Fwd: [Ailist] AI and Bullying

[julie caldwell]

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>> Rob --  your question is a good one:
>>
>>> Tell me a story of a time when you took a stand to respect the  
>>> dignity of yourself
>>> or a coworker?
>>
>> And, your story of King is an interesting one, which makes me think  
>> of the current election campaign -- And, what are bullies?  Who is  
>> the bully?  Does one side have to be right and another wrong?
>>
>> I believe bullies (and sociopaths) result from not enough support  
>> and listening spaces (that move beyond listening into compassionate  
>> action coaching spaces).
>>
>> From my AI foundation training with Jane Watkins I remember her  
>> teaching:  AI is about "no one right way".  And, that "AI is about  
>> building on existing strengths."  AI is about being a part of  
>> something larger than oneself.
>>
>> If we are really part of something larger than oneself, if we are  
>> building on existing strengths and if we understand that there is  
>> no one right way --- then we build loving tolerance into the system  
>> -- which is what Martin Luther King did (at the cost of his life).   
>> He did not work to overthrow the system, he worked with the  
>> existing strengths within the existing environments in which he  
>> lived and worked.  He identified where there was movement and where  
>> there were obstacles and then looked to strengthen the movement to  
>> shed light and offer to support to where there was no light.
>>
>> If we believe that it will take all of us to heal the world.  Then  
>> we must understand that there are no bullies, other than our own  
>> self-doubts which creates bullies to arise in our world.
>>
>> To the "terrorists" who blew up the twin towers, the twin towers  
>> and what they represented were the "terrorists".  Many Democrats  
>> view the Republican party as terrorists and we have seen in the  
>> recent campaign that the Republican's view some Democrats as  
>> terrorists!  Ironically, it takes the swing of extremes to shake  
>> out what works and what doesn't work.  One might say that one group  
>> of terrorists --- call them bullies --- gives rise the other group  
>> of terrorists organizing to take action ---
>>
>> AI is a wonderful way to organize folks to take action that builds  
>> on existing strengths and move beyond one right way.   And,  
>> sometimes, the organization or government or world needs a bully to  
>> help others move beyond the status quo.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Julie Caldwell
>> Emerging Futures Youth Network
>>
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>> On Oct 30, 2008, at 12:52 AM, Rob Voyle wrote:
>>
>>> Hi folks
>>>
>>> On 28 Oct 2008 at 20:38, Howard Ditkoff wrote:
>>> ..... Personality disorders are not amenable to AI.
>>>
>>> Without getting into the argument of whether you can change a  
>>> sociopath with
>>> or without AI, I think we are missing the point of where we really  
>>> should be
>>> focussing our AI work.
>>>
>>> Bullies only exist because the community allows them to exist.  
>>> Rather than focus
>>> on the bullies we need to focus our AI on the community.  I  
>>> wouldn't try to use
>>> AI to reduce the presence of bullying, I would use my AI approach  
>>> to grow the
>>> resources to create resilience in those bullied, and their courage  
>>> to walk the path
>>> of non-violent (I realize that is a negative but we don't seem to  
>>> have a suitable
>>> word in english) resistance.
>>> Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. had the courage to stand up to  
>>> some pretty
>>> powerful bullies. They may have killed King but they couldn't kill  
>>> the cause of
>>> justice that the bullies sought to deny.
>>>
>>> My question:
>>> Tell me a story of a time when you took a stand to respect the  
>>> dignity of yourself
>>> or a coworker?
>>>
>>> Rob
>>>
>>> Robert J. Voyle, Psy.D.
>>> Director, Clergy Leadership Institute
>>> For Coaching and Training in Appreciative Inquiry
>>> Author: Core Elements of the Appreciative Way
>>> http://www.clergyleadership.com/
>>> 503-647-2378 or 503-647-2382
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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