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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Lisa – Never for a moment would I challenge your title as Access Queen, to which we might add a new one – “Hostess with the Mostest!” Bravo! Well done… and…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>There are also other possible styles and modes of operation. Mine for instance. My choice is almost inevitably to do less, as little as possible, or indeed nothing at all. All under the heading of “One more thing not to do.” In frivolous moments I tend to explain my behavior as laziness, but truthfully there really is some thought here. Over the years I have discovered that the less I do, the better things seem to turn out. The secret seems to be that my “out front doing” takes up a lot of space and even when that doing is done with the best of intentions – it inevitably deprives other people of the opportunity. They might just feel, Oh well, Harrison will take care of it, or even worse my “doing” becomes a threatening standard and not terribly far from “The Right Way.” Should we reach that awful endpoint, we are uncomfortably close to the Kingdom of the Great THEY. THEY are in power, and I (poor me) have no place here, nor any responsibility. For me it is an old truth, If I empower you, you are in my power. Lose/Lose. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Doing Nothing, however needs to be balanced with Being More, I think. My hope and intention (realized only occasionally, I admit) is to Be in a way that space/time is truly open and inviting. My invitation is for each person I meet to be fully themselves, brilliant or warty as that may be. Occasionally this is a matter of words spoken, but somehow much more subtle. Truthfully I really can’t say what “it” is -- but I definitely know “it” when we meet. And I do have an idea as to how I get to that place. Call it clearing, focus, intention, whatever, but I find myself in a quiet open space which is rich with potential and welcoming to the rich diversity of my fellows. Fun stuff!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Open Space Technology has been my playground, practice, and teacher about a lot of things, but mostly about the wonder of this self organizing world. I have been interested in (fascinated by) self organization ever since. My dissertation in 1965 could have been sub-titled, “Chaos, Order and the Creative Process.” But all of that was pretty much of an intellectual endeavor. Then along came Open Space. My intellectual games became my existential reality. I found myself living intentionally in this self organizing world, the only one we have got. And with the passage of time I learned, sometimes very painfully, about being deeply and effectively in that environment to the end that I might be fully myself, and of equal importance, somehow to enable (encourage, facilitate, challenge, etc) others to enjoy the same experience. What began as a funny attempt to have better meetings became a pathway to extraordinary human performance, and genuine peace. Things to cherish, and things to share -- and you really can’t do one without the other. To share something you don’t cherish is pretty sick, and to cherish something you won’t share creates a very small world. And curiously enough, the corner stone of everything for me was Not Doing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I guess all of this has become rather personal to say nothing of esoteric, but there are some practical implications and applications, I think.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>First – Open Space (as in OST) is free and always has been. After all it belongs to everybody as a birthright. Second – Anybody can do it. The simple truth of the matter is that we all (7.5 billion of us) do it except that some people don’t recognize this and are therefore less comfortable and effective. Third – Helping people find their time/space is less about what we do than how we are. After all we are not teaching them anything new, we are merely helping them to remember what they already know. And remembering, in the last analysis, is something you have to do for yourself. I like to think of my several books as a jog to the memory.</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;color:#1F497D'>J</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Last but not least, Lisa – to your special concerns of INCLUSION and DIVERSITY. And lest you have any doubts, they are my concerns as well. I find that diverse (different) peoples will include themselves when they perceive an attractive, productive, welcoming space. As a matter of fact, it is very hard to keep them out, even if you tried. I think we see this in small ways in every Open Space when total strangers show up, as happened in London. Personally I noticed this first (in reverse, as it were) when visiting small, isolated bush villages in West Africa. I would show up as the only white man most of the children had ever seen – and be enfolded in a warm welcome. Not showy, and definitely not verbal (I couldn’t understand a word) but there was space for me. Welcoming the stranger was a way of life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I think something like this happens just about every time we open space. Think of the security guards in London. They had their roles, and positions (at the door), but they got sucked in. And they will remember. They will tell their friends. And I wouldn’t be at all surprised if someday “we” didn’t see them again somewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>But…you might say we could have done more. Of course. And the “more” that you do is marvelous. It can also be a little fatiguing. For a single event, even 20 of them in succession (Thank you Phelim and D&D) you can go the distance, but how about the global enterprise? There are 7.5 billion different people out there all living in open space, and just about everybody could use a hand. Organizing something like that, one event at a time, boggles the mind and breaks the back. At least my back. And what about an alternative?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I think that alternative might look pretty much like what we are (and have been) doing. Open space, wherever, however, whenever, with whomsoever, about whatever…Let some light shine in and out. Inside the “participants” will bask in the glow (they always do). And outside, the strangers will see -- not so much what we “do” which really may look weird – but most importantly how we are. They may come in then, or later, or not at all. But over time, and around the world, it is just amazing how many people have shown up!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>If you look at any single gathering (London for example) – the skin color might have been darker. There might have been different people. But it was what it was, what it was. And wasn’t it wonderful! And also somehow limited. However, if you think of London as a momentary “piercing of the veil,” revealing those particular people at that particular time fully being themselves, and enjoying it (most of the time) – as a snapshot of a global experience involving millions of people in hundreds of thousands of similar gatherings, each person different as different can be: Tibetan Monks, IBM Executives, Israeli Kibbutzim, Egyptian activists, African villagers, Haitian teachers, Boeing Engineers, Radical feminists, Roman Catholic Nuns, UN Human Rights Staff, Columbian Government folks and FARC, Microsoft Engineers, and on and on and on. On through the manifold diverse wonder of humanity. I don’t think it has gone all that badly, especially since we never had a plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I love you Lisa. Just keep on keep’in on. Somehow it is all working out. And what about the final reel? Show ain’t over yet. Keep tuned!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>ho<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Harrison Owen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>7808 River Falls Dr.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Potomac, MD 20854<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Camden, Maine 20854<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Phone 301-365-2093<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>(summer) 207-763-3261<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="www.openspaceworld.com%20">www.openspaceworld.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="www.ho-image.com%20">www.ho-image.com</a> (Personal Website)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;color:#1F497D'>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:<a href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org">http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><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"'> oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Lisa Heft<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, October 23, 2012 4:04 PM<br><b>To:</b> World wide Open Space Technology email list<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [OSList] OSONOS Whenever, Wherever, with Whomsoever<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Well this invites a very interesting conversation.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>I get that, Harrison - and...<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>At the end of the OSonOS by the Sea and at some other OS events I have participated in in Closing Circle someone usually says 'this was great and gee I wonder where all the ___(for example, young people, or the military)__ were?' <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>And I was guessing they were not there because we did not do extra to help those not-usual-suspects get there - for the beauty of diversity.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>So 'whoever comes' is in some cases whoever has email access, whoever can afford travel, whoever is already part of the 'in group's information stream, whoever knows how to navigate finding low-cost housing in a community that is not their home region.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The wonderful Jorge Amigo (hola Jorge!) and I have had several passionate conversations about this - and I am guessing that different colleagues here on the list feel both ways or one way or are experimenting with their feelings about...<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>If I (an individual or a host team) really loves the work of doing 'one more thing' to help people with visas, low-cost housing, and so on - aren't we just individuals following what has heart and meaning?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>If I (an individual or a host team) think it might bring in diversity to arrange for home-stays and help people find room-mates in their preparation for the event - are we doing that open-space-or-otherwise pre-work to welcome diversity (beyond saying 'welcome everyone') - or are we taking away individuals' ability to do for themselves?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>And what are the results and affects of doing one or the other on our living system of potential and actual participants?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Is doing these sorts of things respect for individuals - providing them with an ally, information tailored to their abilities / questions / capacities / requests - or is it disrespecting their capacity for doing for themselves?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>What is 'doing for' -- and what is doing acts of ongoing invitation through action? (you can see my bias ;o)<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>What is taking responsibility for yourself to start - and what is my role - my co-responsibility - in caring for community, including those who are not the 'usual suspects'?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I totally believe in 'each one help one'. And yet I know that as a majority culture person (take for example someone who knows how to travel to new places or knows I want to bring a laptop if I want to help emergent documentation in an Open Space event - or somebody who knows other people who are coming to the event so I can ask questions on the side about where they are staying) - being in majority culture gives me an opportunity - no, actually, for me, a mandate - to help make visible resources and relationships and information and access to others who may not have my same capacities, abilities and culture. To me, 'whoever comes' invites a 'how are you as host making it possible for more 'whoevers' not like the usual group to also say 'my place is there too, I am coming too'?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I am not saying everyone has to do that - I am saying that is what I love doing, cannot help but do, am interested in exploring, and invite my clients to do. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>As usual - we do what we have passion and capacity for - and as usual, we wonderfully all see things in different ways, including what is helping and what is 'overly help-y'. A very fine line indeed, and differently experienced by all of us.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Fun stuff to explore...<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Lisa<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Oct 23, 2012, at 12:38 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><br><br><o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Lots of good points Lisa – and maybe some solutions? Venue costs – Can be considerable, of course. Can be very expensive if you only think of hotels and other such things. But Churches usually only need their space on Sundays. Else wise they might appreciate some small (or larger) donation. And for a “good cause” maybe free? Likewise, schools work on the week, but weekends are free. Common spaces – like a tent on the common green. We did it for the price of the tent. It wasn’t gorgeous, but definitely fun. Nothing but the forest. Could get wet in the rain, which can be more fun.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Housing? At the Pullman Versailles, the bill goes up. But off season resorts get very reasonable. And have variety of Bed Spots. Camp Grounds, for instance.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'>I know that the reason a lot of people do not feel the need to host one is - hosting something is usually not about the really amazing holding space moments - most of the work is about event planning.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'>Getting a room, paying money for it in advance, answering everyone's emails behind the scenes, really dry and to some, really tedious details of party planning that are not joyful for all kinds of people.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Oh Answering emails – I guess that is rather like talking on OSLIST? I always found it that way. Actually the problems arise when you place yourself in the “Do-For” mode. I just offer the information and invite them to Do-For themselves. Or maybe to reach out to other participants? – Chain email (reply all) sort of thing. Next thing you know space is open way before anybody comes to town. Take responsibility for yourself to start, then reach out to help your fellows. That’s how community emerges, I think. Each one help one. It ain’t all me folks.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>ho</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>