Michael-- This is close, not exactly your situation, but it might have some parallels.
A year ago or so we had an open space meeting regarding how we in the interior of our country wanted to deal with immigration. It was and still is a topic around which there is a great deal of emotional energy, and people all over the country (and world) get into fisticuffs over it. One person, an experienced facilitator, even called me to warn that it was likely to degenerate into yelling if not fights. As you might expect, many of the people who came were immigrants themselves, or of cultural backgrounds similar to immigrants in our community. And another too--he was a member of the local Ku Klux Klan, an organization known for intolerance for racial differences and of great fame for their cross burnings. In the opening circle, the Reverend (our KKK friend said he was ordained as a minister) made a speech and was ready to make more. When we broke up into groups, he found himself without a soapbox, and actually controlled by a small group of about 6 people who wanted to have a real conversation. He left early and did not come back the next day. The people who come usually do not want a fight, but if the inviting question is well-chosen (see? your hosts have a responsibility, too), they will be there to work. In short, the right people are the ones who show up. :- Doug. * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist