Interethnic Dialogues on Immigration


Jamie Pitts at Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program sends along the following:

Hi- I’m coordinating a nationwide project, Interethnic Dialogues on Immigration, that will use OST. The web address is www.immigrationdialogues.org.

These will take place in various places around United States.

West Coast Canada Stammtische


Wendy Farmer-O’Neil announces an April 28th stammtische in Nanaimo (British Columbia) for those who will be unable to attend the Toronto Open Space on Open Space April 27th and April 28th:

In confluence with our friends to the east who will be opening space at the Toronto OSonOS, we are hosting a West Coast Canada Stammtisch on Saturday, April 28th for all of those who want to join us. We will be gathering at Muddy Waters Marine Pub (within walking distance of the Vancouver Ferry) on the water in Nanaimo at 1:00. We look forward to seeing you there!

Directions are available here.

Hong Kong Training Opportunity


Loving Work and Leading :: Workshop on Facilitating Organizational Transformation:

Here’s a great chance to learn more about using large group processes to facilitate organizational change. You’ll learn through practicing a variety of powerful group processe including Open Space Technology, Technology of Participation and others. The facilitator is Mark Pixley for Leadership Inc, who is highly experienced and masterful at using group processes.

IdentityOpenSpace Brussels April 26-27


IOSBrussels:

The Identity Open Space event following the Liberty Alliance Meeting in Vancouver was a big success. Liberty Alliance invited us to cooperate once again and so immediately following their April meeting we will again be co-producing an Identity Open Space.April 26-27, in Brussels.

Campagna del Millennio


Can anyone help me with the Italian here?  Declaration of the Millenium?  It seems whatever they’re doing, they’ll be using OST between other events, I think.  March 30-April 1.  ISF TRENTO:

con l’organizzazione dell’Open Space Technology, assieme agli ex-studenti del corso di Metodologie Partecipate e a tutti gli interessati. L’evento sarà incentrato sul tema della “mobilità sostenibile” ed inserito tra le attività della 3 giorni di fine marzo.

OST in Russia and the near-abroad: some recent developments


Gabdulla Hamitov facilitates meeting on youth development

Youth development OST meeting. Ufa, Russia. September 2006

Gabdulla Hamitov facilitates conference on youth leadership development, “Path to the Future”
Ufa, Bashkortostan (Russia)
photos courtesy of Bashtorg, a major regional wholesaler in Russia

Since the 14th annual international Open Space on Open Space conference in Moscow in August 2006, OST has continued to be applied in many different kinds of organizations, especially in companies.

Recent applications include a meeting on personal safety and responsibility with RusAl, one of the largest aluminum producers in the world.

The sponsor, Elena Sochkina, responsible for corporate culture, noted “my most pleasant discoveries with the Open Space method were:

*the number of participants is limited only by the size of the physical meeting space.

*the conditions are created where formal boundaries are erased (status, hierarchical, and professional)

* the participants create the agenda (which is the guarantee of success).”

(Direktor po Personalu magazine)

OST has also been used recently with major Russian political parties, at marketing conferences, training conferences, at a coaching conference (co-sponsored by Open Space Institute-Russia), with Russia’s Central Bank, with cellular phone service provider Beeline, and with a major pharmaceutical company.

Note: PROMT offers a free and relatively good quality Russian to English webpage translation service.

London Dance Studio Leaps Into Open Space


Jonathan Burrows curates a season of discussion, enquiry and debate in a program called Parallel Voices. Through February to the end of March 2007, Jonathan Burrows has been invited to curate a series of artists’ talks as part of a public art season at Siobhan Davies Studios, St. Georges Road, London. The program(s) will welcome leading dance and theatre artists, where, over four evenings, three artists will discuss their passions in an open session of enquiry and debate.

On Saturday 31 March, the season will culminate in an Open Space meeting called THE BIGGER PICTURE, for everybody interested in dance. Open Space is a method of running a large meeting in a more flexible and lively way, to approach a subject without an agenda, and allow the people there to create their own conference. We see it as an opportunity to look at where we’ve come from, where we are now and what we might wish for in the future.

Learn more about this…

Formation Forum Ouvert en Suisse


Diane Gibeault écrit:

La Haute Ecole fribourgeoise de travail social de la Suisse vous invite à une formation Forum ouvert les 29-30 mars prochains en Suisse.

Forum ouvert : La démarche est peu à peu prise en charge par les participants et participantes. Le cadre discret de ce processus et la confiance manifestée aux participants suscitent une responsabilisation de chacun, l’émergence des intérêts réels et un engagement profond.

Vous apprendrez comment le rôle de facilitation diffère des autres modèles, quand utiliser le FO, des processus pour déterminer priorités et plans d’action, comment préparer l’organisation et vous ferez l’expérience d’un FO.

Diane Gibeault, facilitatrice professionnelle accréditée (IAF) a été formée (FO – Open Space Technology) auprès de l’auteur Harrison Owen. Ancrée sur une longue expérience en facilitation, elle se spécialise dans les méthodes participatives pour grands groupes et démarches de transformation organisationnelle.

Inscription : www.hef-ts.ch nelly.plaschy-gay(at)hef-ts.ch

Renseignements : www.dianegibeault.com diane.gibeault(at)rogers.com

Extreme Open Space: Many Languages


They Do Things Differently There was the theme of a day for Customers, Testers and Developers Learning Each Others’ Languages — A French-English Open Space forum …hosted by the XP (eXtreme Programming) Day Montreal 2006 conference.

Deborah Hartmann has posted the invitation, photos of proceedings, and some other bits about this program, in the OpenSpaceWorld.NET wiki workspace. Way to go Deborah!

Value of Silence in Group Work


John Engle shares with the OSlist how at the opening of group work, he often invites groups to rest at ease if silence happens, waiting for what the silence might bring:

“I ask that we see silence as a friend during our time together whether we’re in small groups or in this large group. If silence comes, let’s not feel like we need to chase it away, remembering that frequently, it’s the nudgings of silence that bring into being ideas and voices which would’ve otherwise remained unspoken.”

Pioneers of Change Summer School


pioneers of change poster

The Pioneers of Change “Summer School” is taking place August 19-25. This year it is hosted at the “Shire“, an inspiring learning centre in Nova Scotia, Canada, that focuses on leadership and sustainable practices, and which has been launched by a fellow pioneer, social entrepreneur, and artist, Tim Merry.

Pioneers of Change is a global learning network of young people, in their 20’s and 30’s, who have committed to be themselves, do what matters, start now, engage with others, and never stop asking questions. The “pioneers” include social entrepreneurs, corporate and NGO professionals, civil servants, artists, teachers, and free agents from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds. Founded in 1999, Pioneers of Change today engages over 2000 participants in over 70 countries.

Our intention for Summer School is to create a much space as possible for Pioneers from around the world to learn from each other. We invite you to come prepared to share experiences, case studies, tools, models and anything from your Pioneering work that you think could benefit other Pioneers. Together we can create a rich, diverse and highly self-organized learning environment.
Find the full invitation and intention here.

For more information or questions about financing participation, please email Sera (sera|at|pioneersofchange.net) or Pablo (pablo|at|pioneersofchange.net).

Mesh Forum


Michael Herman will be opening space on Tuesday at MeshForum, which runs May 7-9 in San Francisco.

From their invitation:

Networks form the basis of everything, from how your body works to who you know, from how power is distributed to how the store on the corner is kept stocked. Networks are in the news, from the elections to anti-terrorism, to investigations of financial markets and the Blackout in the US.

At MeshForum 2006, May 7-9 in San Francisco, we will explore Networks in depth. We will examine the critical role visualization and visual thinking plays in understanding and managing networks. Then we will look at very large scale social networks as a significant case study of Networks.

And from the weblog:

make your net work

In four short words [that] captures what MeshForum 2006 will be about.

It is about the tools needed to make your net work – visualizations, visual thinking, analysis techniques.

It is about what you have to think about to make your net work – the issues of scaling, what happens as things change, the impact of technologies.

It is about the power of a net – to create beauty, to entertain us.

South Bend Immigration Conversations


Doug posted a really cool-looking invitation on his site. I can’t figure out how to display it here, so hop over to his place and check it out!

How Can I Live Sustainably? May 6th, Belfast


Below is an invitation to a sustainable living forum scheduled for May 6th in Belfast sent by OST facilitator Philip Rogers.

How Can I Live Sustainably?

On Saturday May 6th we will have the time and space to both ask answer this question in the company of others who are also interested and inspired by it. When we reflect on, and begin to understand, what sustainable living means we can act with more confidence to make a difference in our lives and in our communities.
This is an invitation for you to come and join in an Open Space event. Bring your passion, your ideas and your stories; to contribute, to listen, to learn, to be inspired – in an environment that is co-created on the day.

Saturday May 6th
South Bank Hall, Kimberley Drive
10 am -6pm

There is room for 40 people, please call Philip or Jane on 028 9020 3692 to register or email them on ganddltd@clara.co.uk. so we will know how many people are coming.
There is no charge for the day.
A vegetarian lunch can be provided for 5 GBP if you order it in advance.
Looking forward to seeing you there!

National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation


The 2006 NCDD conference will take place in San Francisco, California August 4-6, with pre-conference trainings on Thursday, August 3rd. If you are dedicated to solving group and societal problems through honest talk, quality thinking and collaborative action, we invite you to join us at this innovative gathering. The conference will be held at the Renaissance Parc 55, a beautiful hotel in the heart of downtown San Francisco.

Founded in 2002, the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation is a vibrant network of over 500 organizations and individuals who, collectively, regularly engage and mobilize millions of people across the globe around today’s critical issues. NCDD’s national conferences and resource-rich website are crucial to the development of this emerging field of practice.

Jericho: What On Earth Can We Do in 7 Days?


From Together to One (the main site, in Deutsch, is here):

What On Earth Can We Do Together In 7 Days? May 6 – 12 in Jericho, Palestine

Imagine an open space where people come together to create a vision of future community:

* A 7 day experiment to explore possible blueprints for civic life.
* A chance to come up with new ideas and fresh approaches.
* An invitation to experts and lay people alike to work on many aspects of community life.
* An exploration of the different layers of community life such as: ecology, economy, education, health etc.
* An opportunity to see, feel and experience the power of deep connection.
* A chance to experience the self-organising principles of the Open Space Method.
* An opportunity to experience different cultures in one of the oldest cities on earth.

From May 3 – 4 local residents and visitors will work together to beautify the city of Jericho. This is a good opportunity for participants attending the Open Space Conference to get to know the city and the people of Jericho prior to the conference beginning.

The Open Space Conference “What On Earth Can We Do Together In 7 Days?” will run from May 6 – 9. Using Jericho as a template, we will come together to find solutions to improve the quality of community life. The information and insights gained during the conference can then be applied to other communities worldwide.

From May 10 – 11 we will put theory into practice. The plans and strategies developed during the conference will come alive. All the events planned from May 1 – 12 will benefit the comunity of Jericho and its people but there is the hope that what we create together could become a blueprint for other cities wishing to improve their civic life.

Together21 founder Susanne Triner invites world-wide participation:

The Together21 project is on it’s way. I joyfully walk my talk with an open heart, with humility and courage. Many years ago I felt a calling deep within that said: “you will be dancing on seven continents”. I could not fully understand what was meant by dancing. Now I know: it was the invitation to express life like a joyfull dance.

Will we dance life together? I am looking forward to meeting you.
Susanne Triner

Together21 (Together to One)
From Humanity to Human Unity
P.O.B. 448
CH – 3074 Muri bei Bern
Switzerland
Phone (CH) ++41 31 952 55 53
Mail: st at together21 dot org

Swiss Gay Community April 7 – 9


From Catherine Pfaehler to the OSList:

I will be holding space for the Swiss Gay Community together with Florian Fischer April 7 – 9 in Vaumarcus, www.schwulegesundheit.ch or www.santegaie.ch. If you wish, also take a look at our most recent internet posting, www.open-space-konferenz.ch, where my friend Irena and I are offering a week-end for female managers. I am happy if you recommend the latter to women in management positions who speak German (or French or even English), if you know any of those.

Open Space Practice Retreat, April 18-20


Chris Corrigan and Michael Herman are hosting a 3-day Practice Retreat on Bowen Island, April 18-20, 2006 to cultivate the essence of Open Space leadership.

Altai Peace-Mapping “Summit”


New friend of OST, Carol Hiltner (Seattle, USA), and OST facilitator Marina Tyasto (Novosibirsk, Russia) will be leading a Peace-Mapping “Summit” using OST in the Altai (Siberia) right before the 14th International Open Space on Open Space (OSonOS). This event will take place during the 2006 International Altai Expedition July 14-August 3.

This Peace-Mapping “Summit” presents an excellent opportunity to deepen our experience of OST, open space, and peacemaking.

You are invited to participate in the 2006 International Altai Expedition and Peace-Mapping “Summit” July 14 – August 3.

Altai is an extraordinary mountain range along the southern edge of Siberia, recognized as the origin of global shamanism…The Expedition will take you to the very remote Mt. Belukha, the highest energy spot in this high-energy region.

We will be joined there by indigenous Altai people, including shamans, and a Russian spiritual group from Moscow. At this sacred mountain, with this powerful group, we will convene an OST “Summit” with the objective of supporting participants to map out our personal “critical paths” to peace using guidelines (Tablets of Light) that originated in Altai. In conjunction with the Expedition, we have initiated a Clean-Up to take out trekkers’ garbage and install outhouses.

For information, see http://www.altaibooks.com/trekinfo.htm or contact Carol@AltaiBooks.com .. Please feel free to forward this information to anyone whom you think might be interested.

Sustainable Development in Open Space


This from the OSLIST today…

You are invited to the 1st anniversary Convocation of the U.S. Partnership for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development – hosted by the EPA in Raleigh, NC!

In addition to updates on Partnership progress this past year, March 1-2 will be a series of OpenSpace gatherings around issues and topics that participants put on the table ahead of time. EVERYONE WELCOME!

Given this group’s passionate participation and experience, I’m really hoping that any of you interested in sustainability, in any of its myriad forms, who can make it to Raleigh will join us.

For one example, with Raphael Peter of Asheville I’m anchoring an Open Space on intergrating the arts across the sustainability movement. Other areas already on the table include the business community, k-12 education, community-based learning, faith-based and -related movements, higher education – we’d love someone to take a lead on green building, sustainable agriculture, health, marketing/advertising – what else can you creative folks think of?

Patricia Haines
Level Green Institute, Ithaca, NY
Co-Chair, Adult & Community Learning
US Partnership for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

Haiti Salon 2007


John Engle invites us to Haiti Salon 2007 by asking: How can we improve our efforts to support Haiti?

Haiti Salon is an inclusive two and a half day gathering in New York toward furthering justice, peace and democracy in Haiti.
(see the link for more)

Circle Inquiry in the Sangha Blog


An interesting experiment is just starting in the Open Space Sangha blog. It’s called an Inquiry Circle. It was very powerful in person, at the Open Space on Open Space, last year in Halifax.

The hope is that we might replicate some of that in a virtual platform. Here’s how it works: The first person poses a question. The next person (any next person) in answers it and then asks the next question. This continues until it reaches round the circle to the person who posed the original question.

The opening question is: What is your experience of Spirit and Open Space?

You’re welcome to read, comment or join the circle as a posting member, in the Sangha. Maybe we’ll take a short rest here at OpenSpaceWorld.ORG while the experiment runs over there.

Open Space in Australia


The Australian Open Space Institute is hosting an Open Space on Open Space in Melbourne on February 21 and 22. They’d love to see you there.

This is an opportunity for users of Open Space Technology to explore the depth and edges of Open Space Technology, share experiences, challenge and be challenged. Some of Australia’s and New Zealand’s most experienced Open Space facilitators will be attending. You will get the most out of this OSonOS if you have used/participated in Open Space Technology.

If you are new to Open Space Technology you might be interested in Introductory Training May 17 & 18.

For more information about either event, contact Viv McWaters.