[OSList] HA: Open Space in dictatorship

[Тясто Марина В.]

Dear Peggy,

Of course I remember that workshop or conference in Novosibirsk in 2001in the framework of The Connective Leadership Project. In 5 days there were many different activities: opening ceremony with bringing waters together from different places, training of project development,  team work, negotiations and finally Open space. It all went very well. Up to 100 women from different regions of Siberia were so enthusiastic about their work together and opportunity to learn from American women-leaders. One year after we had a one day conference to talk about the results of that workshop and plans for the next year. Many women have been reporting about realization of their ideas into real projects. Women's business club, Association of women-voters, a school for girls, a newspaper for women and many other projects were successfully created by women after that 5-days Conference and OST event. Then we had another short Open space and women could propose new ideas and create new projects. OST always worked wonderful!
Thank you, dear Peggy for good memories!

Love,

Marina
________________________________________
От: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] от имени Peggy Holman [peggy at peggyholman.com]
Отправлено: 12 февраля 2014 г. 6:05
Кому: Open Listserv
Тема: Re: [OSList] Open Space in dictatorship

Dear Michael,

Ah, you’ve “outed” me.  It was a 5-day workshop that didn’t actually open the space until a few days in.

Peggy


_________________________________
Peggy Holman
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Twitter: @peggyholman

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Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity<http://peggyholman.com/papers/engaging-emergence/>
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the fire".
  -- Drew Dellinger




On Feb 11, 2014, at 3:01 PM, Michael M Pannwitz <mmpannwitz at gmail.com<mailto:mmpannwitz at gmail.com>> wrote:

Dear Peggy,
why did you ask the participants to introduce themselves?

Greetings from Berlin
cheers
mmp

On 11.02.2014 23:57, Peggy Holman wrote:
I had the privilege of working with Marina in 2001 with a group of women
leaders in Siberia.

To this day, I remember the opening circle. We — the team of 4 women
from the US doing this workshop — had asked the women to introduce
themselves. One by one, they stood and spoke as if they were making a
speech to a crowd. In my minds eye, their words were all in capital
letters with exclamation points (!).  The moment the introductions
started, the other women started talking to each other rather than
listening to the person speaking. We stepped in and asked that they
listen to each other. Such a simple idea that was apparently not a
cultural norm.

By the end of the next day, as they worked together in small groups, the
conversations all seemed engaged and authentic, with real listening
going on.

One thing I learned on that trip was to never assume that I could
accurately interpret what was going on. So I wonder...Marina — how do
you remember it?

appreciatively,
Peggy




_________________________________
Peggy Holman
peggy at peggyholman.com<mailto:peggy at peggyholman.com> <mailto:peggy at peggyholman.com>
Twitter: @peggyholman

15347 SE 49th Place
Bellevue, WA  98006
425-746-6274
www.peggyholman.com<http://www.peggyholman.com> <http://www.peggyholman.com>
www.journalismthatmatters.org<http://www.journalismthatmatters.org> <http://www.journalismthatmatters.org>

*Enjoy the award winning *Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into
Opportunity <http://peggyholman.com/papers/engaging-emergence/>
Check out my series on what's emerging in the news & information
ecosystem
<http://www.journalismthatmatters.net/the_emerging_news_and_information_eco_system>

"An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get
burnt, is to become
the fire".
  -- Drew Dellinger














On Feb 11, 2014, at 9:51 AM, Тясто Марина В. <tyasto at sapa.nsk.su<mailto:tyasto at sapa.nsk.su>
<mailto:tyasto at sapa.nsk.su>> wrote:

Dear Ulrika,

I echo Elwin as I also have extensive experience of facilitation OST
events in Russia as I live here, especially with different groups of
state and municipal servants in the classroom environment. At the
beginning most of them looked like having freedom shock being invited
to post issues they care for. But after starting discussions they
began to change their way of communication and learning freely and
fully. Always coming to the room for the reports and closing I've
observed totally different people - with much more self-confidence,
positive outlook and friendly feelings to each other. OST actually
gives people the first experience of free behavior , self-organizing,
self-learning and real leadership. I hardly could define Russian case
as a real dictatorship, but I don't know about any bad consequences
for the OST meeting participants. Even though some of them were saying
something like: even though I'd be fired after I will organize
something like this in my office - organization I'll do it and
finally tell the truth.
I'm  sure it is important to bring OST to every possible place and
share it with as many people as possible.

All the best,

Marina

________________________________________
От: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org<mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>
<mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>
[oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org<mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>
<mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>] от имени Elwin and
Joan [elwinandjoan at yahoo.com<mailto:elwinandjoan at yahoo.com> <mailto:elwinandjoan at yahoo.com>]
Отправлено: 10 февраля 2014 г. 18:09
Кому: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Тема: Re: [OSList] Open Space in dictatorship

Ulrika,
I have Opened Space countless times in nearly every country of the
former Soviet Union, from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.
In most cases I had the opportunity to return for further development
work. I have never encountered anyone who suffered any retribution as
a result of Open Space participation. To the contrary, I continue to
get email thank you notes from many participants of Open Space dating
back more than a decade.

It always works!

Elwin Guild
Future Development International



On Monday, February 10, 2014 11:34 AM, Ulrika Eklund
<ulrika.eklund at telia.com<mailto:ulrika.eklund at telia.com> <mailto:ulrika.eklund at telia.com>> wrote:
Dear listmembers and all your experience

I would love to take part of your experience and knowledge about
working with OS in countries operated by dictatorship. A closed space,
where you are used/allowed to think as The party. "Its a lovely country
as long as you follow the rules"

For example I had a training course with a group working in the
authorities and governmental bodies (national and regional level), and
they listed some of the problems in one area. After they were
encouraged to brainstorm ideas and solutions on the problems. After the
task I asked - what was the new ideas and insight you got? New?! We
repeated what the party already have decided"... so it was more a
memory test :) An other exampel: in the university where I met the
students study a Human rights course sponsered by another country. They
said: "its a good course. Why I asked and the answer was: we are
allowed to ask questions when we don't understand, you know sometimes
you read a text in the book and you don't understand and it doesnot
help to read it many times, here we can ask, and we are also allowed to
discuss.

So my question - how is Open Space working in this circumstances? How
you know people that think freely are not punished after?

WIsh you all a lovley week
Ulrika


--
Ulrika Eklund
Bergsgatan 7A
SE-112 23 Stockholm
Sweden
mobile +46-(0)70-699 86 12

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