched the conversations happening from afar, I felt such gratitude to have had the courage to do this. People came by to share quietly as I cleaned up coffee cups, trash, etc.  The feedback was extremely positive and while I know it could have been better, my commitment to be “opening space” for people wherever and however I can from the heart is what drives me now.  Yes I will always push for optimal conditions as I feel I must. But if I can’t get there, I will just try to do my best and not shut the door.   If anyone wants to know more, I’ll gladly share all that I lived and felt during those three days.  I owe so much to this community. Thank you everyone. 

Link to some of the NAMAC OS photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/namac/page5/

Suzanne
-- 
Suzanne Daigle
NuFocus Strategic Group
7159 Victoria Circle
University Park, FL 34201
FL 941-359-8877;  CT 203-722-2009
www.nufocusgroup.com <http://www.nufocusgroup.com/> 
s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com <http://us.mc546.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=s.daigle@nufocusgroup.com> 

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-- 
Suzanne Daigle
NuFocus Strategic Group
7159 Victoria Circle
University Park, FL 34201
FL 941-359-8877;  CT 203-722-2009
www.nufocusgroup.com <http://www.nufocusgroup.com/> 
s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com <http://us.mc546.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=s.daigle@nufocusgroup.com> 
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