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<div>Hi Meg and all the rest of you</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>what a wonderful conversation that I just found into this
morning.......</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>my piece of firewood are these questions</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>How do I keep opening space for space to be learning space,
inspired space and gracious space, world cafe space, for all to
parttake in on equal terms ?</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>What is the price for me - if any - to stay in the simplicity of
practise to open spaces where ever possible - including at home
?</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Looking forward.....for more exporation...</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>- toke</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>*********</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">Hello
All</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">Well- what
an amazing conversation has ensued out of<i> That</i> question!! Thank
you all for your comments.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">In truth,
now that Iook back, I was feeling a bit snarly, so I should perhaps
recant any unintended slights on other communities/ practices/
approaches etc. I guess what really struck me - and still does - is
how people are talking complexity/ self-organizing systems theory (and
yes - this is conference talk, not client talk!) and then still
trying to organize systems. Or be experts. And how fundamental that is
to our conception of the world - for so many. And how profound is the
shift from that world view.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">As Martin
said , many people "get" self-organizing as a cognitive
concept, but then implicitly treat it as another tool. Which puts us
right back into/ speaks from the "world as machine"
worldview. It is fundamentally not about doing, but about being (which
is maybe why OST is so 'easy' to do). It is much easier to pick up a
new, sexy doing tool, it is much harder to re-configure your mentality
to "get" that life/ self-organizing is all about being. (and
yet, once done - so much easier - graciously
spacious!).</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial"
size="-1">...........the pebbles continue to drop in the pools of my
mind.........!</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">Meg
Salter</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">MegaSpace
Consulting<br>
416/486-6660<br>
</font><a href="mailto:meg.salter@sympatico.ca"><font face="Arial"
size="-1">meg.salter@sympatico.ca</font></a><font face="Arial"
size="-1"><br>
</font><a href="http://www.megaspaceconsulting.com"><font
face="Arial" size="-1">www.megaspaceconsulting.com</font></a><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> <br>
<blockquote>----- Original Message -----</blockquote>
<blockquote><b>From:</b> <a
href="mailto:owenhh@mindspring.com">Harrison Owen</a></blockquote>
<blockquote><b>To:</b> <a
href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU"
>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a></blockquote>
<blockquote><b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 27, 2002 3:26
PM</blockquote>
<blockquote><b>Subject:</b> Re: OST, OD, etc.</blockquote>
<blockquote><br></blockquote>
<blockquote>At 10:36 PM 9/26/2002 -0400, Chris Kloth wrote:<br>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I have a very different take on the
OST/OD thread. It has to do with a<br>
larger issue among people as individuals and communities, where
community is<br>
not limited to geography, but does reflect elements of culture.
It has to<br>
do with the "I" and the "IT" that are essential
elements of any strong<br>
community we CHOOSE to be a part of.<br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><br>
Points well taken and well said, Chris. There are in truth different
strokes for different folks -- and we have to honor them all. That
said, I think we also have an obligation, or at least I personally
feel an obligation, to engage vigorously in the conversation. My
comments about the economics and psychology of the use of Open Space
(or more accurately the non-use) come from a number of years of trying
to figure out why, if something is free, simple, effective, and easy
to replicate -- it is not used to a greater extent. Indeed, a number
of folks appear never to have heard of it. And if they have heard of
it, OS is taken to be wild, far out, radical, and risky. Although the
press coverage has diminished of late (Thank God), there was a time
when virtually every major press organ (NYT, Washington Post, LA
Times, Financial Times of London etc, etc, etc.) carried major feature
stories. Additional publicity was not something we needed. As for
"risky," I find it difficult to understand after 17 years of
constant and increasing use all over the world. The Beta Tests are in.
Of course there are risks, but not about the efficacy of the process.
So How come?<br>
<br>
Truthfully, I really don't know. But my best guess has been that it
has something to do with economics (Hard to send a bill when you don't
do anything), and what seems to me to be an attachment to the complex
(and therefore a need for The Expert). I should judge that the control
issue is also of some significance.</blockquote>
<blockquote><br>
And why should I care? Some folks get the impression that I am trying
to "sell Open Space," or build my personal reputation.
Truthfully, I have been trying to give it away, and get out of the
business. Fortunately, there has been reasonable success with both of
these -- and I have had more than a few thoughts about going fishing.
I have even managed to do a fair amount of that too. But...<br>
<br>
I believe the central gift of Open Space is the realization of Peace.
Not as some abstract, idyllic, some-day-to- be-achieved state, but a
present reality that works right now. Further more, every time space
is opened anywhere in the world (by "doing" an OS or simply
by being graciously spacious in our dealings with fellow critters), I
think the cause of Peace is advanced. If nothing else, those who find
themselves in gracious space, no matter the means, know there are
options, choices.This was true with the 50 Palestinians and Israelis
gathered in Rome, and it is true wherever conflict is made creative
when folks have enough room to move about. A little Open Space, as it
were. As I read my morning papers, listen to the news, check in with
my colleagues around the world, -- I cannot help but feel that
gracious space is in short supply. If there was nothing to be done, I
surely would go fishing. But that is not the case, and so I find
myself engaged in vigorous conversation.<br>
<br>
Harrison<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote align="center">Harrison Owen<br>
7808 River Falls Drive<br>
Potomac, MD 20854 USA<br>
phone 301-365-2093<br>
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com<br>
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org<br>
Personal website www.mindspring.com\~owenhh<br>
<br>
<font color="#0000FF"><u>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
</u></font>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>
view the archives of<font color="#0000FF"><u>
oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu<br>
</u></font>Visit:<font color="#0000FF"><u>
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>
</blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div><font size="-1" color="#000000">"On the other side of right
doing and wrong doing, there is a field, - I will meet you
there." Rumi<br>
<br>
Toke Paludan Møller,<b> InterChange</b>,<b> Dialogue Architects -
Learning Space hosts -</b> by the river at<b> Days like
this, </b> Gudenåvej 60, Voervadsbro, 8660 Skanderborg, Phone
+45 702013 35 - Mobile +45 2616 6919 <u>
http://www.interchange.dk</u> Home office at the lake -
Stengaardsvej 5 A, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark<br>
<br>
<u>Some of the work we are currently involved
in:</u></font></div>
<div><font size="-1" color="#000000">* Open Space training,
Denmark <u>
http://www.concept-for-hire.dk/ostraining</u> <br>
* Knowledge mentorship training, Denmark - BDOScanRevison -<u>
http://www.bdo.dk</u><br>
* The Open Space Village, Castle Borl,, Slovenia<u>
http://village.borl.org<br>
</u>* The Kufunda Village - learning center, Zimbabwe,<u>
http://www.kufunda.org</u><br>
* Obraz - an emerging leadership education in Zagreb,
Croatia</font></div>
<div><font size="-1" color="#000000"><br>
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