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Romy Shovelton surfaced and had the following to contribute to Avner. I
guess she is not curretnly on the LIST -- so I will pass it on.<br><br>
ho<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2003 11:12:22
-0400<br>
From: Romy Shovelton <romys@compuserve.com><br>
Subject: Master Planning & opening space<br>
Sender: Romy Shovelton <romys@compuserve.com><br>
To: Avner Haramati <avner@inter.net.il>, Harrison Owen
<owenhh@mindspring.com>,<br>
John Thompson <jtp@jtp.co.uk><br><br>
Avner<br><br>
<br>
Thanks to the generosity of Harrison (as always), he has woken me up
to<br>
a hugely important issue that you posted on the OSLIST, despite my
being<br>
virtually invisible there these days.<br><br>
Firstly, I am in awe every time I hear of the work you are doing. What
a<br>
gift to Israel and our world.<br><br>
So... needless to say, I would be honoured to see if there is anything
I<br>
can add or support.<br><br>
As you might imagine, most of my own thinking would chime 100% with
that<br>
of Harrison. And.... I have a couple of other thoughts.<br><br>
1) I agree that an important primary focus will be on mentoring the
<br>
planners & politicians, to get them to a place where they see the
real<br>
value of the direction you are taking in engaging the people - as
Harrison<br>
says, so that they see how genuinely aligning with the desires of the
people<br>
(rather than doing so in theory only) GIVES them extraordinary
power,rather<br>
than taking it away.<br><br>
What I might add, is that I believe you can move to participatory
democracy<br>
in stages. It is true that, in many ways, when the people have tasted
Open Space, <br>
you can't put the 'genie back in the bottle': they have a sense of the
effectiveness<br>
of running their own show, and will not easily go back to 'business as
usual'.<br>
However.... just as Open Space has a clear and strong framework
(within<br>
which is the freedom to create our world together),it is almost always
helpful to<br>
be very clear on 'the givens' in any situation: these form part of the
framework.<br><br>
So...you might say that a 'given' is that, in the current democratic and
legal <br>
context, the planners and politicians have certain responsibilities for
taking <br>
certain decisions. For the time being, they can retain those
responsibilities - <br>
using the participation and dialogue with the people as the best possible
way of <br>
making the best possible decisions ie.deciding with the people... and NOT
loosing <br>
power, rather building it.<br><br>
I agree that ultimately and ideally we will move to a situation where
decisions<br>
are being taken through a process of hugely broader engagement of the
people. And..<br>
even in that situation there are likely to be groups of people, and some
individuals,<br>
who are asked to work on behalf of the people (eg. the teams who have
just been <br>
working to produce some of the five-year-plan detail.). In a way we are
perhaps<br>
grooming the P&P to work in a way that democracy was originally
intended to work?<br><br>
So.. in short, I believe it's possible to work with the planners &
politicians (P&P)<br>
without frightening them! In this way to bring them along into genuine
participation<br>
with the people (as Harrison has said, in a lot fewer words!).<br><br>
2) In addition to mentoring the P&P, Harrison is right that I have
some experience of<br>
involving them in working directly with the people to draw up and
implement plans.<br>
Working with John Thompson and his colleagues
(<a href="http://www.jtp.co.uk/" eudora="autourl">www.jtp.co.uk</a>), we
use community<br>
architects, planners & urban designers to help 'the people' and the
planners & <br>
politicians to take community desires to the next stage - to literaly
visualise<br>
what the physical and social space could be like. The result is very
often a<br>
Master Plan. Working groups are often formed, and these can also benefit
from the<br>
expert input of community planners etc. These are people that can speak
the language<br>
of the P&P, while almost translating the will of the people.
<br><br>
I have just returned from two such pieces of work in Yorkshire in
England. In one,<br>
the main event, which pulled things together and effectively launched the
<br>
implementation stage, included some significant transformation
activities, to <br>
signal the change eg. closing the main street completely and building a
(temporary)<br>
dry-stone wall down the centre - reclaiming local skills and acting as a
seat for <br>
great local entertainment in the evening.<br><br>
btw John Thompson has personally worked in many contexts with significant
conflit. I<br>
will copy him on this note, to see if he has worked in Israel? You may
well have <br>
local 'experts' who play a similar role. If not perhaps John might be
able to help?<br><br>
3)the other thing, which I'm sure you will have given the P&P to
understand, is that<br>
using Open Space (and appropriate related work)will not only support them
in their<br>
power and popularity, it will also be MUCH more effective and streamlined
in creating<br>
the needed output eg. Master Plan and its implementation. Having the
people on board<br>
at the start is quicker and cheaper than lengthy objections and
obstruction later.<br><br>
4) btw on the question of elections, I'm sure your aim will be to involve
those of <br>
all parties and 'sides'. And they will be advised to show genuine
interest and desire<br>
for dialogue too. Of course what you don't want is them using your
gatherings as a<br>
political platform: they would be invited to join in like everyone else.
Perhaps <br>
you have a more specific concern here?<br><br>
So... Avner please forgive me for probably stating the obvious.... At
least maybe <br>
I'm endorsing your own thinking (as well as that of Harrison)?!<br><br>
In summary, it would be wonderful to support you in your work. Please do
let<br>
me know if there is anything at all that I can do.<br><br>
btw it was also such an honour to be invited to assist with /facilitate
the work<br>
in Rome, with representatives from Israeli, Palestinian and Italian
universities.<br>
As you will know, the intended event at the end of April was postponed:I
am planning<br>
to drop an email to Sharon Rosen and Daniel Kropf to see what news there
is.<br>
While so far, Sharon and I have only 'met' by telephone, it was
wonderful to spend<br>
a brief time with Daniel when he was in London at the end of April/early
May.<br><br>
With very best wishes Avner<br><br>
Romy<br><br>
-------------Forwarded Message-----------------<br><br>
From:<x-tab> </x-tab>Harrison Owen,
INTERNET:owenhh@mindspring.com<br>
To:<x-tab> </x-tab>Romy Shovelton,
romys<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab><br>
Date:<x-tab> </x-tab>31/07/03 12:05 PM<br><br>
RE:<x-tab> </x-tab>Some help?<br><br>
<br>
Haven't seen you on the OSLIST recently -- and presume you are alive and
<br>
well. Avner Haramati (Israel) put up a note, and I thought some of your
<br>
experience might be helpful. He said: --<br>
<br>
Dear colleagues<br><br>
9 months ago we opened (holded) a space in a Regional Council that
includes <br>
25 villages and Kibutzim ( corporate villages). They decided to build a 5
<br>
years strategic plan for the region together with the inhabitants. 11
teams <br>
worked on the issues that stemmed from the Open Space and last friday 10
<br>
teams that included inhabitants (130 of them) and civil servants
presented <br>
their final suggestions in an open event/market to the public and guests
<br>
and were acknowledged as the official guidelines of the strategic plan.
The <br>
teams decided that they want to continue. The issue of the missing team
was <br>
as Harrison calls it "clear as mud" and was publicly declared
by the Head <br>
of the Council as the next focal point.<br>
The event and all the process was declared by the Inhabitants and the
<br>
Academic and Govenmental guests as the first manifestation of real <br>
participatory democracy that they have experienced and they were
thrilled. <br>
One of the inhabitants shared her understandind of the process: " We
were <br>
excited by the 4 principals but I would like to add to the 4th: It ends
<br>
when it ends but then it starts again". Or as Tova said " After
9 months <br>
the baby was born but now all the work of raising him up starts" It
seems <br>
that they are getting addicted to this, and our role along the way is
just <br>
slightly to remind them of the tune (in their words).<br><br>
And the question:<br>
We (with Tova) are in a process of using OS in the context of inhabitants
<br>
participation in building a "Master- Plan" for a small
city. We would be <br>
very thankful to hear and learn about your experience in this kind of
work, <br>
especially on the allignment with the city planners and the planning
<br>
stages, and how coming elections effects it?<br><br>
Thank you<br><br>
Avner Haramati<br>
Jerusalem<br><br>
I answered: --<br><br>
I think Romy Shovelton has done some work in this area -- she is sometime
<br>
lurker on the list -- but just to get her attention, I will forward this
to <br>
her. As far as your question goes -- You have surely asked the tough one.
I <br>
find that both city planners and politicians are (in general) adverse to
<br>
Open Space. The bottom line is control. They think they should have it
<br>
(control), Open Space makes it clear that nobody really does -- and so
the <br>
problem. While there are undoubtedly ways to integrate Open Space events
<br>
into the whole process (At the beginning to set the stage, in the middle
<br>
for course corrections and working the "clear as mud issues",
and at the <br>
end -- or continuing -- for implementation) I find that the critical
thing <br>
it to seek the active, continuing, participatory involvement of planners
<br>
and politicians. Things go badly astray when planners and pols
consider <br>
the Open Space to be an exercise of the people which they may observe,
and <br>
from which they may receive recommendations -- the old "senior
management" <br>
model. Pulling this one off is a major task, and usually involves
something <br>
like a "soul change" for the P & Ps. Indeed for some of
them it requires <br>
that the world as they have seen it be turned upside down. All of a
sudden <br>
the people are "in charge" and the task of the planners and
politicians <br>
becomes one of working out the technical details -- a most important task
<br>
-- but definitely secondary. This is called democracy. From the sounds of
<br>
things (your story) you are off to a good start. My suggestion would be
to <br>
spend a lot of time with the P & P in mentoring relationship, helping
them <br>
to understand to genuine power of aligning their efforts with the desires
<br>
of the people. As Gandhi was purported to have said -- help them to find
<br>
out which way the parade is going and clear the route and manage the
<br>
traffic. Actually, Gandhi didn't say that exactly, but I think he could
have.<br><br>
Harrison<br><br>
<br>
Hope all goes well with you. I am in Maine, enjoying the summer. If you
<br>
want to respond to Avner directly < avnerh@inter.net.il > will do
it. And <br>
it would be great to see you on the list.<br><br>
ho<br><br>
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>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
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Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 07:04:59 -0400<br>
To: Romy Shovelton <romys@compuserve.com><br>
From: Harrison Owen <owenhh@mindspring.com><br>
Subject: Some help?<br>
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<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>
<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: <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" eudora="autourl"><font color="#0000FF"><u>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><br><br>
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