Opening space within conflict

Tue Mar 1 13:13:02 PST 2011

Dear all,

It has been a great experience !

Till the very last day before the event, tension has been palpable :
articles  published condemning not only the goal, but also  the event,
people taking their organization out of the planning commitee... A few
supporting but low voices still came out and finally 130 people had
subscribed on the 150 expected..  I wonder how many people there would have
been if this community had not been in conflict...

On the morning of the event, I was tensed, so I went out for a walk a bit
before the start.While walking, I experienced suddenly a deep shivering, and
then I was quiet, realizing   that I had only to trust the process. Just
before going back into the sportshall, I got a phonecall : the sponsor  has
just received the news that a deputy was coming, and wanted to know when
this man could talk... So he talk: 2 mn after the sponsor's introduction ;-)
And then I started talking. Everything went fine, I just forgot a few nimor
details. Then people started announcing topics : rythm of this group was 2-3
pause then 2-3 pause and again 1 or 2 topics then pause. All important and
disturbing subjects came out.They  decided to combine many topics, and when
discussions began, there were mainly bigs groups, and only 1 or 2 whith less
then 10 people. This kept true during the whole event. Around midday, I got
a few remarks asking for more structure (interestingly from people I would
not have expected to)  ;-). But then people self-organized again and went
back to their groups, and all conveners gathered to the newsroom to type
their reports. Newsroom has been a very active point during all the event,
with typing and reading the reports and correcting them and discussing them
etc.. people looked for accuracy of reports !
On the second day, there were more bumblebees and many feedbacks of great
informal conversations. People were very busy all the time, and 35 topics
were documented, creating a 126 pages report of impressive quality.
Action planning gave 11 projects, and 9 were actively discussed.
Sponsor was amazed : this was the first time for years and years  that real
cooperation had taken place between all those organizations that were
usually either competing or in conflict, and all projects were of great
interest for the whole community ( definition of central concepts,
organization, communication, ethics, training etc..)

Now there are a few articles coming out, I hear the words of "magic" and
people start discussing of what they will do from all this..
There should be some pictures coming soon
here<http://forum-ouvert-mediation.dyndns.org/index_fichiers/Page331.htm>

So magic happened
It always works
;-)
Christine

On Sat, Feb 19, 2011 at 2:40 PM, christine koehler <chris.alice.ko
ehler at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> You really are an amazing community, thank you so much for all your answers
> and mark of support !
>
> Amazing Lisa, you got it all. Indeed the big issue is about to
> professionnalize or not, and the community is strongly divided about the
> question. And indeed stated as it is, it's an outcome...Thanks so much for
> this.
> You also helped me clarify the importance of the Book of Proceedings, which
> I had not seen so clearly. You're right , and I just suggested the sponsor
> that it be the goal of the OS (luckily all has been organized to make it
> feasible).
> I told them that it would be their gift to the community, as a thank you
> for all participants trusting them and making them the gift of their
> presence to this OS.Let's see what they say.
>
> Thank you all for underlying that words must not become barriers, and that
> change can be made, even at the very end.
>
> Catherine, thanks for your suggestion to make my hat obvious. While I had
> made it clear from the very beginning with the sponsor that I was there as
> the facilitator and not mediator (in the beginning they suggested that we
> present the OS as a mediation, and that I woud be the mediator, so I had to
> let them understand that it was not a good idea ;-)), it may not be clear
> for all participants.
> So at the beginning of my introduction I'll take off my mediator's badge
> (the one I use at Court) that I will have put on my clothing on purpose. I
> like this idea ;-)
> Thanks also for advising me to have a look at Peggy's introduction. I'll
> look for it.
>
> Diane, thanks you for your advice. Indeed, like Michael & the Boscop team
> showed me so often,  I also believe that facilitating an OS event is a team
> work, and my assistant for this event is a wonderful person that you trained
> recently in Belgium, Jocelyne. I am confident she will handle perfectly all
> last time logistical details and problems (which I already handled to her
> last Thursday to be able to concentrate on facilitation).
>
> Christian, I love the citation of William Blake on your website : "there
> are things known and there are things unknown, and in between there are
> doors". I may say add it to my introduction ;-)
>
> Christine, thanks for the picture. Indeed I see yout point ;-)
>
> My learnings here these days ;
> Being part of the system is definitely not the right place for a
> facilitator. It prevents from seing obvious facts.
> Here, being part of the system and knowing the people, I was not willing to
> see where the unconscious control was (although I could feel it, I could not
> point it).
>
> My comprehension of the role of the facilitator has taken me, I think, a
> step further. I had seen that some of you position themselves as  going with
> the participants through the process, and only warrant of the process, while
> others were what I would call "champions" of dialogue (or other concept like
> self organizing or emargence or peace., as I think that it depends strongly
> of who you are) and would have  an "appealing"  introduction or closing. Up
> to now I was belonging to the first category, as I trust the process, but
> was no trusting myself 100% probably. Maybe it may change...I'll let you
> know ;-)
>
>
>
> Thank you SO MUCH Suzanne, Thomas, Steve, Phelim, Chris, Ria, Elaine and
> you all. I'll open space at 9am next Thursday till Friday 5.30pm. I already
> feel you are with me, and it helps !
>
> Christine
>

-- 
Christine Koehler
Médiateur
Créatrice d'espaces de dialogue et de coopération
www.christinekoehler.com
Tel : 06 13 28 71 38

[image: Twitter] <http://twitter.com/Mediateur_>

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