[OSList] OS in Liberia and Harrison's reflections

Thu Aug 11 04:37:45 PDT 2011

What a gem, Harrison!

On 11.08.2011 12:43, Harrison Owen wrote:
> Susan – About a year ago I got a note from a friend who was also Opening
> Space in Monrovia. I thought you might find it interesting – ho
>
> Dear Harrison,
>
> Just finished OS in an NGO office in Liberia that deals with malaria
> prevention, treatment and education. (25 people, 13 topics, 1 day) In
> the closing circle, I wished you had been there and thought of you
> everytime someone said "This is our heritage of how we use to do it and
> it feels good." " This is the first time we sit together in 4 years and
> it is because of our Liberian past ."" "It is how they do it in our
> villages and now it brings us closer together and we can be one team,
> one program." "This is the first time I have seen everyone smile in our
> office." "People were fully engaged in the room." Immense pride filled
> the room. (I was asked to go to this office to do some team building. I
> think it worked, wouldn't you say?)
>
> This team has gone through major transitions from working with malarial
> concerns in an emergency situation, just after the war to post emergency
> work; from one country director's style to an opposite country
> director's style; and a total change of expat management; all in the
> last 3 months. And, you know what the # 1 topic out of the 13, after
> they prioritized? LOVE, plain and simple and powerful. A committee is
> now in charge of finding ways to express it in the office. I think the
> country director was shocked at that choice but even more surprised that
> a quiet man who pushes the broom, convened the topic.
>
> I was a bit worried for the first hour as it was very slow moving and I
> thought I had made the wrong choice, so I left the room and worked on my
> laptop, to not control the group and close the space. Turns out, no one
> had ever asked them before for their opinions. That was the hesitancy.
> The ball started rolling after the first time period.
>
> So, my dear, Harrison...it all comes around and back to Liberia, you and
> your brillance at capturing the essence of the African culture and
> bottling it up for the rest of the world to sip. You have touched their
> hearts deeply. In the closing circle, they didn't thank me...at first I
> was...gee, no praise for me bringing it to them...HA! "When the best
> leader's work is done, the people say "We did it ourselves." Lao Tzu.
>
> Harrison Owen
>
> 7808 River Falls Dr.
>
> Potomac, MD 20854
>
> USA
>
> 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
>
> Camden, Maine 20854
>
> Phone 301-365-2093
>
> (summer) 207-763-3261
>
> www.openspaceworld.com
>
> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
>
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> *From:*oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] *On Behalf Of *Harrison Owen
> *Sent:* Wednesday, August 10, 2011 7:09 PM
> *To:* 'World wide Open Space Technology email list'
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] OS in Liberia and Harrison's reflections
>
> The troubles were/are real and the disruption major, but I would believe
> that some of the old traditions live on. Wired in at a genetic level,
> perhaps. This belief is not without some foundation as I have continued
> contact with Liberian friends of some long ago. As also others have done
> the same. It is true that I have not set foot in Liberia since the ‘70’s
> but I have been in related parts of Africa. All I am suggesting is that
> you start with something familiar (to them) and see if you can build.
> The issues you describe are real and pressing, but they will be solved,
> if at all solvable, in an African way. They will have to do that work
> and putting them in a place of remembering is not a bad place to start.
> I think.
>
> Harrison
>
> Harrison Owen
>
> 7808 River Falls Dr.
>
> Potomac, MD 20854
>
> USA
>
> 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
>
> Camden, Maine 20854
>
> Phone 301-365-2093
>
> (summer) 207-763-3261
>
> www.openspaceworld.com
>
> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
> OSLIST Go
> to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
> *From:*oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] *On Behalf Of *Susan Partnow
> *Sent:* Wednesday, August 10, 2011 4:49 PM
> *To:* OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> *Subject:* [OSList] OS in Liberia and Harrison's reflections
>
> Thanks for your reflections, Harrison... There is absolutely enormous,
> deep wisdom to learn, observe, drink in. I appreciate what you are
> saying, though I fear some of the deep traditions have been so disrupted
> and even lost for the present generations with the chaos of the last 20
> years. The Community Summit was a way to bring many diverse people
> together who do not have a chance to engage in conversation with other
> outside of that setting — unfortunately there is not a way for the flow
> to flow... Over half the population now lives in Monrovia and many have
> not experienced the richness of village life including the Palava Hut.
> The youth do not trust or especially respect the elders or chiefs. Women
> have many concerns. So it is a society in rough transition...
>
> Susan
>
> Susan Partnow
>
> Founding Director, Global Citizen Journey
>
> 4425 Baker Ave NW
>
> Seattle, WA 98107
>
> tel. 206-783-8561
>
> fax 206-782-7786
>
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>
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> www.susanpartnow.com <http://www.susanpartnow.com/> Partnow
> Communications, Organizational Development, Consulting & Facilitation
>
> www.conversationcafe.org <http://www.conversationcafe.org/> Co-Founder
>
> www.compassionatelistening.org
> <http://www.compassionatelistening.org/>Sr. Certified Facilitator
>
> /"When we seek for connection, we restore the world to wholeness. Our
> seemingly separate lives become meaningful as we discover how truly
> necessary we are to each other."/--Margaret Wheatley
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>
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