<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META content="MSHTML 5.00.2919.6307" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This gets to be a <EM>really </EM>interesting
discussion around "bad"; whose definition? bad for whom?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>For me, the notions of evolving levels of
consciousness/ Spirit come into play here - see Spiral Dynamics (earlier threads
in this listserve) and also Harrison's "Stages Along Sprit's Way" in the Power
of Spirit (based on Ken Wilber's work..) . So Open Space can act as a gateway
helping people move (if they so chose and other life conditions are right) from
Red meme/ reactive/ Skinhead gang type, or from Blue meme/ responsive/ orderly
authority bound organization, or from Orange meme / Pro-active/ corporate
dominance... etc. - to wherever they are ready to go next. And being an open
gateway IS an act of the best of human Spirit.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Meg</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:rnorris@digital.net" title=rnorris@digital.net>Richard
Norris</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU"
title=OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, November 28, 2000 5:05
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: OS for "bad" purposes</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What would be the implications of convening an OS
for purposes generally considered to be for the ill of the community?
For example, what if a street gang convened an OS on doing a better job of
taking over a neighborhood?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Would it still lead to the best of the human
spirit emerging, as I always experience in OS? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>****************************************************************</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Peg,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What an interesting twist of thought. It is my
understanding that OS belongs to all on the planet and beyond, so the premise
is not as far fetched as it may sound. In fact with OS's increased
exposure to the world it is highly probable that the scenario presented will
be occur sometime in the near future. It may have happened already.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We use to discuss a similar issue when I was
the Senior Facilitator at the U.S. Defense Equal Opportunity Management
Institute (DEOMI). One of our greatest concerns with facilitating
discussions around all discrimination issues was the perceived risk of
"helping in creating an improved and more skilled bigot". This
thought never left any of us even though it never was realized as far as we
could tell. In fact in virtually every instance, when the hard bigots
(particularly Skinheads, KKK, Christian Identity members and hardcore
Sexists/Sexual Harassers) were present and their Human Spirit became visible
to themselves they always began a journey of self reflection and
attempted change. OS was not used in DEOMI's facilitation
processes. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I suspect if OS truly crystallizes the Human
Spirits presence when the Space is Opened, then those seeing their own
Human Spirit in the reflection of others will begin to question their own
values, morals, ethics and Human Beingness as it relates to their
relationships with others and self. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Final thought....From the perspective of the gang
members OS may have a positive result for their group and it's
goals. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>OS is being used by organizations to gain
"superior advantage" in the market place thereby subtlety attempting to gain
the dominant position....(having a positive result for their group and
it's goals.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Great question....If OS belongs to the world
should its use be restricted?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Rich Norris</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What would be the implications of convening an
OS for purposes generally considered to be for the ill of the
community? For example, what if a street gang convened an OS on on
doing a better job of taking over a neighborhood?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Would it still lead to the best of the human
spirit emerging, as I always experience in OS? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>