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<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=620423520-10062001>Dear friends and
colleagues in Open Space,</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>My last e-mail to the list regarding the Working With Open
Space Technology training in Novosibirsk was an e-mail regarding my experiences
during the training and my admiration for the people who attended, their
leadership and their vision. <SPAN class=620423520-10062001>Thank you for
your notes regarding this.</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Today I choose to write more about the conditions within
which these people are planning to do this work. From my perspective. Please
keep in mind that I only spent five days in Russia. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Today, I am in Holland, leading another Working With Open
Space Technology session, this time with Koos de Heer. Koos met me at the
airport June 7th, a welcome face. I was in deep gratitude to him for taking over
the care of my cases (suitcase, computer case, and book bag) and whisking me
away in his car along well ordered streets to a quiet apartment, green salad for
lunch, a chance to use his computer. I was exhausted and needed some tender
care. The trip from my place of stay in Novosibirsk was 11 hours. Elena with her
husband, had picked me up at 4:45am. Some of my exhaustion came from the trip
itself, which included carrying my bags onto and off of buses, up stairs and
down stairs, and always trying to hurry so I wouldn’t miss my connections. There
are no ramps etc. to wheel suitcases. I thought a lot about handicapped people.
There are no visible signs of assistance for them. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>I look down at the bruises on my legs, arms, hips. From
being bumped by people and suitcases. I would have had many more bruises, if it
were not for Elena. I had a great deal of difficulty coping with the mob scenes
of people, particularly during the trip there and the one back. Elena
accompanied me back as far as Moscow so that she could get me transferred from
one airport to the other one. She became aware that I did not know how to
navigate the mobs of people and that I kept getting pushed back, by elbows and
by suitcases. Hence the bruises. Elena explained to me that people did not line
up, did not queue but knew that the art of getting what they needed/wanted was
to push others aside, to use their elbows to get to the front of the line. She
explained that for a long time, people were used to not having enough, so to be
sure to get their share the pushing became required behavior. She said the same
applied to getting onto a bus or a plane. Even with a boarding pass in hand, she
said that people had too much experience of being turned away, not being able to
get on their flight because someone had used money to get a spot on the plane
without a ticket. Losing a spot on the plane might require days to get another.
So, how our trip went was that Elena would negotiate our next steps for us, and
she would wedge herself into a spot and then make space for me to get right in
front of her. Like a body guard. I was so thankful to her. She knew the art of
navigating and knew it well. I was not so lucky on my journey to Novosibirsk and
had a number of very difficult moments.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>As Elena’s friend, Natalia, said, the transformation that is
needed in Russia is for people to do a total shift in perspective to believing
in abundance rather than in scarcity. She said that until this shift took place
with a critical mass of the people, that the entrenched scarcity behaviors would
not likely shift. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>The scarcity mentality affects organizations, communities.
People compete rather than cooperate. I used the word "collaboration". Elena
explained that the word was not understood. "Collaboration" did not mean
something positive but rather something negative like collaborating with the
enemy.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>There are also very strong attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors
to do with "customers". I think someone like Elena knows how to get through all
of this too, to get something to happen. However, here is my experience. In the
hotel, as I walked in, the lobby is dark, unappealing and two men sit at a desk
in front of me. I struggle with my cases. They are not there to help, or even to
take registrations. They are there to ensure security, whatever that means. To
the left is the reception area where two women sit behind glass, with windows.
They clearly control the situation. And deal with the registration at a slow
pace, also needing to keep my passport to get me registered. Upstairs, on my
floor, was another desk with an attendant. She was there to be in control of
keys. And who knows what else. I do know that everytime I opened my door , if
the attendant was not at her desk, she poked her head around the corner, not to
see if I wanted anything but to see what I was doing. Elena explained that maybe
I misunderstood some things. And she explained that many of the people I was
witnessing were barely making a living, and they did not see a way out of their
situation. She said it was all part of the Russian way of life.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Most people in Novosibirsk live in large housing complexes,
built in the 50’s by the government when they were establishing the town for
both military and sciences. The housing was provided. Private residences are not
allowed. It is obvious that there has been little money for upkeep. I can only
imagine what it is like to live in these congested conditions now, despite
abundant forest and land around, with a rule against ownership of personal land.
Sometimes a decision is made about no water, or no hot water, or heat in that
cold winter. The summer is hot and there is very little evidence of air
conditioning. No screens for the windows and many mosquitos get in. The
mosquitos are carriers of encephalitis. At least, that is what some of the
people told me. Elena was telling me that last winter, some people had to create
fires outside and huddle around them, just to get warm during a period when
there was no heat. There is not money to pay the fuel.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>There is a lot of disillusionment amongst people. The
government had been supporting their work. They are no longer supported except
for subsistence wage of $70 per month. They continue to work, not knowing the
value of their work, what it will do. I picked up that this is some of what is
causing an attitude that I felt, of needing to exert a sense of control in other
ways.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Disillusionment, combined with generations of living with
scarcity is not a good mix.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>There is a lot more to Novosibirsk that is positive. I know
that Elena loves her city and is proud of it. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>I may be wrong in aspects of what is so and not so in
Novosibirsk. The above are my perceptions. Raffi, who has joined this list, can
give incredible insights. Welcome Raffi! Raffi is an amazing man who is working
to be of influence for positive development of people. And as he says in his
e-mail, two days by train to get from Moscow to Novosobirsk for the training,
and that isn’t an easy trip.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>I write this background, to share with you as best as I can,
what Elena with her colleagues and friends are working with. They provide
leadership, they are networked with others. They are collaborating and
cooperating with each other. They have a common vision of improved development
of people for a better community. A solution focused community.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>But as Natasha says, the critical required transformation
that will lead to all of the other transformations is the one in attitude from a
scarcity mentality to an fear to one of love. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>This is the backdrop that Elena and her friends so
courageously work in, to bring about hopeabundance mentality. And a shift from
pervasive d for change. I hope I have been able to convey it fairly.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Respectfully submitted,</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Birgitt Williams</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>June 10, 2001</FONT></P>
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