[OSList] more on occupy san diego

[Raffi Aftandelian]

Michael, thanks much for challenging my thinking about my role here. 


I'd love to hear the perspective of others. I'm also cc'ing this to the Genuine Contact list as I'd love to hear the perspective of GC'ers on this, too.

 
It has me thinking that perhaps at the very least I need to put something together where I am stating to others what I'm trying to do. I don't know.

Perhaps, what I'm really doing is being a skilled participant. I'm just keeping my ears open for dissenting views, "protecting" those views, helping to make sure they are heard, and when I see people repeatedly stepping forward to facilitate I step in and speak up about this being a "leaderless" (still have mixed feelings about this word) movement. Personally have been working gradually towards coming to some kind of agreement on the use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana on site and establishing quiet hours. And for that of course seeking out and listening those who might be most passionately against such a change in "policy." And as I draw people's perspectives out on this score, I just try to ask good questions, like, "How do we honor your wishes to have lots of freedom to do all of the above while holding the principle of inclusivity (e.g. make the "occupation" welcoming to all)?  And you can see that people's RAM is being engaged up their in the
 Grey Matter....which is encouraging.

Just to be clear- for example when I was formally facilitating a committee meeting yesterday, I was not involved in the content-- and I made a point of that-- explaining to everyone that it is my belief that a facilitator almost never gets involved in content.  

much warmth from the coast,
raffi
(aka capt. nosebleed)


powered by ubuntu 10.4


________________________________
From: Michael M Pannwitz <mmpanne at boscop.org>
To: Raffi Aftandelian <raffi_1970 at yahoo.com>; World wide Open Space Technology email list <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 4:40 AM
Subject: Re: [OSList] more on occupy san diego

Dear Raffi,
for facilitation and thr role/stance of the facilitator (regardless of what kind of meeting or process such as OST or FS or whatever) the best in depth source and guide is
Don't Just Do Something, Stand There!
Georg Bischoff and me and a bunch of osnicks have translated it into German, that version will be out no later than November 7.
One of the basic notions is that roles have to be clear to be most effective. A participant is a participant, a skilled participant is a skilled participant, a facilitator is a facilitator (urgent advice: that role needs to be transparent!)... just popped in my mind on reading about the guerilla facilitation. What I seem to sense is that everyone in the groups and assemblies is a potential or actual leader at any one time, so leadership is shared... the facilitator is also a leader but in a role that is usually not that of a traditional leader, mostly effective by basically doing NOTHING, which, of course, is hard and attention demanding work.
Greetings from Berlin
mmp

On 18.10.2011 07:15, Raffi Aftandelian wrote:
> spaceniks and all-
> 
> my latest post on occupy san diego is up
> http://reinhabitsandiego.wordpress.com
> 
> (and again feel free to repost and share, but please don't include my name).
> 
> just want to repeat some of what i say in the post-- it's funny to
> marvel at this seeing as i've been working with ost for some 10 years
> now. The open space lens has been soooo valuable in framing how i see
> and act during occupy san diego.
> 
> For example, our General Assembly has not been an effective
> decision-making body for a variety of reasons, including - as best as i
> can see- police infiltration. And how have people dealt with that? Use
> their two feet!! You'll see people breaking away, forming their own
> circles, and talking about what's really important. And I'm just amazed
> in the midst of all the fractiousness (which, it sounds like is largely
> a San diego phenomenon), there is such a high level of listening and
> openness to different perspectives.
> 
> I also don't cease to marvel how a facilitative presence (call it
> guerilla facilitation?) can really amp up the quality of the
> conversation. This is where I've found my groove thus far-- not in any
> formal facilitation (i formally facilitated a committee meeting today
> finally- at the invitation of others)- but just listening, jumping on
> dissident/divergent perspectives and trying to draw those points of view
> out.
> 
> It's seeing how the circle keeps on popping up that i think we're doomed
> to succeed (don't ask me what success means!).
> 
> also-- a shout out to sandy heierbacher (or anyone else on the ncdd
> list)--- can you forward/pass on the following message:
> 
> if there are any ncdd members in san diego, i'd love to get in touch
> with you, so that we can have a greater facilitator/process artist
> presence at the occupation. can someone let me know if you do post this
> to the ncdd list? (feel free to share my email with the ncdd list).
> 
> much warmth,
> raffi
> 
> powered by ubuntu 10.4
> 
> 
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-- 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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