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Livre “Forum ouvert”

Practice of Peace

La revue du livre suivant a été écrite par un membre de l'OSIC, Audrey Coward, et publié par le Human Systems Dynamic Institute.  Audrey avait accepté d'écrire cette revue lors de la dernière téléconférence des membres.  Ci-joint aussi une version PDF.

 

Si vous désirez commander ce livre, vous pouvez le faire à travers de l'OSIC.  Veuillez consulter le formulaire ci-joint pour les instructions.

 

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The Practice of Peace – A Book Review
©2004. Audrey Briffett Coward. All rights reserved.

The Practice of Peace

by Harrison Owen

Published by Human Systems Dynamics Institute, 2004

Book review by Audrey Briffett Coward, BA (Ed.) CHRP MS (OD)

Harrison defines Peace as "…the dynamic interrelationship of complex forces (including chaos, conflict and confusion) productive of wholeness, health and harmony." He goes on to state that the "practice of peace" is the intentional creation of the requisite conditions under which peace may occur.

According to Harrison, the core mechanism in "The Practice of Peace" is self-organization—a core practice of what we now call Open Space Technology (OST). Self-organization drives toward peace, and, when freely operative, self-organization generates the dynamic interrelationship of complex forces that produce peace—wholeness, health and harmony.

Harrison's gift as a story teller, his use of informal words like "critters," "snake belly low," and metaphors like "a skunk at a garden party" surprise and delight the reader. The book is filled with easy-to-understand applications of the works of Thomas Kuhn, Ken Wilbur, James Gleick, Stuart Kauffman, and Ira Prigogine, among others.

Harrison and others have used OST more than 40,000 times in 83 countries with groups from 5-2000. The book describes the technology in terms that beginners, as well as experienced practitioners, can understand and apply. Harrison provides an easily understood explanation for learning practitioners along with a more in-depth analysis for experienced practitioners. He explores how the power of self-organizing can support the search for peace both in organizations and in our world.

According to Harrison, anyone and everyone can set the conditions for peace to self organize—governments, NGO'S, multi-national organizations, local communities, teachers, farmers and you.

How does this work contribute to human systems dynamics, as a field of work?

  • Both ask us to continue thinking, talking and being together differently, in ways that understand and encourage self-organization.
  • OST changes our ways of looking at people, systems and processes, and it questions our beliefs about how systems and people grow, change and transform. Indeed, it changes our way of being in the world and the way we do our work.
  • We have an opportunity to open dialogue so practitioners and theorists can pose more questions, look for points of intersection, and share their discoveries.

The Practice of Peace – A Book Review
©2004. Audrey Briffett Coward. All rights reserved.

Harrison Owen, (Open Space Institutes, 2003), spiral bound, 182 pages.

To order the book, please download the order form in PDF format or in MS Word.

 

 

Harrison Owen through Berrett-Koehler Publishers, San Francisco.

McGraw-Hill Ryerson is the distributor in Canada To order call 1-800-295-0957, fax 905-473-4219 or email info@resourcesconnect.com

 

2000. The Power of Spirit: How Organizations Transform.

1999. The Spirit of Leadership: Liberating the Spirit in Each of Us. San Francisco. Berrett-Koehler Publishers

1997. Expanding Our Now. San Francisco. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

1997. Open Space Technology: A User's Guide. San Francisco. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

 

Earlier Harrison Owen books by self-published by Abbott Publishing, some

available through OSI Canada, contact Larry Peterson, larry@spiritedorg.com

 

1995. Tales from Open Space

1994. The Millennium Organization

1991. Riding The Tiger

1987. Spirit: Transformation and Development in Organizations

 

 

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