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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sounds like just another case of a premature topic
merger, which (as many do) wanted to become an acquisition, and a good
reminder of why we caution against this during the opening...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Once you were in it however, how about a
recognition that there were in fact two different topics in play and an offer,
since it was the last session, to split the time between them?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As a facilitator, I tend to associate the term
space invader with activities in the full circle, when I'm there, but of
course it can happen anytime. A bit of a stretch here though IMO, since you were
joint conveners...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>How many of us, I wonder, make express reference to
space invaders during the opening, perhaps when talking about the
Law...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Greetings from snowy Toronto,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Winston</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
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=wendyj@supercity.ns.ca href="mailto:wendyj@supercity.ns.ca">Homegrown
Wisdom</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> Saturday, November 16, 2002 6:43
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> A different approach or a space
invader?</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Trebuchet MS">
<P>Dear Open Space Folks,</P>
<P>We just got home from an Open Space on "Food & Community" held here in
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (see below for the invitation text). We had about 11
people. My partner opened and held the space and I posted a topic and
participated as a convenor. So, my question to all of you is more as a
convenor than as a facilitator.</P>
<P>The topic I cared enough about the post was: <EM><STRONG>"Connecting rural
producers and urban consumers". </STRONG></EM>Another person posted a topic
that read: "<EM><STRONG>Local Food: Big chain grocery stores will not use
small local producers; New inspection regulations threaten local
butchers/markets; Institutional food buying sends $10 million out of the
province." </STRONG></EM>I’m not sure why (maybe a desire to connect), but I
agreed when the other convenor suggested that the two topics could be included
in one group.</P>
<P>This small group was the last to meet and involved six people. It was
clear very quickly that the other convenor only wanted to talk about and
analyze the problems of local food production and discuss how to influence
government policy; whereas I wanted to talk about how to (re)connect urban
consumers with local rural producers in a grassroots way. I feel very strongly
that this is where I can have an impact on the food & community
connection. That’s why I posted the topic in the way I did.</P>
<P>The discussion turned toward an analysis of the problem for the first part
and I almost left, because I found the discussion downright depressing and it
wasn’t about the topic I had posted. Then, others in the group, including me,
helped turn the discussion toward how to connect local producers and
consumers. I tried to be respectful toward the other person’s concerns, but I
just don’t share them. </P>
<P>Has anyone of you been in this kind of situation? I wonder in hindsight
(being 20/20) if I made a mistake in agreeing to put the two topics together.
As a convenor, perhaps I should have stated that there were two different
topics and we should have two different groups. At the end of our small group,
the other convenor stayed until everyone else was gone and told me that she
felt "dismissed" (by me? by the group? I don’t know...). For the entire
meeting, the other participant was completely focussed on the negative. Is she
a variety of space invader? Or just someone with a different approach? Is
there a more elegant way to resolve this kind of problem? I felt like she was
trying to draw me into an "I’m right, you’re wrong" kind of discussion. I
always thought that one of the virtues of Open Space is that it supports
people connecting with others who care about similar things.</P>
<P>In short, I don’t feel like I dealt with this well and would appreciate any
wisdom you would like to share...</P></DIV>
<DIV><EM><STRONG><FONT face=Arial
color=#ff00ff>wendy</FONT></STRONG></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><STRONG><FONT face=Arial color=#ff00ff>homegrown
wisdom</FONT></STRONG></EM></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#ff00ff><STRONG><EM>nova
scotia</EM></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff>Text to invitation to an Open Space on "Food &
Community"</FONT></P></FONT><FONT face="Trebuchet MS">
<P><FONT color=#0000ff>"It’s impossible to separate food and community. Some
of our fondest memories are about times when we gathered with family and
friends to share a meal. There are many people in our communities who are
involved in community kitchens, church and community suppers, community
gardens and food banks. Some of us go to the farmers’ markets every weekend
and find food and community there. Some of us purchase food through co-ops or
directly from local farmers. Some of us are producers of food, all of us are
consumers.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff>We all have to eat. We all have resources that can be
shared — our cooking ability, our gardening ability, or our capacity to
organize — that can help us connect food and community. How can we use food as
a way to celebrate our sense of community? How can food connect farm folk with
city folk? What role can food play in developing relationships of care with
each other? Join us in an Open Space* discussion about "Issues &
Opportunities related to Food & Community".</FONT></P><FONT color=#0000ff>
<P>*Open Space is a delightful, useful tool for any group of people who are
really interested in exploring something that they all care deeply
about.</FONT><FONT
face="Trebuchet MS">"</P></FONT></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>