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<div align="center"><font size=4 color="#FF0000">Now
Available!</font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"> <i>The Practice of
Peace<br><br>
</i></font></div>
Dear Friends and Colleagues,<br><br>
One year ago late at night, I found myself on a rooftop near Tel Aviv,
contemplating the state of our world and the coming days in which Tova
Averbuch, Avner Haramati and I would facilitate an Open Space Training
Program. I confess that nothing was making very much sense. Given the
chaos of the moment (which has scarcely improved) and the paucity of our
efforts and tools, despair seemed the only reasonable option. However, in
that moment, I found myself speaking to the night, <i>"It is all
about the Practice of Peace,</i>" -- knowing full well that I
didn't have a clue what that meant.<br><br>
In the months that followed I was driven to write, and as I did, the nub
of an idea pushed to the surface coming from our global experience with
Open Space. Every time space was opened in my experience (and apparently
in the experience of many others) the chaos, confusion and conflict
manifest in the groups involved were somehow acknowledged, included, and
transcended, yielding to a condition I could only call, Genuine
Community. One might say Peace. Could it be that when Peace in our lives
is threatened, a first and critical step might just be -- Open Space? Not
just doing an Open Space Event, but also applying what might be called
the open space principles in our broader activities? From there on out it
was just a mass of further questions. How and why could this possibly
work? And what would we do anyhow?<br><br>
I make no pretence that all the questions have been answered, but after
nine months of gestation a DRAFT manuscript emerged. In early September I
invited many of you to take a look, and 180 people responded. The
comments were detailed, pointed and helpful, but nobody said, Kill the
Project. With profound thanks to all who gave of their time, energy and
thoughts, I am pleased to announce that we now have a book -- <i>The
Practice of Peace.<br><br>
</i>I offered the result to my current publisher, Berrett-Koehler mostly
by way of courtesy because I did not think it really fit with their
program. Steve Piersanti, the publisher concurred, and so we have chosen
to go a different way. You might call it Global Chaordic Publication.
Colleagues from around the world who have been hosting the several Open
Space Institutes agreed to simultaneously publish the book in each of
their respective areas. I have waived all claims for royalties, and
the net proceeds will be used by each Institute to support the use
and practice of Open Space worldwide. We have pegged the official price
at $20(US or local equivalent) with plenty of room for discounts in case
of need or for large quantities. To receive your copy, please contact any
of the following: <br><br>
<b>Germany</b> / Michael M Pannwitz <mmpanne@snafu.de> <br>
<b>United States</b> / Peggy Holman
<sales@openspaceworld.org> <br>
<b>Canada</b> / Larry Peterson <larry@spiritedorg.com > <br>
<b>Australia</b> / Brian Bainbridge <briansb@mira.net> <br>
<b>Sweden</b> / Thomas Herrmann
<thomas@openspaceconsulting.com><br>
<b>Haiti</b> / John Engle <englejohn@hotmail.com><br>
<b>Taiwan / </b>Gail West <icataiw@ms69.hinet.net><br>
<b>Israel / </b>Tova Averbuch <averbuch@post.tau.ac.il><br>
<b>Anywhere</b> / Harrison Owen <owenhh@mindspring.com> <br><br>
For a preview click on
<a href="http://openspaceworld.com/intro%20to%20pop.htm" eudora="autourl">http://openspaceworld.com/intro%20to%20pop.htm</a>
where you will find a full copy of the first chapter, located on our website, <a href="http://www.openspaceworld,com/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld,com</a> .<br><br>
Tomorrow I climb on board United 916 to Frankfort, and then onwards to Tel Aviv with Lufthansa. Once again we will be doing an Open Space Training Program in Jerusalem, and with luck, also one in Ramallah. The situation in that part of the world has deteriorated enormously over the past year. But perhaps it has reached that awesome crisis point where choices must be made, and real movement is possible. I am under no illusion that Tova, Avner and I, along with our Palestinian colleagues can single handedly change the course of events. I feel quite comfortable, however, with the thought that we may make a genuine contribution. It is all about <i>The Practice of Peace</i>. <br><br>
We look forward to hearing from you.<br><br>
Harrison<br><br>
<br><br>
<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"><font color="#0000FF">http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm</a><br><br>
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