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<big><font face="Comic Sans MS">I know that many of us are engaged
in some way with the Occupy movement, and it's a subject worth
talking about. We've had Occupiers in our facilitation training
here in Seattle, and Molly Shaw and I have worked with several
of their projects. <br>
<br>
I caused something of a disturbance in the Force (who, me?) this
January. I announced at the annual ToP conference in Sacramento
that I thought we might have some things to learn as well as to
share about grassroots facilitation through dialogue with the
Occupy movement--and that I had therefore invited about fifteen
Occupiers from Seattle and UC Davis to our gathering for an
interchange session. <br>
<br>
This came about because I had mentioned to some of my
troublesome friends here in Seattle that I would be attending
this conference and then learned that a number of them would be
on a trek visiting other Occupy groups along the Pacific coast
during that same time. It became very clear to me that God
intended for our two groups to connect.<br>
<br>
The ToP leadership team put this on the schedule as a small Open
Space option on the last afternoon of our conference. It would
be while most attendees would be completing </font></big><big><font
face="Comic Sans MS">action planning in </font></big><big><font
face="Comic Sans MS">their task forces for the year ahead. <br>
<br>
However, when I asked that morning for how many were interested
in being part of this Occupy encounter, over 90% of the hands in
the plenary shot up. The leadership team died: there went the
prime working time for all that planning. (I may never be
invited to another ToP conference.)<br>
<br>
Nonetheless, despite shooting me looks that would have dropped a
more sensitive soul in his tracks, our leaders rebounded
gracefully, declared it a consensus that the whole conference
would adjourn to the hotel veranda outdoors for this event and
that the scheduled planning would simply start earlier, over
lunch that day.<br>
<br>
As you'll see from the video, I had a ball doing this. This
included participating in a little direct action after the
session, led by the Occupiers, at the Capitol Mall a few blocks
away (what's called a Guerrilla Mic Check, to use the technical
term--not something included in this clip. The marching that
opens the video is of us on our way to cause that trouble). No,
no one got arrested doing it.<br>
<br>
Joanna Kohler was our videographer, and Marti Roach and I worked
with her on the editing. You'll recognize a number of Order
colleagues in the group, as well as interesting ritual activity,
a great witness, clearly stated rubrics for participation and
team facilitation being created on the spot by people who have
just met one another. <br>
<br>
Enjoy--and, if you share my sense of its importance, let's talk
more about just what is going on with this movement and why we
maybe should pay attention to it.<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Comic Sans MS"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnjmWcJjET4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnjmWcJjET4</a><br>
<br>
Gordon</font></big>
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