[OSList] The 5th Principle / Sardinia

Tue May 24 07:25:05 PDT 2011

Brendan - A man after my own heart! Seems like you think in circles, which
many might find less than productive. J But for myself, it is the only way
to go. Round and round, and although you may meet yourself coming back there
is also a high probability that you will go deeper. At least that is my
excuse.

And I also tend to agree with you that the 5th Principle doesn't add much.
But then the same could be said for the original 4, along with the Law of
Two Feet. The point is that all of them (1-5) are descriptive and not
pre-scriptive. That is to say that they simply acknowledge what would be the
case in any event, even if they were never spoken. The justification for
calling them "principles" and announcing them as the space is opening (in my
mind) is simply to alert people to the "facts of life." And why do that?
Because in the busyness of living we seem to forget the obvious realities.
And our forgetfulness can get us in trouble. For example, the 1st Principle,
"Whoever comes is the right people" is a total truism. The people who show
up are the only ones there - and worrying about all the folks who might have
come, should have come - is a waste of time, and more importantly, can
easily distract us from the gifts and opportunities that walked in the door.

I think the 5th principle is more of the same order. No matter what might
have happened, could have happened, should have happened - you are in the
place you are. And that place/space has its own unique gifts and
opportunities no matter what constraints or apparent disadvantages might
exist.  To be sure it is worthwhile searching for an "adequate" venue, and
some seem better than others. But at the end of the day, you are where you
are. Duh! - And more to the point, Space will open for those who care to be
there. 

Early on in my experience in Open Space I did notice certain anomalies when
it came to the place of meeting. Venues that appeared totally abysmal (the
feared "bowling alley", for example) became a vibrant container for
magnificent  conversations, and in fact the spatial restriction seemed, if
anything, to magnify the intensity and depth. At the other extreme,
seemingly ideal venues just really didn't work for the group. I remember in
particular a conference center in Belgium (IBM, I think) that looked as if
it had been specially constructed for Open Space. The central room was
completely round, and the break out spaces (also round) radiated from the
edge of the large room. Perfect you would think! And yet, to judge from the
behavior of the group that "ideal" environment was no such thing. By lunch
on the first day no group was to be found meeting in the official breakout
spaces. Everybody had searched for and found alternative spaces and places.
Small irregular nooks and crannies, little patios, an un-used service bar.
So much for the ideal venue!

Although I had noticed the curious happenings in terms of venue space, it
never occurred to me to see all this as yet another principle. I guess it
sort of fell beneath my perceived level of significance. But all of that
changed in Sardinia thanks to Claudia. As she described the ethos and
happenings of Tahrir Square it became clearer to me that space can and does
open anywhere. And yes we can devote time and effort to finding the "proper"
venue, but when the Spirit is up, any place will do. 

Claudia helped me see something else. For understandable reasons we
(certainly I) had concentrated our attention on Open Space as an event -
which effectively blinded us to it larger prevalence. Tahrir Square (and
multiple similar occurrences) was open space by any reasonable standard. But
nobody had convened or planned it - though doubtless some folks will claim
credit. Our "events" are therefore 2nd order derivatives from an original,
and completely natural phenomenon.  And one more time we are reminded that
any effort on our part to claim Open Space as our creation, a meeting method
amongst many others - is simply a dog that won't hunt. I think it also
shifts or enlarges our task and opportunity. The road ahead is not so much
about refining and expanding a methodology (if it ever was) but rather to
open our eyes to the natural occurrences of space opening for human beings
to grow in. In part this is an appreciative activity - simply noticing the
grandeur and elegance of  our evolution which seemingly occurs all by itself
without our plan or direction. But there is also another side. How can we
help? What can we do or be that will enhance the richness and power of the
spaces opening in our midst? Doubtless this is the work of several more
lifetimes and I believe that our prior experience with OST as an event can
be very helpful. But it just a beginning.

We know that a single individual (facilitator), by saying little and doing
less, can enable the process whereby groups of people numbering in the
1000's can experience themselves and their future in positive and useful
ways. And yes, I suspect that there will always be a place for the good old
fashioned Open Space - if only as a training program for the larger game.
But that larger game is "out there" and not in a venue of our choosing. 

Just imagine - you are a single individual standing at the edge of Tahrir
Square. You don't speak the language, and have little if any understanding
of the issues. How can you help? It may sound like Mission Impossible - but
it is a mission that thousands of our friends and colleagues have undertaken
all over the world during the past 25 years - albeit in microcosm. I think
it may be time to join the Big Game. It will be exciting and just remember,
"Wherever it is, is the right place."

Harrison 

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Dr.

Potomac, MD 20854

USA

Phone 301-365-2093

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 Brendan
McKeague
Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 2:58 AM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] The 5th Principle / Sardinia

Awesome story Harrison

Once again, the 'practice of peace' illustrated in real time.  I continue to
name Open Space as the most nonviolent meeting process I am aware of.

As for the fifth principle - everywhere (anywhere?) is the right place - I
do like it.  

And at the same time, wonder if it adds anything additional to what we
already have....?

Maybe it is an acknowledgement of there being no physical/geographical
boundaries, universally, to where space is/can be opened....

And at the same time, when I'm 'creating' an OST meeting with a sponsor, I'm
proposing that we use a venue/location that best fits our purpose - so, some
spaces might be more appropriate than others...eg no pillars in the centre
of the circle, space for Agenda Wall etc...

Ah - I see - there are 'ideal' conditions around which we construct
artificial or manufactured 'open spaces', within which people can have an
embodied experience of what the real deal is...that the whole universe is
self-organising!

Ok - I've gone round the circle - and arrived back where I started from -
back to basics :)

Cheers

Brendan

On 24/05/2011, at 5:31 AM, Harrison Owen wrote

The recent gathering in Sardinia was a treasure. But then again, every such
gathering is unique and rich. A special gift for me was a series of extended
conversations with Claudia, whose last name has disappeared in my senile
brain. She had been in Egypt with the Facebook crowd in the square - and how
she came to Sardinia is a story in itself. Seems like the young Egyptians
were opening space right and left as they negotiated their way through their
version of The Arab Spring. Somewhere along the line they went online in
search of more information - connected with my youngest son (of the same
name) who passed them along to me. We exchanged several emails, and I
suggested that were it possible to come to Sardinia they would have the
opportunity to connect with many marvelous new colleagues whose collective
wisdom vastly exceed my own. Only Claudia could come but she carried the
tale. Marvelous!

So we talked. And as she described the happenings of those interesting days
it gradually dawned on me that the Open Space of major significance was not
so much the several gatherings convened under that title - but rather the
ebb and flow of Tahrir Square. That indeed was a convening of those who
cared. In palpable ways they brought their passion and responsibility into
that present moment. And while it is true that they never sat in a circle or
created a bulletin board, they surely opened a market place of ideas, hopes,
and dreams - which in turn created new circles of caring. Claudia said it
was a dance, a massive, multiple circle dance as those who cared shared
their passion(s) with responsibility. The circles formed and broke, only to
form again in new, richer and more complex patterns. Who can say what the
precise results are or will be. (The Proceedings have yet to be printed J) -
but the typical behaviors of every good Open Space were manifest in
abundance. "High Learning" - in which previously impossible ideas and
aspirations came alive. "High Play" - in which strangers and sometime
enemies ate and laughed together. Serious moments for sure but leavened with
a lightness that comes when the flood gates of renewal are wide open.
"Appropriate Structure and Control" - God knows how many people were there,
and for sure nobody was in charge. But that did not mean that violent and
bloody chaos was the order of the day - although doubtless nobody would have
been surprised had they appeared. But there was structure as the dance
circled on. And the control was emergent from the people, born of their
passion and responsibility. "Genuine Community?" - Total strangers coming
home, wrapped in the care and concern of their fellows. And "Authentic
Leadership?" You bet! - Not the sort of Leadership that supposedly resides
in the appointed leaders - by way of  the divine right of kings. Indeed, the
King had been sent out of town!  But Leadership was there in abundance,
blossoming (what else in the Arab Spring?) where and as needed. It appeared
at the nexus points of passion and responsibility and passed from person to
person as the dance rolled on.

And that is the story, at least as I heard it told.

Sounded like Open Space to me! And nobody had a plan, intention, or design.
For sure - there wasn't a facilitator in sight! - So MAYBE - we need to
understand that Open Space is a naturally occurring phenomenon? To be sure
we can give it a boost or assist - But the opening of space seems to happen
all by itself!!

So here is a challenge. If Open Space is a naturally occurring phenomenon
(and what else would It be?) then we have the opportunity to assist. And how
would we do that? I suspicion that our 25 year collective experience will
give us some clues. We know that a single facilitator can be very effective
in initiating the process - not by doing a lot, but by really BEING THERE.
And that can happen very quickly - let's say instantaneously. To be sure we
can make many plans and arrangements: conferences with clients, selections
of the "optimal" site, providing the "right" paper and magic markers, etc,
etc. It is also true that even when none of that can happen - everything
just works. That is a little hard on the old Facilitator's Ego, but it could
just be that an awful lot of what we take to be essential is nice, but not
necessary. After all Tahrir Square just "happened." Talk about "Extreme Open
Space" or the Next Step!!

All of which lead me to see what I am sure has been there all the time: The
Fifth Principle. We know the others.

Whoever Comes is the right People.

Whatever happens is the only thing that could have.

NOW - the new one. "Wherever it is, is the right place."

Whenever it starts is the right time.

When it is over, it is over.

I think we could have a lot of fun with this - and for sure it will take us
to some places we have never been. I'm ready.

And if Claudia will reveal her last name, I would be deeply appreciative.
Not to say thankful, for she gave me a great gift.

Harrison

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Dr.

Potomac, MD 20854

USA

Phone 301-365-2093

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

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