<html><body><span style="font-family:Verdana; color:#000000; font-size:10pt;"><div>Hi, Brigitte, Thank you for sharing your beautiful thoughts. With regard to the world coming out of its sleep and the new order needing a plan as it happens, I was thinking this about Egypt last evening while watching the segment on the current status of the Tahrir Square revolution. As with much of life, one needs a plan because without one it's likely one will end up as part of someone else's plan and that might not be the right place. I agree with you that this is a terribly scary situation. The more we teach circle work, whatever form it takes, the better things may be. However, I try to keep in mind that, as events and people self-organize away from chaos and the system begins to turn, things tend to get worse before they get better, which is no argument for complacency or lack of foresight. Years ago when I worked at the World Bank there were huge changes happening to make the Bank more socially accountable to the citizens of the countries it served. There were a lot of complaints, moaning and groaning about the process. Some bank official said that "when an elephant turns around, a whole lot of turf get torn up". Perchance we are living within the circle of a gigantic elephant's revolution. Also, thanks for the book suggestion. Will be sure to read it.</div><div><br></div><div>Holding love and compassion in my own circle of influence, Donna</div><div><br></div><div><img title="signature image" src="cid:sigimg1@8b53f1b3bbe647a82a7ad64fcc857ed7" border="0" alt=""></div><div><br><br></div>
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-------- Original Message --------<br>
Subject: Re: [OSList] occupy Open Space?! and Xposted to Genuine<br>
Contact list<br>
From: "Birgitt Williams" <<a href="mailto:birgitt@dalarinternational.com">birgitt@dalarinternational.com</a>><br>
Date: Mon, October 10, 2011 1:05 pm<br>
To: "'Raffi Aftandelian'" <<a href="mailto:raffi_1970@yahoo.com">raffi_1970@yahoo.com</a>>, "'World wide Open<br>
Space Technology email list'" <<a href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org">oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a>>,<br>
<<a href="mailto:genuine-contact@googlegroups.com">genuine-contact@googlegroups.com</a>><br>
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</style><div class="WordSection1"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Dear Raffi and all who are following this thread,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span class="caption"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span class="caption">“If we make our goal to live a life of compassion and unconditional love, then th</span><span class="textexposedshow">e world will indeed become a garden where all kinds of flowers can bloom and grow”. ~Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross~</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">When we created the Harmony Project in 2001, we launched it with the belief that the facilitator of the Open Space Technology meeting be detached from outcome in order to be effective in ‘holding space’ for emergence. Hundreds of people around the world have committed to holding space for opportunities for harmony in the world. As each one made their commitment, we asked them if they could commit to not taking a side…for a lifetime….and truly hold steady in ‘holding the space open’. In any Open Space, once sides are taken, polarization happens, space closes, and instead of emergence from collective wisdom, the tendency is to shift to ‘mob rule’. History has shown us that when mob rule results, there is always a new form of tyranny waiting in the wings to take on leadership. Now, if there are people who are carefully doing the inner work to hold steady without taking sides, who are able to detach from outcome, and who approach the situation from heart wisdom, then real and lasting change is possible. I am wondering if you are experiencing collective wisdom emerging, or experiencing something that is closer to mob rule of being ‘against something? The former seems harder to do for humans at this stage of evolution, and yet we see glimpses of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">When I mentioned to you about ‘gods’, I was relating to forces that wish to control humanity for their own gain. Mythology is full of these gods, as are books on psychology to do with the gods developed by the ego. I recently read a fiction book, somewhat dark fiction, but very informative on the subject called American Gods by Neil Gaiman…an award winning book, recommended to me by son David. In turn, I highly recommend it to you and anyone else interested in the subject of gods and goddesses in America and their influence on the condition of life….and how we allow it.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">On the subject of allowing terrible things to happen, basically, humanity has been asleep and seems to be coming out of its sleep. This coming out of its sleep is the exciting part. What we will choose to do collectively once awakened is the scary part. For me, this is scary because after all of the activities of awakening, such as the one you are involved in, the masses do not have a plan. This leaves the situation ripe for those who sit in the wings who do have a plan…to take charge. Some will do things which are life nurturing, some will do things which could be more life depleting than before. History is full of these stories, as is mythology. And some will think they are doing good, but really are causing harm…while others appear to have intentions of doing harm and yet might end up doing good. There is a phrase in English ‘the pathway to hell is paved with good intentions’. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">This takes me to the most important point of my note. The most dangerous point comes when the protests are done….if there is nothing sufficient in place to create the new world that is desired. The most important thing that I can think of doing at this time aside from spending more and more of my day in compassion and unconditional love, is to teach others how to lead participatory meetings that use circles…such as Open Space Technology, Whole Person Process Facilitation, and Circle Work. Any of you who are reading this….if you know how to teach these methods, what are you doing to increase the number of people you reach with your teaching? When you teach these methods, you increase the capacity on this planet for humans to empower themselves, to flex their newly empowered selves, and to ensure that the capacity is present amongst humanity, after all of the acts of protest….to build a new heaven on earth by empowered humans through tapping into collective wisdom. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Blessings to all,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Birgitt<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> <a href="mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org">oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org</a> [<a href="mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org">mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Raffi Aftandelian<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, October 08, 2011 8:09 PM<br><b>To:</b> OSlist<br><b>Subject:</b> [OSList] occupy Open Space?!<o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></div><div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black">Dear spaceniki,<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black">Glad to hear from you all.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black">Birgitt, thank you so much for the reminder about not taking a side. <o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black">And of course, you write something that intrigues me. You mention the "gods." Can you say more what you mean by that?<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black">Tomorrow's the first day i'll be joining the camp out!<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black">Also, want to add that two people who know me the first thing they said to me about this is thiat this is Open Space!<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black">One friend of mine has a good friend who reports for NPR (National Public Radio). That person was wondering what is driving all of this. My friend explained in three words: Open Space Technology. Apparently that reporter went to look up and learn more about OST...<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black">much warmth,<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black">raffi<o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black"><br>p.s. feel free to share this with others but please don't include my name. thanks!<br> <o:p></o:p></span></div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:12pt;background:white"><span style="color:black">powered by ubuntu 10.4<o:p></o:p></span></div></div></div></div><hr>_______________________________________________<br>
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