<html>
<body>
Thanks for your comments folks - both on and off list - I feel as though
I've planted a little seed, then gone away for the weekend and returned
to find a budding flower of such grace and beauty....such a wonderful
gift.<br><br>
What is now emerging for me from your knowledgeable and insightful
comments is the true complexity of discernment in this situation - this
is the very stuff of Open Space for me - deep listening to my spirit as I
engage with the multiplicity of voices bringing rich wisdom, challenge
and affirmation...<br><br>
And so I will speak to my client and discuss some issues further -
about<br><br>
1<x-tab> </x-tab>Open Space - is
this methodology appropriate at this time for this group - and is one day
sufficient?<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>I think
that at least 1.5 days would provide that additional sleep-space and
familiarity with the process that enables more
<x-tab> </x-tab>learning to occur - and this
learning might well include reflection on the role (and gender?) of the
OS 'holder'.<br><br>
2<x-tab> </x-tab>If we go with
OS, then who is appropriate to open and hold space? Would a white male
'facilitator' inhibit or enhance the experience?<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>What if
the deeper learning that OS can access is prompted by the reactions of
some participants to the presence of a white male
<x-tab> </x-tab>facilitator?
What if such learning is inhibited or limited by the gender/culture of
the facilitator? <br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>AND - how
would we ever know?<br><br>
3<x-tab> </x-tab>I honour the
possibility of my fulfilling this role - I have a deep empathy with those
who have suffered oppression and violence and
<x-tab> </x-tab>have considerable experience now in
providing the service of opening and holding space for others - in this
sense I agree with <br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Harrison
<font face="arial" color="#FF0000">that OS operates “beneath Culture,
Gender, privilege (or lack of same), education, etc…<br>
</font><x-tab> </x-tab><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>I believe
that I do have the capacity and competency to be authentically present to
the service that this process might provide in this
<x-tab> </x-tab>situation
- so far as I can determine at this time - and that I will be blessed
with sufficient spirit within myself to 'hold' in an
<x-tab> </x-tab>appropriate way (while not carrying the
responsibility for) the diversity of the gathered participants. Open
Space is a process that <x-tab> </x-tab>connects deeply
to the heart - and as I believe this to be true - then my heart-energy
will be open to those who gather....and trust
<x-tab> </x-tab>that whatever happens...<br><br>
4<x-tab> </x-tab>However - is
this (my centredness, self-belief and good intentions) enough in this
context? Am I the right person to be walking the
<x-tab> </x-tab>circle/holding the space at this time in
the unfolding story of these people?<br><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>I will
need to bring this question to the client/sponsor and as Lisa/Joelle and
others say - ASK - and then:<br>
<font face="Trebuchet MS" size=2><x-tab> </x-tab>'Trust
your intuition, and ask your host team to trust their intuition – and to
listen for the answer inside.'<br><br>
</font>Thanks folks for truly inspiring feedback<br>
Brendan<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
<br><br>
At 09:09 PM 1/10/2005, you wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""><font face="arial" color="#FF0000">Brendan
– having done a number of Open Spaces in precisely the same circumstances
you describe (or almost) I don’t think there is a problem. Or as you
might say – No Worries! For example, I did an OS with 500 folks from the
Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) at a point where that
organization was about ready to explode. There were 500 women and me. And
the YWCA is a VERY feminist organization! I have also had the privilege
of opening space with a number of Indigenous groups. Again – no problems,
no worries. I think the critical thing is your authenticity – just fully
being there. And Open Space (as usual) does the rest.<br>
<br>
I might take some small issue with Wendy’s suggestion that you
acknowledge your maleness and privilege up front. I would not do that for
several reasons. First of all it is really just a redundant statement of
the obvious – you are male and privileged. But most of all, such a
statement draws attention to you. What you want to do (or at least what I
would want to do) is to move as quickly as possible to that moment when
the group starts to do its thing and you leave center stage. Anything
that slows that movement or gets in the way, I try to eliminate. Think of
one more thing NOT to do. <br>
<br>
What saves the day in such situations is the “fact” that OS operates
“beneath Culture, Gender, privilege (or lack of same), education, etc… --
I think. Doubtless awareness and sensitivity to the issues involved is a
plus, and we all have a lot to learn. But when facilitating an Open
Space, I am not sure that such awareness makes that much difference, and
indeed it may be a distraction in that you become so aware of difference
that you miss the commonality. I have always found that people everywhere
have more in common than they do in difference. In any event, I have
never found any difficulty in situations such as you describe PROVIDED I
was authentically present (as much as I could be) AND moved the opening
along as quickly as possible to the point where the folks got to work,
and I got out of the way. As we all know, it really isn’t about
me/us.<br>
<br>
Harrison<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><div align="center"><font face="arial" size=2 color="#FF0000">Harrison
Owen<br>
7808 River Falls Drive<br>
Potomac, Maryland 20845<br>
Phone 301-365-2093<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#FF0000">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></font><font color="#0000FF"><br>
<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a></font><font color="#FF0000"> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#FF0000">To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" eudora="autourl">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><br>
</font></div>
<font face="tahoma" size=2>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b>From:</b> OSLIST [<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" eudora="autourl">mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Brendan McKeague<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 30, 2005 11:22 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Cross Cultural Facilitation<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times"> <br>
G'day folks in the OS global community<br>
A new client has asked me about facilitating a one-day OS for a group of stakeholders and others about the creation of a refuge/hostel for indigenous women - she has only minor concerns about using Open Space having recently experienced her first event with me - her major concern is about using a non-Aboriginal white male as the facilitator - see honest and forthright comments below - and this event would be in a different part of the country from where I live and where I'm not known locally in the indigenous community - any thoughts on this query? Any stories of this sort of cross-cultural/gender scenario?<br>
Cheers<br>
Brendan <br>
We have an opportunity with the new site being built in ----- to devote some of our resources to responding to the plight of indigenous families. Having a different focus away from the mainstream site gives our service an opportunity to explore, with the assistance of indigenous stakeholders, a different way of responding to women and children from indigenous families escaping violence. I don’t know what this will look like and it will be difficult and we won’t always get it right. It will be a process of learning and experimenting with new ways of responding to families. <br>
<br>
This is like a leap into the unknown for us because it will change our service. It has not been undertaken by any other service to my knowledge, so there is no blue print to how we should proceed. Having said this, I do think it is possible and I believe it will have a positive impact on our service as a whole. <br>
There would be about 35-40 people invited to this gathering which would represent all of the key groups that would have an interest in a mainstream organisation taking on and providing a service to Aboriginal women and children. <br>
There has been a positive reaction so far to the proposal from Aboriginal organisations but I am sure we will face some resistance/perhaps hostility? (I will probably know this before we enter an open space) – and in a sense that is one of the reasons why I think an Open Space forum will be good so that we can hear and respond to people’s concerns. <br>
One of my concerns Brendan is how they will receive you as a facilitator of this process. I am confident about you holding the space for us to discuss these issues but I also don’t want to set you up in the process either. I am worried that there might be some hostility to a man facilitating the process and not a woman (you may be the only man there). I would love your thoughts around this and whether you have done anything similar before. Part of me says be courageous and go with what you think will work and another part of me is scared stiff! <br>
</font>* * ========================================================== OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu: <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" eudora="autourl">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist" eudora="autourl">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a> * * ========================================================== OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu: <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" eudora="autourl">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist" eudora="autourl">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a> </blockquote></body>
</html>
*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist