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Thanks Adriana!<br>
<br>
It could be a wonderful cultural protocol if everyone agrees to it.
If everyone has been invited and accepts such a protocol. Asking for
a moment of silence can often calm things down when they're getting
too heated, and I've been in a number of circles where such a
protocol has been adopted and really helps. I can imagine having
some bells and singing bowls available for session conveners to
bring to their circles as an optional facilitation tool to invite
silence when someone in the circle senses the need. It sounds like
it could be a wonderful helpful tool in some communities - and I can
imagine in the Peace Center - it might be very welcome. I plan to
offer it as something to think about to our team.<br>
<br>
At the post Open Space meeting yesterday where we debriefed the
event, there was a participant who noticed that there was not enough
listening in the circles he had attended. I had witnessed one of the
circles, and I noticed the same thing. Not enough listening. My
sense was that if I had really meditated enough before the event -
as Harrison so strongly recommends - I could have helped bring more
spaciousness. That's my best sense of what could have helped. And I
also sense that this participant had a *lot* to offer in helping to
bring an awareness of the need for silence. He doesn't need it to
come from the facilitation team. He can help teach it. In any case,
I'm very grateful he has been invited to participate in the
organizing team for the event when we hold it again next year.<br>
<br>
And I can also see where this need for silence can be abused.<br>
<br>
At the World Open Space on Open Space in London in 2012 - I was in a
circle and waiting patiently in a somewhat heated circle for some
space to speak. I had been quiet for some time, until finally there
was the slightest pause. The moment I opened my mouth, someone came
from another session that I believe was entirely silent the whole
time. I think they had only written their thoughts on paper. One of
the participants came out of that session, burst into ours, and
flashed a "QUIET" sign a foot in front of my face! It was so
intense, I felt the need to leave the building just so I could calm
down. I hope I never see such behavior again - and I certainly don't
want to do anything to encourage such behavior of silencing people.<br>
<br>
Harold<br>
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<br>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 6/15/15 2:10 PM, Lourdes Adriana
Diaz-Berrio Doring wrote:<br>
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<div>Harold: In some groups where I participated, but
it was not Open Space it was a workshop with some
ritual we had a talking stick and also a bowl. When
some one needed silence they took the bowl and the
meaning of this is that they where asking everybody
to wait in silence...until they let the bowl in the
middle of the circle again.<br>
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I don;t Know if this is appropriated in an OS circle,
in any moment. Some people like and appreciate silence
and other people have a very hard time with it.<br>
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When I was teaching at university the feedback of the
students was like this<br>
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"Teacher I just loved yous dinamics, yous should do more
of them!"<br>
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In the same group I received another feed back<br>
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Teacher I hate the dynamics, why did you do so much of it!"<br>
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<div>Thanks for the links that Herman sheared with us!<br>
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Adriana<br>
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<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Harold Shinsato<br>
<a href="mailto:harold@shinsato.com">harold@shinsato.com</a><br>
<a href="http://shinsato.com">http://shinsato.com</a><br>
twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/hajush">@hajush</a></div>
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