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<DIV><SPAN class=470524007-16102001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Hello,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=470524007-16102001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Although I've been reading the posts on the list for some time, this is
the first time I've actually taken part in this, so let me introduce myself
briefly. My name is Doris Gottlieb, I live in the Netherlands and I work in
my consulting and facilitating practice around issues of diversity and
globalization. I'm relatively new to Open Space. I too was very
shocked as I started reading about al-Qaeda and what seems to be in my mind also
a very empowering organization that runs on what seems to be passion and
responsibility and where the leader allows his "staff" to be innovative and
creative and operate on their own initiative, elements I recognize from OST and
many predominant OD philosophies. Last summer I did the Open Space Technology
training with Birgitt Williams in the Netherlands and I am now
eerily reminded eerily of one of the conversations we had at dinner about
ethics in facilitation. The question was, in my mind, should you always
facilitate an Open Space Technology Meeting even if you think the organization
may do harm? (or the OST event could cause great harm?) What are the ethics we
as facilitators need to keep in mind. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=470524007-16102001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=470524007-16102001><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=470524007-16102001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I
remember during our discussion I, and the training I was wrestling with the
idealistic nature of some of the thoughts about OST and other OD methods for
that matter. It can bring so much good and positive things into the world it is
hard to think that it could also bring negative things intot he world.I think I
am a pessimist at heart, but one of the things I think we can learn from such
insights is that great concepts and ideas can also be used by people to get
wonderful results doing terrible things. The fact that something has the
capacity for good, doesn't preclude that it has the capacity for evil, and I
think for me it means I have to be careful and very aware of this whenever I
work with people or bring something empowering into the world. So, maybe
that means that as facilitators we also need to be aware and open to these
darker possibilities of our work? Does that close down the space?
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=470524007-16102001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=470524007-16102001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=470524007-16102001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Doris
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=470524007-16102001><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>Van:</B> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]<B>Namens </B>Meg
Salter<BR><B>Verzonden:</B> Tuesday, October 16, 2001 1:01 AM<BR><B>Aan:</B>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR><B>Onderwerp:</B> Re: Fighting Open Space
Organizations<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<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>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=corcom@INTERCHANGE.UBC.CA
href="mailto:corcom@INTERCHANGE.UBC.CA">Chris Corrigan</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
href="mailto: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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