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<DIV><STRONG>I am always a bit leary of calling something fact. In my
experience, the minute I label something as a truth or as fact, I discover that
there was more for me to learn about it that would change my perception.
</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>In social constructionism, there exists a principle that by the use
of our language, we create our reality and that what we inquire into, impacts
what we see.</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>I am quite naturally biased by my background, my experience and my
emotions. So what I see is through the filter of those elements and the filter
affects/limits/changes what I see. </STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Someone from Sweden will see things quite differently (though
validly) through their eyes than I, from Canada or you from the United States.
There will be times we see things the same way and times when we will not.
</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>I invite all on the list to consider that the way we each see
things is just one perception and that the way to open space wider is to own our
own views as just that, not more valid or less valid than another's.
</STRONG></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>To emphasize that it is a fact, not
just my opinion.</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=mailto:EwingChange@aol.com href="mailto:EwingChange@aol.com">Esther
Ewing</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, February 11, 2005 1:26
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Word from a US
soldier</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face="Palatino Linotype" color=#400080 size=4>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>Judy:</DIV>
<DIV>Why did you put "fact" in quotes?</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>Chris,<BR>Thanks for all of your insights and great
discussions!! Good food for<BR>thought. I, too, agree that
this soldier's note is a very small piece of<BR>the whole
puzzle.......BUT......I, personally, still conclude (not based<BR>solely
on his email but on many other learned factors) that Iraq is a
more<BR>"open" society than it was. Do I think it's a great, safe
place to live?<BR>Definitely not but at least their society, as a whole,
is headed in a better<BR>direction. As HO says, the Iraqi's now have
an opportunity to take the<BR>future into their own hands. It is a
"fact" that they did not have that<BR>opportunity a few years
ago.<BR>Judy<BR><BR>I don't have any great answers for the questions you
have at the end of your<BR>message...that's what I'm learning from all of
you.<BR>Thanks again for your intriguing words.<BR><BR>----- Original
Message -----<BR>From: "Chris Corrigan"
<chris.corrigan@gmail.com><BR>To:
<OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU><BR>Sent: Friday, February 11, 2005
1:36 AM<BR>Subject: Re: Word from a US soldier<BR><BR><BR>> Finding
myself witnessing this exchange, and using it to practice<BR>> asking
some questions:..<BR>><BR>><BR>>> I agree with you that force
was used to open the space which is obviously<BR>>> not an OST
principle (but I don't think that means that the space can't<BR>>>
be<BR>>> 're-opened'). I disagree that it started with lies
but that's a<BR>>> political<BR>>> debate and not one of open
space, so I won't go there. As for 'US style<BR>>> Democracy'
being the only choice, who's making the decisions as to how<BR>>>
Iraq<BR>>> will operate in the future?...the Iraqi's. I think
their space is open<BR>>> to<BR>>> let the majority of the
Iraqi people decide...that's why the voting<BR>>>
turnout<BR>>> was so good. I believe the U.S. will eventually
"let go" of the outcome<BR>>> so<BR>>> this doesn't just
'close the space' in my eyes. Again, this difference<BR>>>
of<BR>>> opinion can be another political debate and I don't intend
to do that in<BR>>> this forum...but will gladly have a constructive
debate one-on-one, if<BR>>> you'd<BR>>>
like.<BR>>><BR>><BR>> The question for me always in working
with a community is not "is the<BR>> space open or not?" Space is
always open, even a little. The bigger<BR>> question is "how can
we open more space here?" If you have a<BR>> situation where
there is violent conflict, you need more space. Iraq<BR>> is not
a peaceful place at the moment. That tells me that space
wants<BR>> to be cleaved open even further. If it is your feeling
that the<BR>> United States should not leave Iraq for a while, then we
might ask<BR>> "what is the most space we can open here
together?" If you think that<BR>> Iraq should be able to do fine
on its own, then, as an American you<BR>> might ask "where can we let
go some more?" But if, in this situation,<BR>> I really wanted to
open space, I might ask "what if we had peace now<BR>> and what if
together we created that? What would we have to do to<BR>> stop
the violence and sustain a peaceful civil society in Iraq?
What<BR>> might our roles be here on the ground to bring peace to
life?"<BR>> Something like that. For sure I would encourage
talking rather than<BR>> fighting. I believe that most people
would choose even banal<BR>> constitutional conferences to killing one
another. So if we are still<BR>> killing one another, what is the
space that we can open to be bigger<BR>> than the killing
impulse?<BR>><BR>>> Thanks for your kind words about this
soldier. I only wanted to share<BR>>> the<BR>>> story to
those interested in seeing it from an angle that isn't always<BR>>>
easy<BR>>> to get. An even more interesting thing is that this
soldier admits that<BR>>> he<BR>>> had doubts about the war
before arriving in Iraq. Here's a blurb from<BR>>> another
message from him:<BR>>> "When I was first coming
over here I had my own inner personal doubts<BR>>> about the war,
but after being over here and seeing, hearing,<BR>>>
experiencing<BR>>> what I have, it's
changed. They never tell you on the media about<BR>>>
the<BR>>> nearly 400,000 up-to-date immunizations that children now
have, or a<BR>>> continually improving and<BR>>>
much needed sewage system, or the fact that school books
don't<BR>>> portray<BR>>> Saddam as a God anymore and that
girls are now allowed in schools. They<BR>>>
don't tell you that the US Army is paying for any damages to
civil<BR>>> areas<BR>>> we cause AND the ones the insurgents
cause. They only show US soldiers<BR>>>
geting<BR>>> killed and beating up
prisoners."<BR>> > Sounds more open to me than it was when Saddam
was in power....it's no<BR>>> longer a country that has "no
choices"...<BR>>> Judy<BR>><BR>> He's one voice. That's
his story. It's great but it's hardly enough<BR>> to give us a
picture of life in Iraq. I find that in North America,<BR>> we
are often guilty of judging an entire complex situation with a<BR>>
sound bite. This type of debate is very common, and supported by
our<BR>> culture of punditry, where the goal is to talk and listen to
debate<BR>> and win a point rather than to incur deeper understanding
of one<BR>> another's positions and interests. And so pundits
invoke sound bites<BR>> like this and draw wild conclusions about a
situation based on a small<BR>> fact.<BR>><BR>> Whether that
sound bite comes through TV or through a forwarded email<BR>> of a
soldier, it's just a small small small piece of story. I
can't<BR>> judge the health of civil society in Iraq based on what he
said. This<BR>> report tells me that there are 400,000 immunized
children, new sewers,<BR>> new text books AND much damage to civil
areas and death and beaten up<BR>> prisoners. That sounds
complex, messy, full of guesses, rounding<BR>> errors and
assmuptions. I can't possibly read that and draw<BR>> conclusions
about how open Iraqi society is now compared to three<BR>> years
ago. And, I assume, as this soldier showed up in Iraq only<BR>>
after the war started, I'd be surprised if he could make an
accurate<BR>> comparison either. He can share his story though,
and that's fine,<BR>> for what it's worth.<BR>><BR>> I think it's
not easy to say whether THIS Iraq has more or less<BR>> choices than
THAT Iraq. Perhaps you have gained the right to vote,<BR>> but
you have lost a constant power supply. Perhaps you have
immunized<BR>> kids but no husband any more. Maybe you no longer
live in fear of the<BR>> secret police, but you are now afraid of being
accidentally shot or<BR>> bombed to death. I don't know. I
don't believe one man, even if he<BR>> is in the middle of this, can
really know how Iraqis feel. I would<BR>> bet that it's not as
simple as "it's more open."<BR>><BR>> Given this report and this
curious email exchange on the OSLIST how<BR>> can we practice holding
open judgement and suspending conslusions?<BR>> As Open Space
facilitators what is our responsibility with respect to<BR>> witnessing
this situation?<BR>><BR>> It's a complex world and these are complex
questions.<BR>><BR>> Chris<BR>><BR>>
-------------------------<BR>> CHRIS CORRIGAN<BR>> Consultation -
Facilitation<BR>> Open Space Technology<BR>><BR>> Weblog:
http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot<BR>> Site:
http://www.chriscorrigan.com<BR>><BR>> *<BR>> *<BR>>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face="Palatino Linotype" color=#400080 size=4
FAMILY="SERIF" PTSIZE="14"><B>Esther Ewing<BR>The Change Alliance<BR>330
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PTSIZE="14"><B>Esther Ewing<BR>The Change Alliance<BR>330 East 38th St., Suite
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