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Well said, John. Thanks for writing this.<div><div><br></div><div><div>Jeff</div><div>telegraph hill, san francisco<br><br>> Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 22:33:53 -0400<br>> From: john@johnengle.net<br>> Subject: Re: [OSLIST] looking for OS practitioner in Philadelphia area<br>> To: OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>> <br>> Hi Nigel,<br>> <br>> When my friend communicated that they preferred a person of color to <br>> facilitate, my first response was, "I'm not going to put that in my <br>> message to the OS list." I knew there would be philosophical questions <br>> and didn't feel I had the energy and time to respond, even though I <br>> felt no need personally, to call into question the wisdom of this <br>> particular group or another one that indicates such a preference in <br>> their facilitator.<br>> <br>> When it comes to groups dealing with issues of anti-racism, gender <br>> equality, etc. i just assume that each one is dealing with nuances, <br>> complexities and intricacies that would require an immense amount of <br>> time for me to begin to understand.<br>> <br>> This particular group indicated that they preferred to have a <br>> facilitator who is a person of color. I made no mention that they have <br>> a preference of color in general.<br>> <br>> I'm white, my wife's black, my three year old son calls himself <br>> yellow ; ). My wife and I don't think of ourselves as racist. In fact, <br>> we're committed to promoting equality and love among all human beings. <br>> I don't know this group wanting the facilitator except for my co- <br>> worker who is a part of it. Coincidently, he is white and has two <br>> black daughters. But I can certainly imagine either my wife or i <br>> feeling like there might be a type of person (color, class, gender, <br>> sexual preference) that is better suited to create a trusting and safe <br>> environment, depending upon the group involved, even if it's a group <br>> committed to love and equality among all human beings.<br>> <br>> Can't you?<br>> <br>> Meeting people where they are is so essential. I know you do this in <br>> your work. I've met people who glow when they speak of you and what <br>> you do.<br>> <br>> The pain and wounds among many people--even those committed to not <br>> discriminate--are so deep. Where I currently live in Florida, black <br>> people in their 70's share stories of family members being lynched by <br>> KKK and how they grew up in fear and terror. Haiti, where I lived many <br>> years and still work, where black Africans were enslaved by whites for <br>> centuries, color (and even shade) is, unfortunately, of huge <br>> consequence, whether one wants it to be or not.<br>> <br>> In my humble opinion, the fact that an anti-racist group prefers to <br>> have a person of colour facilitate their open space meeting should not <br>> necessarily call into question their commitment to anti-racism. In my <br>> humble opinion, it could be a very wise preference, depending on the <br>> circumstances.<br>> <br>> John<br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> On May 4, 2009, at 8:57 PM, NigelSeys-Phillips wrote:<br>> <br>>> Can an anti-racist group 'prefer' a colour?<br>>><br>>> Nigel<br>>><br>>> Nigel Seys-Phillips<br>>> Fulcrum Business Management Solutions<br>>> 30 Mount Elizabeth<br>>> #13-32 Highpoint<br>>> Singapore 228519<br>>> Tel: +65 9639 2510<br>>> E-mail: nigel@fulcrum.com.sg<br>>> www.fulcrum.com.sg<br>>><br>>><br>>> -----Original Message-----<br>>> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of <br>>> Michael M<br>>> Pannwitz<br>>> Sent: Monday, 4 May 2009 11:49 PM<br>>> To: OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>>> Subject: Re: [OSLIST] looking for OS practitioner in Philadelphia area<br>>><br>>> What color does the anti-racist group prefer?<br>>><br>>> mmp<br>>><br>>> John Engle wrote:<br>>>> Fellow-listers,<br>>>><br>>>> One of my colleagues is looking for an OS practitioner in the<br>>>> Philadelphia area. It's an anti-racist group and their preference <br>>>> would<br>>>> be to have a person of color.<br>>>><br>>>> Anyone?<br>>>><br>>>> Thanks,<br>>>><br>>>> John<br>>>><br>>>> _________________________________<br>>>><br>>>> John Engle Associates<br>>>> Tel. 202-236-6532<br>>>> Haiti Tel. 011-509-3461-3067 or<br>>>> 011-509- 3685-3273<br>>>> www.johnengle.net<br>>>><br>>>> Open Space Facilitation<br>>>><br>>>><br>>>><br>>>><br>>>><br>>>> *<br>>>> *<br>>>> ==========================================================<br>>>> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>>>> ------------------------------<br>>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>>>> view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:<br>>>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html<br>>>><br>>>> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<br>>>> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist<br>>>><br>>><br>>> -- <br>>> Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg<br>>> Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany<br>>> ++49-30-772 8000<br>>> mmpanne@boscop.org<br>>> www.boscop.org<br>>><br>>><br>>> Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 461 resident Open<br>>> Space Workers in 73 countries working in a total of 139 countries <br>>> worldwide<br>>> Have a look:<br>>> www.openspaceworldmap.org<br>>><br>>> *<br>>> *<br>>> ==========================================================<br>>> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>>> ------------------------------<br>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>>> view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:<br>>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html<br>>><br>>> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<br>>> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist<br>>><br>>> *<br>>> *<br>>> ==========================================================<br>>> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>>> ------------------------------<br>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>>> view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:<br>>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html<br>>><br>>> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<br>>> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist<br>>><br>> <br>> *<br>> *<br>> ==========================================================<br>> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>> ------------------------------<br>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>> view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:<br>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html<br>> <br>> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<br>> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist<br></div></div></div><br /><hr />Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. <a href='http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_BR_life_in_synch_052009' target='_new'>Check it out.</a></body>
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