I have worked closely with Samson Joseph, 32, for the past six years. He is a skilled practitioner of Open Space and Reflection Circles and uses these methods as an integrated part of his work as a volunteer with Rotalpha, a literacy initiative of the Rotary Clubs of Haiti. He has degrees in accounting and sociology. Ideally, he would be using his skills in a job that provides a regular paycheck. But, like two-thirds of Haiti’s work force, Samson has not been able to find this. Nonetheless, here are several examples of how he’s been able to put food on the table and to serve as an agent of change in his country: teaching factory workers to read and write earning a stipend from the factory owner, receiving contracts to participate in program evaluations with Rotalpha and Limye Lavi, writing and publishing a small booklet for helping high school students achieve better academic performance.
Below are excerpts from a report Samson wrote recently. The Welcoming Center, which is a Haitian institution that helps hundreds of children (referred to as restaveks) each year to escape a life of servitude, contracted Samson to do a six month long training program:
It has been more than six months since I began working with a group of directors from numerous schools, of teachers withThe Welcoming Center (FCCM), and other friends. I was helping them to become skilled facilitators of Reflection Circle and Open Space methods. They are already using these methods in their work. The training began with 12 active participants and ended with 39. Participants came from a variety of schools in Port-au-Prince and Leogane. A total of 46 people have participated in some aspect of the training.
I met with the group every week for a two-hour Reflection Circle session during a six-month period. We also conducted three seperate one-day gatherings in Open Space with themes decided by participants.
Comments in the closing circle of our final gathering were enthusiastic. Here’s an example: “Reflection Circles and Open Space activities are like a university for us: they help us to improve our lives. These methods help us to become more tolerant and respectful at home, with our colleagues, and with students. We are better equipped to help timid students to overcome their fear of speaking.”
During the final Open Space meeting that was held at the end of the six month training program, the group decided to convene on their own on February 7 to discuss their plan for follow-up. Brother Saint Vistal Pierre, The Welcoming Center’s founding director, distributed a summary of the February 7 meeting. In it he shared: “During the closing circle of 20 people, there was much discussion about conflict—even war, and the people’s hunger for power. Every person shared his or her reflections. The point that emerged over and over is this: educating children in school and at home in a way that develops in them tolerance and sound principles is the key to avoiding war and strife in the future.”