VB: [OSLIST] Learnings from OS and demonstrations :) was Any experiences of OS and demonstrations?

[Eva P Svensson]

Resending from Diane to list.. Read below

And Diane - Thank you!
:o)
Eva


Hi Eva,
I sent this message to OS List earlier today but received no confirmation.
If you did not get it either from the OSlist, can you send my message to the
list and hopefully it will get there since you have been successful in your
previous message. Thank you
Diane

 ------ Forwarded Message
From: Diane Gibeault <diane.gibeault at rogers.com>
Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:54:13 -0500
To: OS List <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Conversation: [OSLIST] Learnings from OS and demonstrations :) was  Any
experiences of OS and demonstrations?
Subject: Re: [OSLIST] Learnings from OS and demonstrations :) was  Any
experiences of OS and demonstrations?

Eva,

I am so happy to have received your email because some technical thing
somewhere has been getting in the way of receiving of OS List emails lately,
for me and for others I have heard.

Congratulations Eva for keeping, at the opening, with what you felt was
important to create the space and protect it for everyone in the room.
Energy exercises would have just exasperated more those few impatient
participants. You did the best thing, a shorter intro so participants could
take "their" space asap.

I had a similar experience at only the 3rd OS event I facilitated many years
ago. I was newn at this but like you, my focus was the space of the whole
not of the few. Inviting people to write their question on a topic sheet,
even a question about the process if they want - and repeating that
invitation after the intrusion - helps to give a place to unconscious or
conscious  space grabers and allows to sustain the momentum of the process
for the whole and the group energy.

I also note the trust you had in people. That trust allowed you to let go
and let others who may have been intimidated, find their own space in a way
that was comfortable to them. You did not judge this with less value.

If ever there was a test to see if you feel like you are an OK "Open Space"
facilitator, I think what you just experienced is a good test. And I would
say you passed glowingly.

Cheers to you,

Diane


On 10-02-26 4:00 AM, "eva at epshumaninvest. se" <eva at epshumaninvest.se> wrote:

> Hello Gail, Christine, Robyn, Lisa, Harrison and all you wonderful  people
> around the globe!
> How glad I am that this community exists and what a strength it is to know
> that whatever time of the day some of you are always out there to help!
> 
> How did it go?
> It went well - of course :) There was about 100 people - angry ones - most
> of them. Demonstrations outside - very calm and silent. Then they came in
> and joined the circle. The participants were angry, upset and passionate.
> One woman told me to "stand still!" when I walked the circle.. :) So after
a
> very quick - to quick I think introduction I invited them to the circle.
> When I then sat down a man came up to me and wanted to ask questions about
> the proposal that the OS was about, I invited him to the circle to put up
> topics on the agenda - and informed him that there were no room for
> questions at that time. He was so angry and accused me to stop the
> democratic process ( :) ) and he took his feet and left - but first he
> shouted at me something like "stupid coffee break - this is not how coffee
> breaks are"  "and you can't even speak Swedish" :) He obviously didn't
like
> my Swedish accent :) :)
> 
> One learning for me was that next time I think that I shall have a poster
> with the four fold way in the room and emphasize a bit more on that -
> because one result of the "angry tone" was that those who was pro the
> proposal didn't dare to raise their questions. But thanks to the process -
> they could write their own report and they did meet some butterflies so to
> speak. There was also a lot of butterflies discussions during the evening.
> Another question I walk around with now is if it would have been better to
> have more time in the opening to try to set an energy or if the energy was
> what it was and no matter how long time, the tone in the meeting would not
> have changed?
> 
> In the closing circle - those who was still there concluded that it was
good
> that the city arranged this kind of meetings, that it had been a good
> meeting but they were not sure that they was really listened to in the
long
> run. And that they wanted this kind of meetings earlier in the process
> (while it from the city was very early in the process.. ). From the
sponsors
> side - the city - they felt that they have had good conversations and that
> they were not attacked as they use to be in this kind of issues.
> 
> Thanks for your support!
> :o)
> Eva

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