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As the decibels of war increase, conversations about Peace seem to grow
commensurately, but I think conversations may be growing a little thin.
In the great sweep of history, the difficulties of the moment will
probably be seen as another bump in the road of Humanity, but as we sit
on the edge of this particular pothole, it looks awfully deep. At such a
time, talk about Peace should probably give way to the active creation of
that ephemeral state of being. And I believe that is exactly what we do
each and every time we Open Space. No guarantees, of course, but in my
experience, the true gifts of Open Space come in packages marked Trust,
Respect, and Hope. At least that is what I am told everywhere i go around
the world. And this trio goes a long way towards the establishment of
Peace. Why and how this might be so is a mystery we would do well to
consider -- but THAT it occurs is a matter of personal experience, at
least my personal experience. So I beg you -- Practice Peace, Open Space
-- wherever, however, and as often as you can. And as you do, reflect on
what all that might mean for you and then share so we all can
learn.<br><br>
Tova Averbuch, our friend from Israel, sent me the following -- and I
share it (with her permission). She mentions Carol -- a young Palestinian
with a small son Simon and a husband called Sam. Great People.<br><br>
<font color="#FF0000"> I speak to Carol and I speak to Miriam (from
the settlements). We go to demonstrations and look for ways to unite all
the political and public forces that are looking for resolution and
consent (in various ways including os). The more the brutality the more
the sanity and public commitment, I hope it will be figural and
applicable soon. We open spaces in organizations and communities at least
once or twice a month. That is a place to find some hope, when people,
together, touch on something that is truthful, authentic; uniquely
created and attended, being born. The feeling is revitalizing and
reminding people of their wholeness and ‘partness’ no matter what the
issues are, and I like this form of prayer together. <br><br>
In all of that craziness there is a voice that has to tell you about one
of the practices that keeps me sane, maybe that is the way I practice
being whole and at peace in ‘war zone’- some degree of peace in a
situation in which “knowing“ is not a luxury I can afford.<br><br>
My practice is that I reiterate 4 principles (strongly the first two) and
one law whenever I am “stuck to death” in anger, sadness or despair and
look for life, for flow. I remind myself:<br><br>
1<b>.“Whoever are here are the right people</b>” yes, everyone!. If I do
not understand what is ‘their’ contribution it is for me to figure out
but they/we are all the right people, the very loving and the very
hating, the extreme right and the extreme wrong / left.<br>
My practice is to tell myself <b>Whoever are here are the right
people</b> even in situations I (and/or others) do not want to hear it,
especially in those situations, and to look for some new understanding in
what way he or she or ‘them’ or me are ‘the right people’, moment by
moment.<br>
I really do believe this to be so with no difficulty and take this truism
as an axiom. It is very helpful because I can find myself sad and
hopeless at times but never short of meaning to have or to make up,
lessens to seek and learn (I keep busy…I can flow) and I know new things
again and again about being part (partaking is defiantly a part of peace
making. It is piece making…) and finding endless ways of doing and being
‘inclusion’ in a world of ‘exclusion’ as the name of the game. Another
asset of this rule of peace is that it keeps me humble yet an active
player in the game of living.<br>
This principle also serves me as <b>a personal</b> <b>master guide</b> in
the midst of chaos: <b>if I am ‘the right people’ what may my task be?
</b>What is my<b> passion </b>and what is my<b> responsibility,</b>
moment by moment. This is particularly helpful in peace making in times
of war because it is so overwhelming at times that one tends either to
save the word or to feel totally helpless.<br><br>
2. “<b>Whatever happens is the only thing that could have</b>”. I find
the reiteration of this axiom especially necessary for energy
preservation. No, I do not yet believe it but I made up my mind ‘ to fake
it until I make it’ going on my way of turning from a worrier to a
warrior. <br>
It is hard to stop accounts with the past and for me it is even harder to
let go of the future but that is what gives me enough energy to be fully
present and make a difference. As I see it, this is essential for peace
making in war zone for two reasons: one is that you need yourself totally
present to survive and the other is that because of the chaotic forces if
you are fully present you have endless opportunities to try and make a
difference. I know it is to some degree paradoxical but yet each one of
us is one of the determinants of “whatever happens”. I can see a third
reason: being totally present is the fullest way I can think of ”being
alive” or ‘doing living’ and that is a real necessity.<br><br>
It is becoming very late and I am not sure how much sense I make at three
o’clock in the morning so I will bring it to a stop here. If I didn’t
make much I hope you will forgive me.<br><br>
Tova<br><br>
</font>Tova -- You make great sense. And thank you for sharing. And for
the rest of us -- How is our Practice of Peace progressing? And what to
we have to share?<br><br>
Harrison<br>
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<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<div align="center">Harrison Owen<br>
7808 River Falls Drive<br>
Potomac, MD 20854 USA<br>
phone 301-365-2093<br>
Open Space Training
<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.com</a>
<br>
Open Space Institute <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.org</a><br>
Personal website <a href="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm" eudora="autourl">http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm</a><br><br>
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