<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
<html><head><style type="text/css"><!--
blockquote, dl, ul, ol, li { padding-top: 0 ; padding-bottom: 0 }
--></style><title>Re: [OSLIST] Opening space within
conflict</title></head><body>
<div>Dear Christine,</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I've just shared your wonderful story with other colleagues in
Taiwan/Asia - both your personal journey and the magic created by the
group. Great sign of possibility in the midst of the conflict we
find all around us. Congratulations!</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Gail</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Dear all,<br>
<br>
It has been a great experience !<br>
<br>
Till the very last day before the event, tension has been palpable :
articles published condemning not only the goal, but also
the event, people taking their organization out of the planning
commitee... A few supporting but low voices still came out and finally
130 people had subscribed on the 150 expected.. I wonder how
many people there would have been if this community had not been in
conflict...<br>
<br>
On the morning of the event, I was tensed, so I went out for a walk a
bit before the start.While walking, I experienced suddenly a deep
shivering, and then I was quiet, realizing that I had only
to trust the process. Just before going back into the sportshall, I
got a phonecall : the sponsor has just received the news that a
deputy was coming, and wanted to know when this man could talk... So
he talk: 2 mn after the sponsor's introduction ;-) And then I started
talking. Everything went fine, I just forgot a few nimor details. Then
people started announcing topics : rythm of this group was 2-3 pause
then 2-3 pause and again 1 or 2 topics then pause. All important and
disturbing subjects came out.They decided to combine many
topics, and when discussions began, there were mainly bigs groups, and
only 1 or 2 whith less then 10 people. This kept true during the whole
event. Around midday, I got a few remarks asking for more structure
(interestingly from people I would not have expected to) ;-).
But then people self-organized again and went back to their groups,
and all conveners gathered to the newsroom to type their reports.
Newsroom has been a very active point during all the event, with
typing and reading the reports and correcting them and discussing them
etc.. people looked for accuracy of reports !<br>
On the second day, there were more bumblebees and many feedbacks of
great informal conversations. People were very busy all the time, and
35 topics were documented, creating a 126 pages report of impressive
quality.<br>
Action planning gave 11 projects, and 9 were actively discussed.<br>
Sponsor was amazed : this was the first time for years and years
that real cooperation had taken place between all those organizations
that were usually either competing or in conflict, and all projects
were of great interest for the whole community ( definition of central
concepts, organization, communication, ethics, training
etc..)<br>
<br>
Now there are a few articles coming out, I hear the words of
"magic" and people start discussing of what they will do
from all this..<br>
There should be some pictures coming soon <a
href=
"http://forum-ouvert-mediation.dyndns.org/index_fichiers/Page331.htm"
>here</a><br>
<br>
So magic happened<br>
It always works<br>
;-)<br>
Christine<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>On Sat, Feb 19, 2011 at 2:40 PM,
christine koehler <chris.alice.ko<br>
<a href="mailto:ehler@gmail.com">ehler@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
<blockquote>Dear all,<br>
<br>
You really are an amazing community, thank you so much for all your
answers and mark of support !<br>
<br>
Amazing Lisa, you got it all. Indeed the big issue is about to
professionnalize or not, and the community is strongly divided about
the question. And indeed stated as it is, it's an outcome...Thanks so
much for this.<br>
You also helped me clarify the importance of the Book of Proceedings,
which I had not seen so clearly. You're right , and I just suggested
the sponsor that it be the goal of the OS (luckily all has been
organized to make it feasible).<br>
I told them that it would be their gift to the community, as a thank
you for all participants trusting them and making them the gift of
their presence to this OS.Let's see what they say.<br>
<br>
Thank you all for underlying that words must not become barriers, and
that change can be made, even at the very end.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>Catherine, thanks for your suggestion to make my hat
obvious. While I had made it clear from the very beginning with the
sponsor that I was there as the facilitator and not mediator (in the
beginning they suggested that we present the OS as a mediation, and
that I woud be the mediator, so I had to let them understand that it
was not a good idea ;-)), it may not be clear for all
participants.<br>
So at the beginning of my introduction I'll take off my mediator's
badge (the one I use at Court) that I will have put on my clothing on
purpose. I like this idea ;-)<br>
Thanks also for advising me to have a look at Peggy's introduction.
I'll look for it.<br>
<br>
Diane, thanks you for your advice. Indeed, like Michael & the
Boscop team showed me so often, I also believe that
facilitating an OS event is a team work, and my assistant for this
event is a wonderful person that you trained recently in Belgium,
Jocelyne. I am confident she will handle perfectly all last time
logistical details and problems (which I already handled to her last
Thursday to be able to concentrate on facilitation).<br>
<br>
Christian, I love the citation of William Blake on your website :
"there are things known and there are things unknown, and in
between there are doors". I may say add it to my introduction
;-)<br>
<br>
Christine, thanks for the picture. Indeed I see yout point ;-)<br>
<br>
My learnings here these days ;<br>
Being part of the system is definitely not the right place for a
facilitator. It prevents from seing obvious facts.<br>
Here, being part of the system and knowing the people, I was not
willing to see where the unconscious control was (although I could
feel it, I could not point it).<br>
<br>
My comprehension of the role of the facilitator has taken me, I think,
a step further. I had seen that some of you position themselves as
going with the participants through the process, and only warrant of
the process, while others were what I would call "champions"
of dialogue (or other concept like self organizing or emargence or
peace., as I think that it depends strongly of who you are) and would
have an "appealing" introduction or closing. Up
to now I was belonging to the first category, as I trust the process,
but was no trusting myself 100% probably. Maybe it may change...I'll
let you know ;-)<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Thank you SO MUCH Suzanne, Thomas, Steve, Phelim, Chris, Ria, Elaine
and you all. I'll open space at 9am next Thursday till Friday 5.30pm.
I already feel you are with me, and it helps !<br>
<font color="#888888"><br>
Christine</font><br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-2">Christine Koehler<br>
Médiateur<br>
Créatrice d'espaces de dialogue et de coopération<br>
</font><a href="http://www.christinekoehler.com"><font
size="-2">www.christinekoehler.com</font></a><font size="-2"><br>
Tel : 06 13 28 71 38</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><a href="http://twitter.com/Mediateur_"><img
src="http://www.images.wisestamp.com/twitter.png"
alt="www.images.wisest/7762DCFA.png" width="16"
height="16"></a></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
* * ==========================================================
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</blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>Gail West<br>
ICA<br>
3F, No. 12, Lane 5, Tien Mou West Road<br>
Taipei, Taiwan 111<br>
8862) 2871-3150<br>
SKYPE gwestica</div>
</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