STORIES, the
Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
Issue 5, March 2002
Purpose of the
Newsletter
The purpose of
the newsletter is to make our stories available to each other so that we
continue to learn and grow. We hope they
will serve you for education, examples, connection and pleasure.
This newsletter
is intended for the use of friends and members of the Open Space Institute
(US). It may be reproduced in any useful
way with acknowledgement. When copying,
please include the author/contact/ publication at the end of each story.
In This Issue:
1--Notes from
the Editor
2--Open Space
Technology for Peace and Prosperity
3--Journalism
that Matters
4--Spirited
Work at Whidbey Institute
5--Strategic
Planning in Open Space
6--Trust the
People
7--Using New
Technology for Convergence
8--Update on
Open Space in Organizations
9--Coming
Events
*********************************************************
NOTES FROM THE
EDITOR
Joelle Lyons
Spring arrived
on March 20 in
“Be prepared to
be surprised” has been a useful mantra in the past year, as world events have
often swirled out of our control. In
calling for stories for this issue, I asked the questions, “Is the world changing?
Am I?” I think you’ll enjoy reading the many responses from your colleagues, stories of OST working toward peace in India and conscious journalism in the US, an exciting learning community, space opened for strategic planning with some surprising outcomes, testing new technology for convergence and, especially heartening, OST becoming business-as-usual!
May our eyes be
open to the springtime around us, may our hearts have enough open space for
what life brings.
Joelle
Everett jleshelton@aol.com
*********************************************************
OPEN SPACE
TECHNOLOGY FOR PEACE AND PROSPERITY
Arun Wakhlu,
Pragati Foundation, Pune, India
At the outset,
I would like to express my deep gratitude to Harrison Owen
for
bringing the beautiful process of
Opening Space to so many of us.
Also, I am
personally indebted to Anne Stadler for being my Initiator, Guru, Mentor and
Fellow traveller on the beautiful journey.
I am also grateful to Fr. Brian Bainbridge, Anil Sachdev, Dinesh
Chandra, Peggy Holman and many beloved friends who are working as instruments
of love and light on Earth.
This brief note
describes the use of Open Space Technology for two related conferences held at
Asia Plateau, Panchgani (120 KMs from Pune in Western India) in August 2001 and
February 2002. Both these conferences
addressed the issue of people working together to make a difference towards
restoring Peace and Prosperity in areas, which have seen a lot of violence and
explosive conflict. Both conferences were between people harbouring a lot of
mistrust.
The two conferences
were:
1. Indo - Pakistan People to People Dialogue
for Peace and Prosperity,
8th - 11th
August 2001, 54 participants.
A growing mass
of well-meaning people, in India and Pakistan, believe that the time has come
to positively & consciously bring about a shift in mind-sets, which alone
can lead to outer changes and long-term friendship between the two countries.
A group of such
people, led by the Pragati Foundation in Pune, India, and
the Foundation
for Human and Economic Development, USA, had a very inspiring and energizing Indo-Pak dialogue at Panchgani
in the summer of 2001 (8th -11th August 2001 ). It was probably for the first
time since 1947, that Pakistanis and Indians, including Kashmiris, sat together
at one table, in a spirit of Friendship, Amity and Dialogue and came up with a
shared understanding of what we need to do, to bring about permanent Peace.
One of the
resolutions adopted at Panchgani was that another dialogue should be held, in
which the people of undivided J & K could share their authentic heritage
and voice their true collective aspirations. It was agreed that the true voice
of the people of J & K needs to be heard and their deepest aspirations need
to guide actions on the future of the state.
The next
conference was aimed at the above objective.
2. All J&K People to People Dialogue for
Peace and Prosperity,
12th - 15th
February 2002, 62 participants.
This dialogue
was aimed at bringing together seriously committed people, from the whole of
Jammu and Kashmir state, in a very inspiring setting. We sought the guidance of
Love in silence, besides dialoguing, to come up with practical solutions and
proposals for lasting Peace and Prosperity for the people of J & K as a
whole.
In this
dialogue, the purpose was to get together, listen to each other and
re-connect back
with the rich and glorious Spiritual, Aesthetic,
Intellectual
and Universal heritage (including Kashmiriyat) of J&K. one that has a
tremendous relevance in today's times. We intended to work together for Peace
and Prosperity for all, inspired by the Universal Spirit, which has guided us
all through the ages. This dialogue and reconnection, gave the participants a
chance to reconnect with the Underlying Values that forge the Kashmiri Spirit,
and realize how deeply they draw from the Human Principles of Love, Brotherhood
and the Universal Oneness of all humankind. It was also felt that a solution to
the problem of poor Indo-Pak relations, and to the Kashmir issue, can be found
within these values.
Both conferences
were very successful. Open Space
Technology was used in both cases. Here's why I think OST helped so much:
1. One of the needs in the Indian Sub
Continent, and Jammu & Kashmir in particular is for people to take
responsibility for co-creating a future, which is deeply desired by all. Open
Space Technology (OST) gave people an experiential feel of the process of
co-creation. It was a direct way of
experiencing the power of Freedom / Responsibility.
2. The process of opening space opened peoples'
hearts. In situations of conflict and
misunderstanding this is most important for building trust and courage. In both the conferences participants
commented on how the open, loving atmosphere created in the conference was
helpful in healing and re-conciliation.
3. The process of OST and the focus on
listening to each other with respect, and honouring all voices gave many an
opportunity to voice their feelings freely.
For many people who had never found such a forum, this brought immense
relief and deep satisfaction. It was also an affirmation of the basic human
right of free expression. It also was an eye opener for people to hear about
others problems.
4. There were many moments when people
paused in silence to listen to Heart / Spirit / Inner guidance. This brought in a sacred dimension in the
proceeding. Since silence is neither
Hindu nor Muslim nor Buddhist, it was whole-heartedly accepted by all. In an atmosphere
charged with religious mistrust, it gave people a feel of the Peace that
transcends religion.
5. In both the conferences, there was a lot
of sharing of the practical house work at the conference centre (Dish washing,
serving food, cleaning up, laying the tables etc). When you do such things with "the
enemy", one strongly realize the basic commonality of life and human
needs. This was a powerful means of
connecting us back to our intrinsic humanness.
6. Because of the unbounded field of human
expression that OST provides for, many creative expressions like skits, songs,
dances, celebrations, humour and meditation emerged. These helped to bring people into the space
of feelings / heart and thereby helped integration. This was further helped by the cultural
programmes that were part of both conferences in the evenings.
7. The beauty of the physical environment
(Asia Plateau, Panchagani,
Western India),
and the proximity to a lush green forest, and the view of mountains, a lake and
open sky, connected people to the elements. This further created a sense of wholeness
and integration.
8. The Law of Two Feet, paying attention,
being present, and showing up all brought people into integrity. This is the
same as reconnection with
spirit. Ultimately, it is spirit that heals,
reunites, inspires and gives
faith and
courage for creative action.
9. Many initiatives have rippled out of
these two conferences.
With further
conversations and invitations, the ripples of loving action and responsibility
will reach out still further.
Arun
Wakhlu pragatifoundation@vsnl.net
for STORIES,
Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
For more
details about these conferences, visit www.pragatifoundation.org
*********************************************************
JOURNALISM THAT
MATTERS
Peggy Holman
and Stephen Silha, USA
PRE-SET: September 21, 10 days after the tragedy of
September 11, we are on the phone with the president of the Associated Press
Managing Editors (APME), a North American association of newspaper
editors. After talking with many people
he has made the decision to proceed with the APME annual conference in 3
weeks. What tipped the balance in this
difficult decision? A new concept:
whoever comes is the right people. The
entire agenda is recast in these three weeks, including the theme of the
Newsroom Summit and Open Space scheduled to end the conference. 9/11 sharpened our focus, had us asking what
was really important? Our theme changed
from "Saving Journalism" to "Journalism that Matters."
THE CONFERENCE
SCENE: In addition to the horrors of
September 11, the anthrax scare is now in the air. Newspaper editors from all over North America
are here. As outsiders, we watched,
fascinated by the roller coaster ride these folks are experiencing. They are covering a deeply horrific story,
one in which many are directly affected.
At the same time, they are celebrating.
Circulation, which has been dropping for the last twenty years, is
skyrocketing. Stories of teenagers
reading newspapers - unheard of - are rampant.
There is a feeling that what they do is an important public service and
that they are rising to the occasion: newsrooms and business offices,
traditionally at odds, come together making decisions based on what's best for
informing the public. Unselfish acts
abound. For example, the AP makes its
photo service, normally cost prohibitive for smaller papers, available for
whoever wishes access. The participants
are caught in an emotional tidal wave, buffeted by grief, loss, and disbelief,
exhilarated by increased circulation and readership. The question on every mind: how do we keep
this new audience?
THE
SUMMIT: It is the last event of the
conference. We open Friday evening with
the format that was the norm for every session.
There is a panel of experts discussing journalism that matters. In 45 minutes, we invite everyone next door,
into a room with low lighting, soft music, and small round tables set for
groups of four. We invite them into a
World Café conversation. This is the
first time that people are invited to do something other than listen to
experts. The good news: they have a
great time (no surprises here). The bad
news (from our colleague on the inside): they're having the same conversation
they've been having for the last twenty years.
Good insight for the open space!
Saturday
morning, the room is set, chairs in a circle.
Early arrivers stare at the room, deeply distrustful of this strange set
up. (We learned during a previous
session that research found newsroom cultures to be almost uniformly
defensive. In fact, their defensiveness
surpassed even the military and health care.)
We open the space, raising the bar by challenging editors to take their
conversations to new places. We
encourage them to move beyond the same old gripes and explore new
possibilities. As always, topics are
posted. And something we've never seen
before - two topics are posted AFTER people leave for their sessions. Turns out the conveners are uncomfortable
announcing them in public. The
conversations are INTENSE. There is
little use of two feet as people huddle in tight-knit circles of chairs. The voices of participating high school and
college journalists help take the conversations to new places. Closing remarks
are filled with the usual accolades. One
person summed it up: "I got more ideas out of this morning than out of the
rest of the conference."
WHAT'S NEXT: Sunday morning, we meet with the board. It is unanimous. They want more. Two people volunteer their states for the
next "Journalism that Matters" summit. We've accomplished our purpose, the
conversations will continue. You see,
this open space was conceived as a step in an ambitious project. We wish to invite journalists into revisiting
the essential purpose and practice of their profession by convening
conversations in every state and province, using a network of OS practitioners
from around North America. For us, the
desire to do this comes through learnings from Appreciative Inquiry: the
stories we tell ourselves shape the way we see and behave in the world; the
questions we ask are fateful, directing attention to what we notice and what
remains unseen. In addition, our work in organizations has led us to conclude
that the communication system is a powerful "strange attractor" in
social systems, accelerating and sustaining change. Journalists are our collective storytellers,
asking questions on our behalf. At the
heart of our communications system, journalists are uniquely positioned to
contribute to the greater good through the stories they tell.
We believe Open
Space is the ideal ground for journalists to re-invent their craft. If you have something to contribute (funding,
ideas, good wishes), let us know!
P.S. Journalists take great notes! They did the best job of capturing the
conversations that we've ever seen. Take
a peek at www.opencirclecompany.com/0110NewsroomSummitReport.htm
Peggy
Holman peggy@opencirclecompany.com
Stephen
Silha ssilha@aol.com
for STORIES,
Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
*********************************************************
SPIRITED WORK
AT THE WHIDBEY INSTITUTE
Anne Stadler,
USA
Spirited Work
is a Whidbey Institute program which began the winter of
1999, and is
now preparing to enter its fourth cycle (2002).
It meets seasonally face to face and is linked in an on-line learning
community supported by BigMindMedia.
Spirited Work has involved more than 90 people. About twenty-five are repeating participants.
It has evolved from a program offering of the
Whidbey Institute into a learning community of practice serving as a laboratory
for co-creative collective leadership.
Our practice has been grounded in the fundamentals of Open Space Technology,
and Angeles Arrien’s work: The Four Fold Way. Each of us takes responsibility
for what has heart and meaning: for evolving our selves, the collective, and
our service in the world. We are
learning to live open space principles and the Four Fold Way in our daily
lives. We are also opening space for
organizational forms based on our practice.
A diverse group
of people has been attracted--from the arts, from corporate life, educators,
service providers, non-profit directors, old, young and in-between. Our community includes a native American,
Vietnamese, Chinese, African American, African, Bahamian, Indian, Caucasian--so
we experience a multiplicity of life experiences and cultures. Our commitment
to openness and inclusion has welcomed whoever is attracted. This has resulted in participation of people
from overseas as well as visitors to the Whidbey Institute who happen to be
there during one of our seasonal gatherings. People bring their children and
there are two young girls who have attended regularly with their parents.
Self-organizing
using Open Space methodology has led to people expressing themselves creatively
in all modalities: art, poetry, music, dance, theater, clearing trails, tending
the land, making new additions to the material well-being of the Whidbey
Institute. We express spirit in
practical action for the benefit of our community life as well as in our work
in the world. So we "chop wood, carry water", e.g., do our dishes,
cleanup after ourselves, and help set up and put away whatever we use, and we
take responsibility for the exchange of money and material level of our group
life as well.
Spirited Work
emphasizes linking spirit to practical action on behalf of the collective as
well as in the world. Thus, the
Stewards, a circle leadership model, has evolved for convening and managing
Spirited Work. Organizational
initiatives such as Watershed Legacy, Bountiful Table, Peacetrees Vietnam, and
Heartspeak: A Gathering of Grandmothers have benefited from the practice ground
provided by Spirited Work. Participants
have applied their learnings in corporate life and higher education, too.
In Spirited
Work, the Whidbey Institute has a maturing and alchemic community of practice,
grounded in principle, animated by spirit, connected both face to face and
on-line. Appreciative inquiry is a
method used for tracking the emergence of spirit. Methods, such as Process Work, which honor
and bring forward all voices, facilitate deep democracy group processes. Story-telling and poetry are habits of
communication. All ages and people from
many different backgrounds express multiple patterns of making meaning.
Open Space has
provided the framework for the evolution of a conscious
collective. Collective wisdom arises from reflection on
experience. The
Four Fold Way
provides a frame and focus for personal growth and leadership‹as well as for
collective growth and maturity.
We feel we are a unique resource for the study
of collective intelligence and spiritual wisdom. As I read the Fetzer Report, "Centered
on the Edge,” I noticed over and over I was saying: "Yes, we experience that in Spirited
Work. Yes, we have/are exploring
that." We have a three year history
of crafting a field of practice and study.
Our history is archived in our Spirited Work web site and available for
study and reflection.
We want to
engage with the others for conversation and mutual learning. We are eager to offer our experience of
evolving an open space community of practice in service to our mission:
cultivating creative leadership for earth, spirit and the human future--and
hope to learn from others.
Anne
Stadler annestad@nwlink.com
for STORIES,
Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
For more information about Spirited Work, see www.spiritedwork.org
*********************************************************
STRATEGIC PLANNING IN OPEN SPACE
Jay W. Vogt, USA
“Our founder wants to convene the first national gathering of his
family foundation’s staff and project staff in Open Space,” said a senior staff
member of the foundation, “so our coming together will be as innovative as the
work we do. Can you create a strategic
plan for a new organization in Open Space?”
“I don’t know,” I thought frankly.
I’d never done it before.
Harrison Owen says, “It always works.”
But strategic planning is a process I had always done in a very
structured, linear way, quite unlike Open Space. It typically starts with assessment, moves on
to mission, and ends with goals and strategies.
One builds on the other. But if
this client was game, I certainly was.
“I think it just might work,” I replied.
“But how?” I wondered...
First, we decided to give the participants information. I asked the staff to prepare a briefing book
summarizing everything they knew about the environment in which they did
business. This document went out to all
participants in advance.
Second, we clarified the givens.
I learned that everything about the foundation’s future was on the
table. “Everything except the mission,”
clarified the founder.
Third, we discussed the absolutely essential elements of a strategic
plan, and picked three:
1) Guiding ideas (mission, vision, and values);
2) Program goals (all goals serving customers);
3) Operational goals (all goals building infrastructure).
These would head each of three walls in the retreat space. Conveners would post their group’s
proceedings on one of the three, wherever they fit best.
Finally, we discussed what, specifically, successful work groups would
contribute to the plan. We developed a
template for each group to complete:
1) Proposed goal;
2) Indicators and measures of success;
3) Strategies to achieve the goal;
4) Resources needed to achieve the strategies.
Thirty five foundation staff and project staff gathered for two days in
the fall at a beautiful Vermont inn, briefing books in hand. The founder welcomed them, and I explained
the rules. “You can talk about whatever
you want, but if you wish to be part of the strategic plan, you have to
complete a template (goal, indicators, strategies, resources) and post it in
one of the three areas (guiding ideas, program goals, operational goals).” With that we were off.
One of the first groups to form was about mission - yes, mission. It met continuously for over four hours,
involving just about everybody at one point or another. Even the founder agreed that the new mission
that emerged was better than the old. It
went to the trustees for their review and approval.
Meanwhile, posters popped up proposing goals, some grand, some small in
scope. At day’s end, in the Evening
News, everyone asked for a quick review of the day’s guiding ideas and goals. Despite determined effort, the group’s output
seemed slight. The mission conversation
had taken a great deal of energy. The
director was nervous. Everyone adjourned
to the bar.
The next day folks returned afire and pumped out goals at a feverish
pace. By early afternoon they were
done. Guiding ideas and goals draped
the walls everywhere. People left early,
surprised, tired and happy. The director
knew something great had happened, but still wasn’t sure what.
Did we achieve what we set out to do?
Well, yes and no. We absolutely
did some great strategic thinking, and even some solid strategic planning. But despite our gentle framing of the task,
we got results all over the map. The
staff still needed weeks of work to turn those uneven sparks of inspiration
into a coherent plan that met their high standards. The director was even heard to mutter at
times, when eyeing the proceedings, about “that damn pile of paper.”
Still, they got a great result that served them well, but many
organizations would have ducked out or given up along the way. Strategic planning in Open Space: exciting,
productive, unpredictable, and not for the faint of heart.
Jay W. Vogt jay@peoplesworth.com, www.peoplesworth.com
for STORIES,
Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
*********************************************************
TRUST THE
PEOPLE
Christopher
Schoch, MDLS Associates, France and USA
Last January
three hundred and fifty members of a major construction firm gathered in
Normandy for two days to enter a vision building process begun some 4 months
earlier. All levels of management were present and some 260 workers responded to
the invitation--aside from the annual Christmas show it was the first time that
everyone had come together.
Construction is
tough work. Site workers pride themselves for being able to withstand extreme
physical conditions including fatigue, cold, and the pressures of meeting
deadlines. It's the kind of business where, outside of one's immediate work
group, there is not much sense of loyalty or trust. On the contrary, a
tradition of mistrust is the foundation of management-employee relations.
So it was a
pleasant surprise to see that more than 70 % of workers made the trip for the
first day, a Friday. The organisers expected attendance to drop off sharply on
Saturday.
Even though in opening space we are told to
expect surprises, this seasoned convener had never seen anything quite like the
developments that unfolded. The opening session was scheduled for 8;30 am . At
7:30 most of the workers were meeting in small groups outside the chosen
venue--the local fairgrounds, that in fact they themselves had built several
years before. It looked like the open space meeting had begun well before the
facilitator arrived. Conversation was brisk in the darkness and cold of
morning. They were on familiar ground.
So what
happened when everyone else came and we opened the space in the more or less
formal manner that we have learned so attentively? Well, twenty ideas got
posted on the marketplace wall--not exactly a tidal wave, n'est ce pas!
When it was
time for the first meetings to take place, a scattering of people went into the
breakout area to attend them. The vast majority--say 280-- took quite literally
the description of os as a semi-organized coffee break.
The coffee area
was bulging at the seams, as the earlier spontaneous dynamics took over once
again. In less than an hour, the coffee that had been brewed for the entire day
was gone: the caterer sent out an emergency team to bring on more from another
site.
When it was
time for lunch everyone gathered at long tables and the intensity of
conversation increased as the decibels rose. As the afternoon theme groups
convened, the mega-group began to disaggregate, as people started to get
curious about what was going on in the small group discussions. Most just stood
and watched, many expressed surprise and interest at the openness of the
discussions.
At evening news one block of about 30 expressed their reaction by silence--most others used the usual words such as communication-dialogue-sincere-change etc. One very intense discussion had taken place around the poor image and mismanagement of a particular agency. Most of the people in the agency took part in a very hard and frank exchange of views that seriously challenged the manager of that unit. He may not have liked what he heard but by the end of the day he had heard what no one had dared to say openly. A catharsis had taken place and gone full cycle.
The next
morning not only did everyone return, but a fresh energy surged forward--twenty
new themes were added to the marketplace wall, and this time the coffee break
area remained entirely empty the whole morning--to the consternation of the
caterers who had doubled the number of canisters filled with hot brew. Even the
most skeptical participants were now engaged in the process of moving ahead,
sharing the feeling of transformation in the making.
My colleagues
had been very distressed by the way things had begun, seeing signs of
resistance in the fact that the large group of people in the coffee area were
not living up to our best hopes for them--namely that they would be working in
small groups on proper subjects germane to the vision process.
To be honest I
was bewildered myself, but intuitively knew that when you open space you also
respect the folks who show up on their own volition --they will know what best
use to make of it. That first morning’s
huge coffee break was important and meaningful to people who have their own
special value for time.
Each time we
open space, let us not forget to honor the uniqueness of the people and the
experience.
If it becomes
predictable, it’s probably time to pass on the baton: Open Space is really not
a proven method for getting results as much as a revelator of a group's true
and potential needs. Be prepared!!!
Christopher
Schoch Mdlschoch@aol.com
for STORIES,
Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
*********************************************************
USING NEW
TECHNOLOGY FOR CONVERGENCE
Charles "Buzz"
Blick, Strategic Listening Institute, USA
I’m writing to
report on on using technology-supported OST with the 300 member International
Board of Directors of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development (ASCD), in Boston, March 2001.
The theme of
the 1/2 day session was "What Issues Should ASCD Support to Benefit Young
People Around the World."
In addition to
the fairly standard use of computers to record the results of individual
sessions, we used a response-pad technology to help the group create a
prioritized list of issues that the association should work on in the
future. During the last hour, session
convenors were able to advocate in front of the whole group for each of the 17
topics and then, through the use of the response-pad technology, have the whole
group of 150 participants designate first the "importance" of that
issue (on a 1-6 scale) for the future of young people, then rank the
"difficulty" of each issue to implement. The software (Group Interactive Feedback
Technology - GIFT) used their responses to immediately create a XY chart
comparing all 17 items and projecting the results on a large screen. The results show those courses of action that
people thought were most likely to produce the best results with the least difficulty
- and vice-versa.
This type of
convergence process is a vast improvement over the more common use of sticky
dots to prioritize items or create action plans.
The Board
evaluated the OST session as the most useful and engaging part of their 2-day
meeting last year.
I hope that
this sounds useful for other OST practitioners.
Thanks for the opportunity to share this exciting process with others.
Charles
"Buzz" Blick buzz@strategiclistening.org www.strategiclistening.org
for STORIES,
Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
*********************************************************
UPDATE ON OPEN
SPACE IN ORGANIZATIONS
Christine
Roess, SDI Communications, USA
I feel that I
should pass on the reports that I have been getting from the IT organizations
of two large corporations where I introduced Open Space and they now use nothing
else. One organization has been using it
consistently for the past three years. I
was talking to some of the managers there and they were saying they "don't
think people would tolerate ever having a meeting in any other format now
because they are so used to the freedom and power of Open Space."
In the second
company, a major pharmaceuticals corporation, they just got back from their
second Open Space (we did the first one about 6 months ago) and the CIO and his
senior staff were just chortling with glee--they had gone to Vermont skiing and
they were all marveling that they had had 63 separate sessions in the 3 days
and apparently all of them produced "real commitments and action"
and, as the CIO said, "We did it in just 5 hours a day with the rest of
the time left for skiing".
Christine
Roess CRoess@SDICommunications.com
for STORIES,
Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
*********************************************************
COMING EVENTS
OPEN SPACE on
OPEN SPACE, Nov. 9-12, just outside Melbourne, Australia. TheTenth International OPEN SPACE on OPEN
SPACE in OZ will be held at Marysville, about 100 minutes drive into the
mountains from Melbourne Airport, Victoria, Australia. It will begin on November 9 (with evening BBQ) and finish with lunch on
November 12, 2002. It will be Spring,
with temperatures anywhere between 10 and 25 degrees C, maybe bright sunlight,
maybe some rain --Wonderful! For all the
particulars, visit http://www.openspaceworld.org/osonos.html
7th OPEN SPACE
SYMPOSIUM ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND
TRANSFORMATION,
April 21-24, Hamburg, Germany.
Visit www.institut-ebus.de for information (in German)
or contact Ingrid Ebeling: ie@institut-ebus.de
VIRTUAL OPEN
PSACE ON VIRTUAL OPEN SPACE, tentative: May 13 - June 19, online everywhere.
This online
event is an exploration of what it means to conduct Open Space online because
the best way to learn about opening space online is to DO IT. For more information, visit http://bigmindmedia.com/vosonvos or
contact Gabriel Shirley at vosonvos@bigmindmedia.com.
MIDWEST (USA)
OPEN SPACE PRACTITIONER'S CONFERENCE, June 7, Peoria, Illinois
Complete
details on our first midwest regional open space on open space, to be held in
peoria illinois on june 7th, 2002... at http://www.globalchicago.net/midwestos.
Please join us if you can... all practitioners, from everywhere, are welcome if
you've any reason to be in our neighborhood.
HAITIAN OPEN
SPACE on OPEN SPACE, June 21-24,
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
The theme is
Using Open Space to Create and Nurture Communities of
Learners. Go to this link to find the invitation and to
learn more:
http://beyondborders.net/OSONOS%20invite.htm
ORGANIZATION
TRANSFORMATION 20, July 1-5, Two Harbors, MN
This year's
theme is Dancing beyond Duality. For
information, visit
www.openspaceworld.org/ot.
We are returning to the site of OT16, on the shore of Lake Superior. For those not familiar with this conference,
OT 3 was where Harrison Owen first ran an Open Space conference, in 1985 in
Monterey, CA. As always, the conference fee is $30 and rooms are available at
the hotel from $59 a night. There are also two camp grounds nearby. If you have specific questions about OT 20,
contact johndadams@att.net
OPEN SPACE
TRAINING WORKSHOPS
For information
on trainings, check www.openspaceworld.com
or www.openspacetechnology.com
for details. Here are the 2002
workshops currently scheduled:
April 17-20, Ottawa,
Canada, facilitated by Harrison Owen, Larry Peterson, lpasoc@inforamp.net and Diane Gibeault, dgp@cyberus.ca
April 22-25, Calgary,
Canada, facilitated by Birgitt Williams, birgitt@mindspring.com
May 12-16 Germany,
facilitated by Harrison Owen, and Katrina Petri, katrina.petri@t-online.de
May 21-24, Toronto,
Canada, facilitated by Birgitt Williams, birgitt@mindspring.com
June 13-15, Frankfurt,
Germany, facilitated by Birgitt Williams, birgitt@mindspring.com
June 19-21, San
Francisco, California, USA, facilitated by Lisa Heft, lisaheft@pacbell.net
September 11-13, San
Francisco, California, USA, facilitated by Lisa Heft, lisaheft@pacbell.net
September 11-14, Raleigh,
North Carolina, USA, facilitated by Birgitt Williams, birgitt@mindspring.com
September 24-27, San
Francisco, California, facilitated by Harrison Owen and Lisa Heft, lisaheft@pacbell.net
October 9-12, New
Zealand, facilitated by Harrison Owen and Anne Pattillo, pattillo@actrix.gen.nz
October
28-31, Raleigh, USA, facilitated by Birgitt Williams, birgitt@mindspring.com
November 13-15, Brisbane,
Australia, facilitated by Harrison Owen and Juliane Bell, julianne@exceptional-events.net
November 26-29,
Frankfurt, Germany, facilitated by Birgitt Williams, birgitt@mindspring.com
December 11-13 San
Francisco, California, facilitated by Lisa Heft, lisaheft@pacbell.net
Fall 2002 Taiwan,
facilitated by Harrison Owen and Gail West, icataiw@ficnet.net
*********************************************************
STORIES is
published online occasionally by the Open Space Institute (US).
To subscribe,
or to find out more about the Open Space Institute (US), visit http://www.openspaceworld.org/wwbb/Forum6/HTML/000004.html
or contact Peggy Holman usa@openspaceworld.org.
To submit your
story, contact Joelle Everett, editor jleshelton@aol.com