Thom Osborn:

Facile ? - Facilitating the Ecology of Human Organisations

Thom Osborn

I suggest there are two aspects to the sustainability of a human organisation. It must not be at odds with its environment. And it must not be at odds within itself. These two aspects are related. There is the balance of an established, successfully interacting human social organism: which can form a continuum with the wisdom of a complex natural system. Just as in nature there is an interface between competition and co-operation, so there is within human organisations, even within the psyche of an individual.

Facilitation is a word with a many-branched root: from deceptive ease to great skill. And in its practice, in groups and organisations, it also has many varieties. I plan for us to arrive at a view of facilitation which leads towards a sustainable ecology.

Strand: Sustainable Consciousness & Psychology

Type of event: Talk

Place:

Starts: 15:00

Ends: 16:00

Presenter's Personal/Professional Background: Thom Osborn

I have been a doctor and psychiatrist. I have worked in theatre and film as
writer and director, at times performer. I have worked with a wide variety of
groups and organisations, and for a number of years was closely involved with
the design and running of courses at the Polytechnic of North London and at
South-West London College, which acquired the title ‘self-directed’ but
equally deserved the title ‘collectively responsible’ - articles by me from this
time can be read on the Communitas website (see link below). I have been
an amateur trapeze artists; and (for 3 weeks) a goatherd. I have three
grown-up children and (much to my surprise) three teen-age grandchildren.

In recent years I have mostly focussed on film - have made two shorts which
were shown at festivals internationally, Getting Ready (picture below) and
Blemish (see website). I am currently trying to push two feature scripts.

Email: thomosborn@blueyonder.co.uk

Website: http://www.blemishthefilm.net

Recommended links: for short film 'Blemish': www.blemishthefilm.net
Image for short film 'Getting Ready'
for Communitas Project: www.communitas.co.uk/