[Ailist] Positive Core of America: responsibility

[Mary-Alice Arthur]

Hello all!

I've been following this thread with interest.  I'd like to add to the
conversation about 'responsibility' the two words 'connectedness' and
'engagement', because I think they help to grow the capacity for
response-ability.

In November last year I was in Japan, one of a facilitator team at an
international development conference.  We were working on the 10 UN themes
and my facilitation partner and I were leading the group on 'Disconnection
and Barriers to Engagement'.  Now all of the themes are stated in this
negative way, which makes them very difficult to get excited about and even
harder to feel like there is hope or an answer.  It didn't surprise me at
all that the sign announcing our space fell off on the first day and would
not allow itself to become reattached to the wall!
 
Through the five days the group worked on this topic, we had very
interesting conversations, and one stayed with me.  The group had been asked
to take part in an Appreciative interview in twos and we had one group of
three.  The two young women in the trio agreed they got connected with other
people first, then they got engaged.  The young man said he got engaged
first, then he got connected.  They drew a little circular diagram that
connected the words 'connection' and 'engagement'.
 
They then went further and defined 'connection' as something that happens to
you -- a feeling.  You can become connected to something or someone without
even being able to understand it.  'Engagement' however, they defined as an
action; acting on the connection you feel.  I had never heard it defined so
simply.
 
The group went on the put ME/WE as the central part of our work (and if you
can imagine ME on top of WE you will see that they are actually reflections
of each other in word form).  We came to the conclusion that if ME and WE
are beautiful reflections of each other and individual and community
well-being are beautiful reflections of each other, then the world is a
beautiful place.
 
This seems very simple, but, in fact is a very radical idea, if you place it
in Japan, where WE dominates and overpowers ME or the in the US, were ME
overwhelms and overshadows WE.
 
Years ago there was a cover story on FAST COMPANY about Yahoo called 'Love
is the killer app'.  I believe it is so. If we loved enough there would be
no power plays at work.  If we loved enough there would be no war.  If we
loved enough there would be no hunger or global desolation through our
actions.  Imagine a business where leaders loved what they were doing, where
people loved each other into their best expression, where people loved
working and clients loved doing business.  This would be the type of world
where we would naturally take responsibility because it would be an
outpouring of our love.
 
Loving enough IS a radical act.  I am continually asking myself whether I am
up to it.

Blessings,

Mary Alice



Mary-Alice Arthur
SOAR
PO Box 10-868
Wellington
New Zealand
mobile:  +64-21-687-627
email:  mary-alice at getsoaring.com
web:  http://www.getsoaring.com