Opening space within conflict
Michael M Pannwitz
mmpanne at boscop.org
Wed Mar 2 09:52:33 PST 2011
Dear Christine,
sounds like a pretty regular Open Space event, grand!
And you in charge of "animation" (as it says here
> http://forum-ouvert-mediation.dyndns.org/Contributions.htm
The conflicts you mention as being virulent in the community are one of
the prerequisites for the unfolding of selforganisation... without them
it might have been less productive and less magic!
I do hope you and all of us will be in many more os events like the one
you just had,
Greetings from Berlin
mmp
On 01.03.2011 22:13, christine koehler wrote:
> 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 <mailto: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 <http://www.christinekoehler.com>
> Tel : 06 13 28 71 38
>
> Twitter <http://twitter.com/Mediateur_>
>
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--
Second European Open Space Learning Exchange, Italy, May 17-20, 2011!
Curious? Take a look here:
http://boscop.org/events/636
Number of registration as of February 27: 32 from all over Europe and
more coming in!
Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
++49-30-772 8000
mmpanne at boscop.org
www.boscop.org
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