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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Interesting that you bring this up. The more I have
been reading - just general info like newspapers etc. - the more it seems that
al-Qaeda is a thoroughly contemporary creation - trans-national, flat org
structure, dispersed, multi-sourced, cellular nature. I'm no expert, but
it reminds me of Internet structure. So it is another demonstration of
self-organization. I suppose self-organization can be used for many kinds of
intent - benign or malignant. Same as cell growth in natural systems; normal
healthy growth and differentiation, or cancerous growth.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The other thing that seems to be a possibility is a
cult-like nature, centred around a charismatic leader. Cult features (as noted
by an ex al-Qaeda member) are exclusive focus on the group, giving up all other
interests ("you forget everything; your family, your business...."). So it may
be self-organizing in structure, but its focus and intent is closed. The only
good news is that most cults (which can be found in every country and religion!)
eventually die out. Is this because the universe is essentially expanding,
creating ever more openness...?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So I wouldn't call it a open space organization,
as a primary intent of Open Space is to open up possibilities, diversity,
difference. Self-organizing, yes. Open, no.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks for bringing it forward.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Meg Salter</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>MegaSpace Consulting<BR>416/486-6660<BR><A
href="mailto:meg.salter@sympatico.ca">meg.salter@sympatico.ca</A><BR><A
href="http://www.megaspaceconsulting.com">www.megaspaceconsulting.com</A><BR></FONT></DIV>
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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:corcom@INTERCHANGE.UBC.CA"
title=corcom@INTERCHANGE.UBC.CA>Chris Corrigan</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> Monday, October 15, 2001 1:19
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Fighting Open Space
Organizations</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>I am dumbfounded by this article:
<P><A
href="http://www.stratfor.com/home/0109272330.htm">http://www.stratfor.com/home/0109272330.htm</A>
<P>It describes Al-Qaeda as, essentially, an Open Space Organization, running
on passion, responsibility and so on. There may be some things that
aren't OS about it at all, but the channeling of passion and responsibility
and the diffusion of purpose, leadership and action is striking.
<P>Since I have read this I have been struck by watching large governments and
armies (by their nature NOT OS orgs) struggle with how to undo this
"network." I have been looking especially for references in the media to
the darker arts of espionage and black operations against Al-Qaeda and others,
the ones that Rumsfeld said we may never know the success of. I suspect
that the US and the UK are meeting innovation with innovation, but we may
never know how.
<P>So I pose the questions, separate and apart from the ethical considerations
of the work of Al-Qaeda, which I find repulsive:
<UL>
<LI>What can we learn from the way this organization has been structured and
the way it operates?
<LI>Would an organization with global reach organized around a purpose of a
"higher good" stand a chance of being as successful as Al-Qaeda has been in
achieving it's objectives?
<LI>What kind of invitation for good could create the kind of passion in
people that causes them to choose to so fully devote themselves to a cause
that they would be willing to die for it?
<LI>For the countries that are at war against Al-Qaeda, what kind of
thinking and organizing is going to be successful in defeating this
network? Is it possible for governments to fight an group organized
this way? </LI></UL>I'd be interested in what folks think on this.
<P>Chris
<P>-- <BR>CHRIS CORRIGAN <BR>Consultation - Facilitation <BR>Open Space
Technology
<P><A href="http://www.chriscorrigan.com">http://www.chriscorrigan.com</A>
<BR>corcom@interchange.ubc.ca
<P>RR 1 E-3 <BR>1172 Miller Road <BR>Bowen Island, BC <BR>Canada, V0N 1G0
<P>phone (604) 947-9236 <BR>fax (604) 947-9238 <BR>
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