[OSList] OSONOS Whenever, Wherever, with Whomsoever

[Lisa Heft]

Well this invites a very interesting conversation.
I get that, Harrison - and...
At the end of the OSonOS by the Sea and at some other OS events I have  
participated in in Closing Circle someone usually says 'this was great  
and gee I wonder where all the ___(for example, young people, or the  
military)__ were?'
And I was guessing they were not there because we did not do extra to  
help those not-usual-suspects get there - for the beauty of diversity.
So 'whoever comes' is in some cases whoever has email access, whoever  
can afford travel, whoever is already part of the 'in group's  
information stream, whoever knows how to navigate finding low-cost  
housing in a community that is not their home region.

The wonderful Jorge Amigo (hola Jorge!) and I have had several  
passionate conversations about this - and I am guessing that different  
colleagues here on the list feel both ways or one way or are  
experimenting with their feelings about...

If I (an individual or a host team) really loves the work of doing  
'one more thing' to help people with visas, low-cost housing, and so  
on - aren't we just individuals following what has heart and meaning?
If I (an individual or a host team) think it might bring in diversity  
to arrange for home-stays and help people find room-mates in their  
preparation for the event - are we doing that open-space-or-otherwise  
pre-work to welcome diversity (beyond saying 'welcome everyone') - or  
are we taking away individuals' ability to do for themselves?
And what are the results and affects of doing one or the other on our  
living system of potential and actual participants?
Is doing these sorts of things respect for individuals - providing  
them with an ally, information tailored to their abilities /  
questions / capacities / requests - or is it disrespecting their  
capacity for doing for themselves?

What is 'doing for' -- and what is doing acts of ongoing invitation  
through action? (you can see my bias ;o)
What is taking responsibility for yourself to start - and what is my  
role - my co-responsibility - in caring for community, including those  
who are not the 'usual suspects'?

I totally believe in 'each one help one'. And yet I know that as a  
majority culture person (take for example someone who knows how to  
travel to new places or knows I want to bring a laptop if I want to  
help emergent documentation in an Open Space event - or somebody who  
knows other people who are coming to the event so I can ask questions  
on the side about where they are staying) - being in majority culture  
gives me an opportunity - no, actually, for me, a mandate - to help  
make visible resources and relationships and information and access to  
others who may not have my same capacities, abilities and culture.  To  
me, 'whoever comes' invites a 'how are you as host making it possible  
for more 'whoevers' not like the usual group to also say 'my place is  
there too, I am coming too'?

I am not saying everyone has to do that - I am saying that is what I  
love doing, cannot help but do, am interested in exploring, and invite  
my clients to do.
As usual - we do what we have passion and capacity for - and as usual,  
we wonderfully all see things in different ways, including what is  
helping and what is 'overly help-y'. A very fine line indeed, and  
differently experienced by all of us.

Fun stuff to explore...

Lisa



On Oct 23, 2012, at 12:38 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:

> Lots of good points Lisa – and maybe some solutions? Venue costs –  
> Can be considerable, of course. Can be very expensive if you only  
> think of hotels and other such things. But Churches usually only  
> need their space on Sundays. Else wise they might appreciate some  
> small (or larger) donation. And for a “good cause” maybe free?  
> Likewise, schools work on the week, but weekends are free. Common  
> spaces – like a tent on the common green. We did it for the price of  
> the tent. It wasn’t gorgeous, but definitely fun. Nothing but the  
> forest. Could get wet in the rain, which can be more fun.
>
> Housing? At the Pullman Versailles, the bill goes up. But off season  
> resorts get very reasonable. And have variety of Bed Spots. Camp  
> Grounds, for instance.
>
> I know that the reason a lot of people do not feel the need to host  
> one is - hosting something is usually not about the really amazing  
> holding space moments - most of the work is about event planning.
> Getting a room, paying money for it in advance, answering everyone's  
> emails behind the scenes, really dry and to some, really tedious  
> details of party planning that are not joyful for all kinds of people.
>
> Oh Answering emails – I guess that is rather like talking on OSLIST?  
> I always found it that way. Actually the problems arise when you  
> place yourself in the “Do-For” mode. I just offer the information  
> and invite them to Do-For themselves. Or maybe to reach out to other  
> participants? – Chain email (reply all) sort of thing. Next thing  
> you know space is open way before anybody comes to town. Take  
> responsibility for yourself to start, then reach out to help your  
> fellows. That’s how community emerges, I think. Each one help one.  
> It ain’t all me folks.
>
> ho
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20121023/bb5d919f/attachment-0008.htm>