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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Gordon - It was a delight to read your account,
to see the video, and to see the immediate response of so many colleagues
on this list serv. (Sort of a VAVOOM!) BRAVO to you for daring to
suggest the interchange session at the ToP conference. The youthful fresh
eyes, sometimes painful experience, physical strength, and the <U>passion</U> of
the Occupiers is a wonderful complement to the wisdom and varied experiences of
many in ICA and ToP.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I am convinced that learning from, interchange with, and
at times partnering with, other movements and organizations that care deeply
about the future, is exactly the way to go. Each has developed its own
niches of expertise and practice and network of contacts - and there is so
much work to be done to shift consciousness and culture that all of us are
needed. I am especially attracted to movements and organizations that are
both global and local in outlook and combine some sense of the spirit
deeps with valuing practical steps towards justice and needed change. I've
bumped into several in the past few years - will try to write a few sentences
about how I see each when a chance. Would invite you all to share your
observations as well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>As ICA/EI celebrates 50 years - "Midway in a Century of
Care", it is wonderful to rejoice in our own contributions and special roles in
changing history. But going it alone, or (God forbid) any kind of "turf
protection" could trim our effectiveness drastically. Let's sing,
dance, tell stories, love our accomplishments and tender memories - then look
around to see who else is on the journey for the next 50
years. It's such FUN to find new colleagues!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Janice Ulangca</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=gharper1@mindspring.com href="mailto:gharper1@mindspring.com">Gordon
Harper</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net
href="mailto:dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net">Colleague Dialogue</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, May 17, 2012 3:45
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Dialogue] The Occupy Crowd
Meets the ToP Crowd: a Short Video</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><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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