開放空間會議網路社群裡，常常有很精彩的對話，在一問一答間，帶出OST的精神；也在問和答的對話過程中，將不同角落的人們串連了起來。這個網路社群是Harrson Owen等OST的先驅者，多年來同心協力所帶動起來的一個全球的分享討論社群，任何人祇要有興趣都可參與。
這一則對話是Harrison分享了一個朋友寫給他的談論對中東戰場傷害無辜者的痛心，人們分享了一些對戰爭的想法。社群裡有人提出對於〞OST可以打開善的空間〞的質疑，以及Harrison的回應，讓我看了非常心動，所以翻成中文跟大家分享。
Dania是Harrison Owen在一場「猶太人祭司和什葉派領導者」會議中所認識的一個來自印尼的年輕女孩，Harrison將他們的email往返內容跟大家做分享，並帶來一些回響跟對談。(摘要）
我很關心黎巴嫩境內的以色列和真主黨之間的戰爭，因到處都看得到報導，看到死傷者多數是兒童跟老人、住宅建築被轟炸，人們深受其苦…無處不在的新聞，讓我無處可逃。
收音機的新聞後，電台放了一首我所喜愛的歌（imagine)，二個不同的歌手分別以阿拉伯文、法文、英文唱這首歌。
這首歌我聽過無數次，但昨天我忍不住哭了…這個戰爭跟一切讓我難過極了，這個世界出了什麼問題？他們為什麼這麼做？為什麼他們不停戰，和平快樂地一起生活？和平有什麼不好？他們幹嘛不要？他們到底想要什麼？所有這一切何時才會結束？
我們可以做些什麼讓戰爭停止嗎？你、我和所有那些參加西班牙那場會議的宗教領導者們，我們不能做些什麼行動來讓戰爭停止嗎？我們不能做些什麼讓他們了解戰爭對誰都沒有好處嗎？
我找不到答案，我覺得好無助。
Dania wrote:
Dear Mr. Owen,
How are you? I'm Dania from Indonesia. I was a participant of the world
congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace in Seville, Spain, as a student of
Children of Abraham. I met you there. I hope you're still remember me
Mr. Owen, I'm very concerned about the war between Hezbollah and Israel in
Lebanon.. I read the news about it everywhere. Yesterday, I found a
newspaper on my boss' desk. I stole it (hihihihi) while she was having lunch
and read the news about Hezbollah and Israel. People died in Lebanon, most
of them are children and old people. They bombed houses, buildings.. oh my
God, I couldn't stand read it. I saw the news on the TV, too. They showed
the picture of the victims in lebanon, the children, the amunitions, people
suffered...
On my way back home from the office, I turned my radio on and heard the news
about Hezbollah and Israel (again and again and again!).after the news, they
played one of my favourite songs, Imagine, sang by 2 singers, an arabic man
and a french woman. they sang the song in 3 languages: arabic, french, and
english. it was beautiful. i've heard this song many times, but when I heard
it yesterday, I cried.. I was very upset about this war and all. whjat is
wrong with this world?? why do they do that? what for? Can't they stop the
war, make peace, and live happily together? what's wrong with peace? why do
they reject peace? what do they want now? when is it going to be over?
Can we do something to stop the war, Mr. Owen? Me, you, and the Imams and
Rabbis who attended the congress in Seville? Can we take action? What can we
do to stop the war? what can we do to make them realize that war won't do
any good?
I can't find any answer for these questions.. I feel hopeless.
Dania
〈Harrison的回答〉我對你的印像很深刻。
對你所說的真主黨和以色列之間的…
我想這件事是人類歷史上的遺憾時刻之一，
許多事我們該做卻沒有去做；加上許多我們不該做卻做了的事--在發生效應。
就好像我們沒有好好照顧自己的健康，突然發現自己被感染而發燒了，發燒有一定的過程要經歷，燒早晚是會退的，祇是不知道燒是否會在造成重大傷害前就褪去，仍待觀察。
當人，是一個持續的學習過程，有時這個學習可能是很痛苦的，人類最大的悲劇是不學習。所以，我並不會覺得無助或沒有希望，我當然沒有辦法去拉開真主黨和以色列，我也不認為那些認為自己有辦法做到的人（總統、國王、祭司、什葉派領袖等）就做的比我好。即使他們在黎巴嫩成功了----潛在的因素沒有消解掉，有一天還會再發起燒來的。所以，怎麼辦呢？
我，打算繼續去打開空間，讓像你這麼棒的人可以浸潤在你所說的〞遊戲場〞裡，在裡面，真的人、不同的人會互相尊重，如果你也想做些什麼，歡迎你也來加入這打開空間的行列。
I replied:
Of course I remember you! And with great affection!! As for Hezbollah and
Isreal. . . I am afraid that this may be one of those times in Human history
when all the things we should done and did not, along with all the things we
should not have done and did -- now come due. It is rather like the
situation when we do not take care of our health and suddenly we find that
we have a bad infection and a fever. That fever will now run it's course.
Sooner or later it will break but whether that break occurs before major
damage has been done, or after, remains to be seen. Being a Human Being is a
constant learning process, and sometimes that learning can be very painful.
But the greatest tragedy would be not to learn. So for my self, I feel
neither helpless nor hopeless. To be sure I do not have the power to
separate Israel and Hezbollah, nor do I think that those who may think they
have the power (Presidents, Kings, Imams, Rabbis, etc) could do any better.
And even if they were to be successful in Lebanon -- the underlying causes
would remain, and the fever would break out again. So what to do? Speaking
only for my self, I intend to keep opening space so that wonderful people
such as you can experience that "playground" (as you called it) in which
real people with real differences can meet each other with respect. And if
you are looking for something to do right now -- you could try the same
thing.
God Luck! And thank you for remembering me!!
Harrison
**********************************************************
跟著Josef提出以下的質疑：
我是這裡的新人，我最近才看到OST的概念，並開始研究OST的各種可能性。我是一個藝術家，所以很難不去看到開放空間的想法跟藝術創作過程的相似性，不論是畫圖、作詩或雕塑皆然。
既然現在有戰爭，我想寫一點關於如果祇是去打開空間，卻不去了解忽略邪惡的出發點可能會帶來的鴻溝，增加和善意的對立。
看到各位關於黎巴嫩和以色列之間戰爭的討論，我覺得各位都獻忽略了打開惡念或邪惡可能帶來的力量。
例如讓西方文化裡的愚蠢有了發展空間，完全忽視了好戰的伊斯蘭教者的惡念，雖然他們根本鄙視西方文化所珍惜的善與價值？
又如，打開歐洲國家容許他們的生意人販賣可以製造武器的毀滅性知識的謊言和藉口，然後讓人們在全球煽動各種恐怖活動？
還有黎巴嫩政府讓真主黨的致命意圖有空間發展？
這些沒有問題嗎？
你憑什麼認定空間祇會為愛與善而開？空間不是沒有限制的嗎？
你憑什麼以為否認惡念的存在，不會反而直接增強了被你不想面對的部份的力量？
不管是有意或無意的打開了邪惡的空間，都不是新鮮的事，而且向來會讓人離善意的人越來越遠。
打開善念的空間是不夠的，人們也必須為否認自己所不想面對的惡念而負責，以為只要掩蓋住就可以不去面對祇是不過你的假象；
你知道嗎？時候已經到了，多數生活在西方自由國度的你們，將必須面對你們的想法所導致的可笑處境，讓恐怖份子跟你一起坐在開放空間的圓圈裡，並允許你自由地依你的意願行事。
你相信，如果跟Ben Laden一起做過開放空間，可能阻止了攻擊世貿大樓的事件嗎？
Hello to all
I am new in this place. I joined the list after discovering recently the concept of OST and
ever since I am studying this idea with it's many possibilities and connotations.
As an artist I couldn't ignore the many similarities between some of the ideas of OST and
the opening of space for the creative flow within a framework of art making be it a
painting, a poem, apiece of sculpture etc.
But since it is a time of war I thought to write few words about the negative connotations
of opening space without realizing how denials of evil intent open the gap in opposition to
any good intent of loving people everywhere.
Reading some of your letters here regarding the war between Lebanon and Israel I couldn't not notice how much some of you seem to disregard the power of opening space for bad intent if not plain old evil.
How about opening space for stupidity of the western cultures who still disregard the bad
intent of the militant Islam that despises most of what the western cultures regard as good
and valuable?
How about opening space for deceits and evasions of the European countries that allow their business corporations to sell any lethal knowledge that turns out to be the weapons that are used to instigate terrorists activities around the globe?
What about the Lebanese government that opened space for murderous intent of the Hezbollah ?
Why do you think that space is limited only to love and good? Isn't space unlimited by
definition?
Where did you got the idea that disregarding evil intent by denying it's existence will not
open space in direct proportion to the force with which it is being denied?
Opening space for evil (knowingly or not) is nothing new and it has always created the gap
that feeds on the denials of people of good intent everywhere.
It is not enough to open space for good intent. You must accept responsibility for your own
denials that you throw into the gap in superstitious belief that if you dispose of your bad
intent by denying it into the gap you will not have to face it one day.
Well, the day has arrived and guess what? Most of you in the free western society will have
to face how ludicrous is your belief that terrorists will sit with you in open space circles
and allow you the freedom of doing things in your own way.
Do you believe that perhaps opening space with Bin Laden could have prevented the attack on the WTC?
All the best
Josef from Tel Aviv
*******************************************************
Harrison做了下面的回應：我沒有把握，如果有機會跟Ben Laden或者為他打開空間，事情是否就會好些，但是我倒很確定：如果我們（我指我們所有的人）曾盡力為世人圢開空間，因而讓人類生活過程中必然會出現的混亂、困擾和衝突都在爆發前找到出路，那麼這個世上的Ben Laden就很難找到引火的燃料了。這件事沒成功，所以火被引爆了，然而我深信，如果我們曾經那麼做了，事情一定會不同於現在的，而且，祇要我們現在動手，事情也還是可以不一樣的。
我個人從未曾看過那一場開放空間會議是的出發是惡意的，在所有的開放空間會議裡，我看到的是：平凡的人們，有著不同的模樣、帶著各種渴望、經驗和熱情而來，即便是像在中東那種有激烈暴力衝突的環境，在我所參加的開放空間會議裡，人們仍很快地找到彼此的共同點而不是歧異處；雖然談話過程既大聲又針鋒相對，然而卻是帶著相互的尊重在進行的--然後轉換希望和信任，甚而建立情感連結，就像我最近在西班牙的Seville，和數百位猶太祭司和什葉派教派領導者(Rabbis and Imams)共度的開放空間會議一樣。或者幾年前在羅馬的、規模小一點的以色列和巴勒斯坦政治團體的那一場，情況也是類似的。有興趣看這一場故事的朋友可以連到http://openspaceworld.com/opening_space_for_peace.htm流覽。(中文翻譯在開拓文教基金會的網站上也有http://www.frontier.org.tw/ost/peace.htm)
我們知道每個社會總都會有些精神異常或者好戰者，然而，祇要那個社會的的空間是夠開放的（除了OST，還有很多打開空間的方法），這些人的偏差部份會被稀釋，他們所產生的有害毒素也會被蒸發掉。如果，相反地，我們把空間關掉，築起高牆，並試著操縱和控制，這些毒素反會被集中而成為致命的東西。
我想我們都清楚這些的，我認為這並不是道德倫理的議題，而是適當的引導疏通的工作，雖然後者可能才最高的道德。
事實上，人類每天都在製造有毒的副產品，這是不可避免且是非常自然的，祇有生命消逝才會停止，這當然也不是我心中所樂見的。關鍵在於如何不斷地沖刷更新系統--讓生命保持流動是需要許多空間的。
我同意這可能不是最精緻的作法，也有人會評論說OST不過是社群的沖水馬桶--可是它真的有效呀。
Josef --
I am not sure that Opening Space with or for Ben Laden would have done much good, but I am pretty sure that had we (that would be all of us) diligently opened space for the peoples of the world so that the chaos, confusion and conflict that inevitably occur in the course of
human living might have found resolution prior to explosion -- the Ben Ladens of this world
would find little fuel for their fires. That did not happen and the fires are burning. It
could have been different, I believe -- and may still be different if we get to work.
Personally, I have never seen an Open Space for "bad intent if not plain old evil." What shows up in all the Open Spaces I have experienced is just plain people, who come in all shapes and sizes with multiple desires, histories and passions. Even in violently conflicted environments, such as the Open Spaces I have been part of in The Middle East, the people soon found themselves with more in common than difference. To be sure the conversations were loud and confrontational -- but for the most part, they were conducted with respect -- which often turned into hope and trust, and strangely, even affection. Recently in Seville where I found myself in the midst of several hundred Rabbis and Imams, that was the case. And several years ago in Rome, with a smaller, but much more political group of Israelis and Palestinians, the situation was the same. For the story you might check --
(http://openspaceworld.com/opening_space_for_peace.htm)
To be sure there are psychopaths and thugs. Every society has them -- but when the space of that society is keep open (there are multiple ways to open space in addition to OST) -- the pathology of such people can be marginalized and the toxins they produce flushed away. Alternatively, when we close space, build walls, seek to dominate and control these same toxins are concentrated and eventually become lethal. We know all about that, I think. To me it is less a matter of morals and ethics and more about good plumbing, although maybe this is the ultimate ethic and morality. The fact of the matter is that everyday human life produces toxic by-products. It is inevitable and quite natural and may be prevented only
with the cessation of life, which is not quite what I would have in mind. The critical
issues is to keep flushing the system -- and that requires lot of space in order to keep
things moving. I grant you this may not be the most delicate way to put things, and one
might conclude that OST is simply the community commode -- but it seems to work.
Harrison
website ：
http://www.openspaceworld.com社群裡的對話仍在進行中，有機會再為大家摘譯更多…
為期3天的第二屆亞太綠人大會（APGN），4月30日在天母國際會議中心，正式展開。第一天登場的，是有別於以往會議型態的「開放空間會議」（open space）；用最自由、開放的方式，讓每個與參與者不分國籍、不分年齡、性別，自發性的形成不限大小的組別，討論自己認為最重要的、也最充滿熱情參與的環境、人權等議題；以亞太綠人大會的主旨「公平分攤」（Fair Share）為大會主題，希望許我們的地球一個綠色的未來。
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