Virtual Teams LO5059

Ray Evans Harrell (mcore@soho.ios.com)
Tue, 23 Jan 1996 03:58:11 -0500

Replying to LO5048 --

>Replying to LO4965 --
>Rachel Vance said:
>I am taken aback by the vision of a virtual team which so seamlessly
>includes participants from remote areas (ala Amazon example) along with
>Swiss, Japanese and other technologically advanced locations. We're
>missing some basic understanding of global realities if this is a future
>we think can exist.
>
>As African or Tibetian villages tentatively enter the information age,
>their myths, assumptions, values, beliefs and entire social infrastructure
>will undergo total destruction. If the industrialized world's response is
>to simply "teach them technology and team skills," then we're exhibiting
>economic and social hubris not seen on this planet since the Roman empire.
>It's great to be a part of a group where discussions like these can take
>place on the internet; now maybe we should think a bit about how the
>entire world will be impacted by these technologies and start working to
>manage their introduction more humanely.

Rachel,

I am grateful for your sensitivity to the possibility of technological
imperialism on this one, however; if the technology does not insist that
financial imperialism go along with it. i.e. you give me your land, your
trees, your daughters for my workers, or your religion for mine there is
little problem with the acceptance of new tools.

I know this goes against the modern myths but shamanic or traditional
cultures are very adaptable as long as the physical and spiritual
destruction does not follow the technological gifts. There are many
traditional peoples here in NYC including my own, that function perfectly
well as long as the power structure of the dominant society does not
intrude. Pagans and all of that. It was 1936 when my Father was granted
the right to be an adult, by the society, even though he had been a
teacher for ten years and would become Dr. Harrell. It was 1978 that we
were given the right to practice our religion in society "Freedom of
Religion Act for Native Americans" by the dominant society, until then we
had to hide. You have many Mayan people who come here and fit into the
technology comfortably even though they spent their early life in rural
jungle situations. They don't cease to be Mayan just because they use a
computer.

Again, I want to praise your sensitivity and thank you. I would also like
to point out that observation, is the beginning of our spiritual practices
which are based in the world. The world is our teacher and is filled with
systems theory. We are very comfortable with systems thought. Our
concepts of time and space are studied by Quantum Physicists and Poets.
Our understanding that the world is a web of systems that must be
preserved is not so far from the virtual web. We just believe that we are
a system of people within a larger system that we are responsible for
preserving. We call this the sacred circle and Mr. Deming drew it in the
book that I have. The Japanese knew as well for they also are a
traditional people. As for team theory. Peter Senge quoted us and used
our graphic in the front of his book. I assume he understood that we
learn to think together and to act responsibly. Responsible to the
Elders, to our neighbors, to the children, to the Earth, to the Creative,
and to all consciousness on this planet. There are no objects, the world
is alive and each piece of life has its own consciousness and expertise.
We are all systems of information that relates to one another in natural
ways. We must be students of that life for that brings meaning to ours.
Computers belong. That's why if you press Alt Native you will find us all
over the place. Even in LO groups.

Thank you again Rachel, you are obviously a person of heart.

Gregory Bateson made a point about the negotiation between our eyes to
decide what reality is. That is the circle that we sit around and
negotiate with each other to meditate reality into existence, whether we
do it with awareness or with our unconsciousness. Sometimes I would trust
the unconscious more. It is not likely to decide to do something
deliberately against itself. I cannot say the same for a lot of the
theories that effect our families lives with no feeling, no heart and very
rudimentary morals.

Thank you Rachel for the opportunity to talk from my heart. May we
together come up with a more respectful dialogue. That doesn't mean we
can't yell. We are a very spirited group.

Yours

--
Ray Evans Harrell
mcore@soho.ios.com