“Fusion of Eastern and Western Principles - Creating Sustainable Development through OD"
GODS 2009 is
an excitingly unique forum: members
of the Asia OD Network and IODA
come together for the first time.
The extraordinary opportunity for
creating something profound and
path-breaking, something that can
have global ramifications, presents
itself. What is possible in and
for OD when ‘east meets west’?
Coming together
of any two entities can produce
an ‘and’. In ‘and’ the
distinct features of the entities
that come together are maintained;
in some ways the features ‘add
on’ and this addition is
more powerful than each of the
entities being on their own. This
kind an ‘and’ has its
own place, and this needs to be
acknowledged and respected.
When two entities
come together, they can also produce
something far beyond the ‘and’ as
above; this happens through fusion,
not through addition. ‘Fusion’ means
union – something that is
made into one by a combination
of many. Fusion is about merging
of diverse, distinct, or separate
elements into a unified whole.
In fusion, oneness is created;
the ‘one’ that is created
has features that are completely
different from the added features
of the individual entities. Consider
different metals fusing to create
an alloy as an example of this
phenomenon of fusion. Consider
the probably more enlivening example
of the sperm and ovum fusing to
create a new human being. Fusion
is also about release of enormous
energy: while the individual entities
that fuse have their own individual
energies, the energy that results
from fusion is enormously more
powerful than the power of the ‘added’ energies.
Thus, fusion brings about creation,
oneness, newness and enormous energy.
Formally,
the field of OD is considered to
have been born and developed in
the West. It has developed a variety
of features over time. There is
a rich body of knowledge and wisdom
on OD derived from years of thinking
and practice. A vast number of
scholars and practitioners have
been involved in the iterative
process of thinking and doing to
contribute to growing and developing
OD as a unique field in its own
right. These people have blended
various disciplines to create OD
as a distinct field. One can see
traces of fusion happening here.
East has, by and large, applied
and adapted OD as developed in
the West. Lessons from these applications
and adaptations have contributed
to OD.
Alongside, the
East has diverse and enormous wisdom
that are relevant for OD thought
and practice. This wisdom has hundreds
of years of heritage. Recent developments
in OD see attempts to incorporate
this ancient wisdom into OD practice.
OD of the West
has deep roots in the empiricism
of behavioral and social ‘science’;
the Eastern-Oriental wisdom is
deeply philosophical and spiritual.
The very thought of what is possible
when thinking and practice from
the distinct worlds of science,
philosophy and spirituality fuse
is fascinating: a ‘new’ OD
that is holistic and wholesome!
Even as individual streams and
sub-streams of OD maintain their
individuality and their rightful
places to contribute.
The new, holistic
and wholesome OD that is created
through fusion has the potential
to release enormous energy that
can enormously contribute to the
oneness of humanity that globalization
has triggered. This will be fruition
of fusion that we intend in this
GODS 2009.
Let us look at
fusion is another area – music.
Fusion music is a result of fusion
of different genres of music. Exhilaration
and enchantment of fusion music
is enhanced when the performing
artistes are have deep expertise
in their respective genres; have
a deep understanding, appreciation
and respect of the other genre;
and are humble to fuse with one
another. Artistes of these qualities
are committed to creating something
new thereby enriching the whole
realm of music significantly. In
GODS 2009, we invite and request
OD thinkers and practitioners to
bring forth these qualities. Just
imagine what kind of results we
can produce when those who are
being these qualities engage in
committed conversations to make
a difference to OD and thus humanity!
Conversations
that can make this possibility
real can be on, but not restricted
to:
What concrete results are needed
to be produced in the context
of organizations, communities,
society and humanity that we
foresee in the future?
What features to fuse together
in what kind of interventions
to produce these kinds of results
Expertise in what all need be
deepened in whom? How do we bring
about understanding, appreciation
and respect to various ‘genres’ of
OD among proponents of other
genres on an on-going basis?
How do we bring to speed the
world-wide practice, theorizing,
education, training, research
and consulting in what we together
create in this Summit? How do
we build and sustain commitment
to this?
The theme paper is jointly developed by Mr. Vasudevan, (ISABS), Prof. Vasanthi Srinivasan (IIM B), Prof. C Balaji (Symphoney Services). Vinaya Shetty (Vin Management
Consultants, Mumbai) and Dr R Mohanakrishnan
(FRED)
