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<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007>I have had some conversations with a
potential sponsor (an NGO with links to Government, Indigenous Communities and
Mining Companies) about working with some indigenous communities in North West
Australia. The theme relates, in the short term, to the dynamics and presssures
of negotiating with mining companies and longer terms themes of
sustainability for aboriginal communities.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>What I
am picking up from the sponsor is a huge (palpible) anxiety associated with the
potential for OS to get out of control. I've detected control anxiety with other
clients, but never with this intensity. There may also be some good basis for
their anxiety. They describe an emotional landscape in some of the communities
in question as being of extreme conflict. The conflict has roots in the
following areas a) anger at historic dispossesion of land by European Settlement
b) anger and powerlessness at current dispossesion by mining companies (i.e.
"the land will be taken anyway - so what does it mean to "profit" from this?")
c) anger between tribal family groups based on historic tensions d)
tensions associated with differences in law and custom e) anger associated with
"wedge politics", fuelled by the fact that HUGE amounts of money are now up for
graps from mining companies. The latter is a really hot topic - the
NorthWest of Australia is experiencing a "gold rush" at present, except it's
actually an "iron ore rush", as China sucks in ore to make steel and f) the fact
that in some of these communities it is not uncommon to resort to physical
violence to sort out differences.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>One of
the key concerns of the sponsor is actually one of the physical safety of
participants. i.e. "if we opened up the kind of space you are describing, we
could actually just end up with a fight".</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I have
given no commitments to the sponsor that such a possibilitity might not exist.
However, I have suggested that some of the safeguards of OS are a) voluntary
association b) a topic which is of common concern to whoever shows up and c) the
law of two feet.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>The
sponsor has asked if I have any stories of OS being used in indigenous settings
involving the kind of powder keg dynamics described above. I said that I thought
some work along these lines had been done in indigenous communities in Canada
and Nth America, but that I would ask around and get back to
them.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>So....I am asking around via this wonderful email
network.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Does
anyone have any stories (either of success or warning) in circumstances similar
to what I have described above, AND which you would be willing for me to share
with my potential sponsor AND whether you may be willing to be contacted by
email by the Sponsor to seek more detail if required. As you can see - the
stakes are high - related to potential risk to people's safety! (and I don't
discount my own anxiety in all this. At a head and experience level I know that
"OS always works", but at an emotional level, the context sounds very
challenging.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Many
thanks!!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Michael Wood</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=193370905-30112007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Western Australia</FONT></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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