Harrison, I immediately got the feeling from this message (that you have said before yet the context is so rich here) of the origin of creation (whatever that means). On my image screen, I see the depth of "space", very "open" and "the conditions under which a completely natural process can start". And so, in our role as co-creators with All That Is, we open the space to allow the true hearts of humanity to express their natural tendency to organize themselves into that which will allow for and create the common good of the Whole. Even the deep drumbeats of war can hold back the tidal forces of the tsunami of co-creation when the hearts of people are intertwined.
I AM in gratitude for all that you do and all that you ARE, Toni Petrinovich www.sacredspaceswa.com ----- Original Message ----- From: Harrison Owen To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2002 4:57 AM Subject: A First Step From Rome One of the conference organizers wrote briefly about the return from Rome. Seems like something may actually have gotten started. Despite the worries and difficulties of our return trip to Israel (the invasion of Israel into Ramallah, the intense search and security checks of our patient Palestinian friends at the airport) the comraderie and friendship remained. I travelled back on the bus with the Palestinians from the airport to Jerusalem and they had their first meeting to decide what their next steps would be. They wanted to do it immediately in case there would be difficulties getting together in the near future. All the people I have spoken to since our return feel blessed that we had the opportunity to be together. The experience in Rome provides an opportunity for deep learning about this thing we call Open Space, and possibly an even deeper learning about possible pathways to peace. Since my time 10 years ago in South Africa, it has been clear to me that OS has enormous power for what we might call conflict resolution, but it is a resolution that does not eliminate conflict. If anything the conflict is magnified, but space is provided so that the conflict, and the energy it contains, may become a positive force. All of this takes place without any carefully crafted process or procedure. In a most remarkable way, it seems to happen all by itself. Which leads me to the conclusion that the apparent magic has nothing to do with Open Space Technology, and everything to do with the power of self-organization. All we do in Open Space is to create the conditions under which a completely natural process can start or re-start. If true, this is really good news, for it would mean that we already have at our disposal the "tools" necessary for peace. We have only to be fully what we are. Thoughts? Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, MD 20854 USA phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
