John Engle sends this report and also publishes on-the-ground regular updates on progress at http://www.haitipartners.org/the-blog/:

We just completed 9th Annual Haiti Open Space on Open Space. Here’s a quick blog entry with link to photos and a short video.

http://www.haitipartners.org/2010/06/9th-annual-haiti-open-space/

We are grateful more than you can imagine for generous support of OSI (US), which is made possible through people like you. THANK YOU!

Open Space is thriving in Haiti. More than 80 people convened from around the country for this gathering. The atmosphere was upbeat and even joyful. The resilience of Haiti’s people continues to amaze me.

Thank you for your interest in what’s happening in Haiti and for your generous support. We feel so fortunate to be a part of this global network.

With deep gratitude,

John, on behalf of many here

Hempal Shrestha sends greetings from Kathmandu, Nepal, with this bit of news:

I am a learner and follower of OST based in Nepal and very recently joined the ning group at openspaceworld.ning.com. I have learned about the work that you had been doing on OST. I also studies many of the materials that you have provided at www.openspaceworld.org/. Further, recently I am in working out to develop the wiki for collecting stories on OST from South Asia. The link of the proposed wiki is: http://os4sa.pbworks.com/

This new South Asia site is already taking shape, with more news (hopefully) forthcoming.

Jutta Weimar offers a fantastic new OS video, after a two-year period of producing:

I am very happy to present the release of the DVD “Open Space - The Power of Self-Organisation”.

Here the most important features:

- material out of 5 different open space events
- incl. Preparatory Meeting and Action-Planning
- incl. booklet with 16 pages
- 27 Minutes, german and english with english or french subtitles

The short version of the film with english sub-titles can be seen on YouTube, openspaceworld.ning.com, or jutta-weimar.de (english version click on “english”)

And now it’s time to spread the film all around the world. I sell the film for 29,75 € plus packing and postage (in Europe) and I will bring lots of copies to the WOSonOS here in Berlin in May!!!

This from Susan Partnow, via the OSLIST…

You may enjoy these photos. The middle group is of an Open Space we did in Liberia - where Harrison first gained many of the insights for OST! It was inspiring to see how empowered the participants felt. They began offering many contributions to the circle once space was opened - songs, dances, etc. It was also wonderful to see how participants who were illiterate were easily incorporated and supported by those who were literate.

If you’re inspired by our work, you may be so moved as to support our endeavors to create the Liberia Peacebuilder Initiative. We have a $10,000 matching fund grant and so we need to raise $10,000! Your donation will be doubled (or - if you have a corporate tie with a policy of matching - quadrupled!) so please give it some thought! You can donate here: http://globalcitizenjourney.org/paypal/

Phelim McDermott reported recently…

It’s amazing but it is now five years since I first dived into Open Space after reading Harrison’s book. At that time I had never been to an open space event had no idea what it looked like but knew it in my bones.Since then we have done Devoted and Disgruntled 5 times and done one in Scotland, one Brazil, one in in NYC and one in Newcastle will be doing another one In Newcastle in the coming months. Been asked to set one up in LA etc.. its become a growing community of people who are devoted to theatre and want to use the fuel of their disgruntlement to change.

I remember that the thing that really inspired me to read the book in the first place was Harrison’s intro saying OS belonged to everyone and would never be certified/owned/contained etc we should all just do it. It reminded me of my own feelings about Impro and its relationship to the many attempts to categories, teach, quantify it. In the end Impro just was and would appear where it wanted. It also reminded me of Robert Le Page’s advice to “Mummenchance” theatre that they must “Give away the recipe.” He was referring specifically to the recipe for their squidgy changing putty like masks. But he meant this as a wider metaphor to look after our own creativity. We must gift the recipe not guard it.

In this spirit here’s our fifth annual report on the state of people who are passionate and responsible about theatre. The event is an annual 2.5 event on third day we reopen the space for whatever people want to still talk about and do.

So here’s the report and here’s a visual representation done from the report by wordle which i love. It’s a big theatre word sitting in a nexus of other issues! I think it gives a better feeling representation of the event than the report.

This report from Christine Koehler in Paris:

Appreciation, common ground, and deep conversation: all appear in Open Space as natural, emergent phenomenon. Best of all the people believe they did it all by themselves. And they did! Further more they know at some deep level that they can do the same thing again – and will. That is true empowerment. It is not the method, the process, or the facilitator. It is the people. And I can go and take a nap knowing that they will do an infinitely better job no matter how hard I might work. –Harrison Owen to OSLIST, July 30, 2009

On October 30, Saturday October 31 and Sunday, November 1rst 2009, was held the first European Learning Exchange , for a 3 days Open Space format, in one of the most beautiful scene in Paris : La Grande Arche de la Defense Facilitators, organizations, sponsors, colleagues who use Open Space Technology as a wonderful way to help groups self-organize and solve their most important problems with passion and responsibility were welcome.

We explored how we can best assist sponsors, organizations and ourselves to expand space and time for self-organization

Thirty-four participants coming from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, USA, speaking and holding sessions in English or French or in both langages, a facilitator from Germany, a team speaking 3 langages, gathered together at La Grande Arche . There was great ayurvedic food with spicy tastes, great energy, passionate discussions, interesting topics.

Twenty-three topics were posted as well as 18 action plans :

* open space film
* Quelles conditions idéales pour une efficience optimale ?
* Situation of Open Space in France and in Europe
* Follow-up of interventions : experience, practice
* Open Space in the Balkan Countries
* OsT et IT
* prepare participants to prepare to be surprised
* How to measure the ROI of collaborative facilitation designs ?
* How and where can we use OS ‘facilitation methods in France ?
* How do l calculate my fee for OST-facilitation
* WOSonOS 2010 Berlin
* Sustain cross pollination (follow-up)
* Cercles de reconnaissances
* How can we use collaborative approaches to support Eco-responsive initiatives ?
* comment aider les entreprises à créer un environnement favorable à l’épanouissement des salariés, quête de sens et valeurs partagées ?
* Open Space in participatory planning and public deliberation processes
* What is unique about OST ?
* Learning Exchange : reloaded, continued, deepen
* OST as ldentity building process
* What could a community of OSniks do in France ?
* A network of practitioners of collaborative approaches
* Talking alternatives processes into the French organizations
* La décroissance
* Comment créer une culture collaborative en entreprise ?
* Next steps (18 )

To have a better feeling about this event, look at our pictures and videos: Invitation on slides, Photos on Flickr.com are here and here. Watch the Video of closing circle. You can also download the Book of proceedings ( pdf file ).

See you next time in Berlin in may 2010 for World Open Space on Open Space. We expect to have passionnate discussion about the future of Open Space events in Europe. Come and join us there !

Anne Stadler posted this bit in a comment a little while back. It deserves more attention than that! So here you go…

This is a link to an article about spirited work a seven year experiment in an open space learning community of practice.
“Self-Organizing Systems - Self-Organizing? Emergent Community”
— The Spirited Work Learning Community: 1999 - 2005 —
(Living in Open Space)
by Anne M. Stadler © 2009

Thought Open Spacers might be interested in this article!!! Would love to engage you in dialogue about the learnings reported here.
Here is the link to the production site where the article is now public.

from Holger Nauheimer, reporting in from the new Ning site for Open Space…

…summarizing what has happened in
the last 24 hours on the new OS community space
(http://openspaceworld.ning.com/):

1. Growth:
Since yesterday, the Ning community grew by more than 100%. It has now 94
members.

2. Groups
There are now 15 groups at the Ning platforms, specifically;

* The Power of Pre-Work
Thoughtful pre-work can support the success of an Open Space event. Share
your insights and questions about invitation, outreach, theme, logistics, ma…

* Documenting Dialogue
Explore and share ideas and experiences of documentation (text, graphics,
oral, photo, movement and other means) and how documentation can be used bot…

* Svenska Open Space Institutet
Välkommen till en mötesplats om lärande och erfa-utbyte för Svenska “Open
Spacenicks”

* Caring for this online community
A thematic group for dialogue on what is happening or should be happening in
this community and what can be done to nurture it

* Espaço Aberto - OST em língua portuguesa
Discussão sobre Espaço Aberto (OST) em língua portuguesa. Open Space
Technology discussed in Portuguese.

* Open Space Deutsch
9 members Die Regionalgruppe für A, CH und D. Come join us!

* Open Space Canada
A place to explore

* Why don’t we create an e-book?
I am involved in another ‘ning’ on employee engagement (see
http://employeeengagement.ning.com/) and…

* Open Space UK
For those in the UK interested in Open Space

* Open Space in the corporate world
For those interested in the application of OST in commerical organizations

* open space around Taiwan
Welcome to share what’s happening around ost community of Taiwan.

* Open Space California
Welcome to this gathering space for California facilitators, learners, hosts
and other appreciators of Open Space Technology.

* Espacio Abierto
Un grupo amplio y hospitalario para conversar en castellano respecto a la
práctica de la Tecnología de Espacio Abierto

* Open Space Nederland
Open Space Nederland has its own group on www.openspacenl.ning.com. Je ben
welkom om je ervaringen en…

* Open Space South-East Asia
Open Space Community for South-East Asian Communities

3. Activities
There haven’t been much substantial activities in terms of content
generation. In the moment people pop in and send personal messages to people
they have met sometime. It is currently a kind of great hang out for
spaceniks. Groups are forming and I expect some more activities in the next
days. What is most striking for today is the multi-lingual discussions that
are happening.

4. Worldmap
A worldmap of group members is being generated.

5. Blog Posts
Unleashing leadership in Toronto
http://openspaceworld.ning.com/profiles/blogs/unleashing-leadership-toronto

Open Space Video
http://openspaceworld.ning.com/profiles/blogs/open-space-video

Report from 2009 Wosonos
http://openspaceworld.ning.com/profiles/blogs/reports-of-2009wosonos

5. Forum Discussions
Improving the look and feel of this community
http://openspaceworld.ning.com/forum/topics/improving-the-look-and-feel-of

Pancho sez: “…possibly the best learning I came away with from WikiSym (conference) was being exposed to Open Space.”

A nice write-up about his first experience as a participant in Open Space.

thefirstCanadianhealthcareconference.ca is “…working to change the ‘old order of things’, the one which rewards the privileged few who have the time and money to attend conferences, pay for journal articles and subscription knowledge by making all healthcare knowledge accessible and available to all healthcare professionals, anytime, anywhere, FREE of charge.”

They recently posted an article on Open Space in Healthcare by Larry Peterson, a long-time leader in Canada’s community of OST practitioners. The case he makes is based on Canadian stories, but the lessons and language would be relevant for ongoing transformation in any healthcare system.

Joelle Lyons-Everett and Peggy Holman have delivered the latest issue STORIES, the newsletter of the OSI-USA. The purpose of the newsletter is to make our stories available 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 acknowledgment. When copying, please include the author/contact/ publication information at the end of each story.

In This Issue:
1—Notes from the Editor
2—The Green Forum
3—At the Center of the Journey
4—Virtual Global Communication
5—Inviting Leadership
6—Coming Events
7—Footprints in the Wind: I have no call to be reasonable

Past issues were published in a different format, archived here.

John Engle reports more success from Haiti…

I’m delighted to share photos from 8th Annual Haiti OSonOS, which convened for three days 70 Haitians, many of whom are educators and community leaders from around the country. These photos taken by Haitian pro photographer, Eric Graham:

A special thanks to Open Space Institute, USA for providing scholarships for 16 participants.

With deep gratitude, John

PS Here’s an unprofessionally done video, created by me ; ) I made it especially for folks who were there but I’ll share it here in case some of you want to get a better feel for the meeting.

from Bruce Lundeen at Shenandoah Valley Pure Water Forum…

May 30th (Saturday) Harrisonburg Mayor Kai Degner convened a Sustainability Summit with an Open Invitation for all to participate. See link to summit website and watch local media WHSV-TV video coverage:

The meeting was run using Open Space Technology as a conference methodology. Latest Reports and Announcements from the Saturday event, already posted at the summit website. See report on water as a sample of one of the many reports from the Summit. Attendees came from all over (including Washington, DC) with a majority from the local Harrisonburg, Rockingham County area –there are 60 partner organizations listed.

Lucy Garrick reports from The North Shore Group, Seattle WA on a synthesis of Open Space and a number of other change facilitation and virtual collaboration tools…

The Time For Global Collaboration Has Come. In the last month I helped design and facilitated the world’s first real-time global collaboration on the subject of positive change. This work excites me because as technology is providing new ways to connect and work together, RTVC provides an opportunity to reconfigure the way people collaborate in organizations as well as across organizations, communities, institutions and governments.

What is real-time global virtual collaboration (RTVC)?

RTVC is a group of change consultants and facilitators who adapt and integrate traditional collaborative change tools and facilitated techniques, such as inquiry, dialog and other group processes, for positive change.



The concept of the world’s first Real-time Virtual Collaboration Conference was to hatched about four weeks ago. It demonstrates what is possible when integrating facilitative change tools such as Open Space, World Cafe, Three Lens Conversation, etc. with real-time social media, such as VOIP, wikis, online collaborative tools and social media such as Twitter, LinkedIn, or facebook.

Conference participants prepared for the conference through a Mind Map portal created especially for this event.

The 1/2 day conference was designed and organized by the RTVC Team, itself a self-organizing group of consultants and facilitators living in seven countries: Germany, S.Africa, Brazil, United Kingdom, Ontario, USA, and Canada – most of us have not yet met face-to-face.

Conference participants from 30 countries convened on Skype Chat for the opening plenary session, posting topics for break-out sessions on positive change. Break-out sessions were held on the a variety of social media chosen by conveners of the break-out sessions. Think of a sort of virtual, conference hotel. 
Over 50 participants from around the globe signed on to the opening session using Skype Chat. 
Opening and closing sessions were facilitated by members of the RTVC organization.

Reactions To The Conference Taken from the Closing Session Transcript
thrilling 

excitement 

multilevel 

smooth 

encouraging 

engaging 

conversations 

learning
like riding a roller coaster
technically challenging

possibility 

engaging
falling off the cliff 

bacterial 

crossing boundaries
engaging 

exhilarating 

surfing 

disruptive 

just starting 

difficult connections
interesting 

complex 

What’s next? 

calls for more 

germinal

Click on the RTVC Mind Map to see facts, key learnings, session topics and more. Note instructions on how to navigate the mind map in the lower right corner of the page.

To learn more about RTVC join us at the RTVC Forum on the Change Management Toolbook.
Click to see how countries were represented at the Conference.

The Open Space Institute-USA invites you to share your experiences in Open Space via our online newsletter. We’re gathering materials now for an early-spring issue. This will be volume eight, see previous issues.

To have your story in the next issue, please contact Joelle Everett, jleshelton@aol.com by May 6 and let us know what you are writing for this spring issue.

We are looking for first-hand accounts of Open Space experiences that you have facilitated or taken part in. These simple guidelines might prompt your memory.

Christine Whitney Sanchez, reporting from Phoenix, AZ:

You can now purchase a DVD of CONNECTED: Transforming the Conversation at the 2005 Girl Scout National Convention through the Open Space Institute-USA bookstore. Proceeds go to the Open Space Institute-USA.

Here’s the description…

CONNECTED: Transforming the Conversation at the 2005 Girl Scout National Convention - 16 minute DVD - English. This high energy video tells the story of how a blend of Open Space Technology and World Café were used to bring member voices to the foreground at the 2005 Girl Scout National Convention. Open Space brought self-organization to 1,800 elected delegates and multi-generational Strategy Cafés brought conversations that matter to 3,000 girls and adults. Price: US$60 go to bookstore

On Thursday April 2, 12 people from both metropolitan and regional sites in Western Australia joined together in Perth for an Open Space as part of a strategic planning exercise for not-for-profit community service provider, Baptistcare. The group represented those working in the fields of mental health and counselling and their theme was to explore how their service could achieve its full potential in providing recovery and wellness services in Western Australia. Some of the group, normally separated by up to 700 kilometres, had not met before so it was a valuable exercise in colleagues getting to know each other and building relationships, but this was a by-product of a very valuable day of planning for the future.

Thanks to Rob Douglas, Baptistcare, Western Australia.

Thanks to Peggy Holman and Tom Atlee for these videos of and about open space…

Descriptions of Open Space

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM6WqXAvHzM&NR=1
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2t3EXflXZk&feature=related (Steven Silha, who works with Peggy)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBn-OVHG2v8&NR=1
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B7yYy4s1-s&feature=related

Depictions of Open Space

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux_LFjFeCvg
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V22R6_7eDNE&NR=1
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puHl5Mvh1kU&NR=1 (the link above is to an earlier Journalism that Matters conference; the facilitator’s voice near the end is Peggy’s)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeSkS6fu3FY&feature=related

For fun: A video about an open space in Beijing, in Chinese
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPT55ezZctI&feature=related

and its use in Haiti
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4fU-O-umww

and in Russia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HdMiiTl10o

and India
http://jostwagner.multiply.com/video/item/5

Thanks to Doug Caldwell for the following pictures and posters…

• OST in 30 Seconds (youtube video)
• Photo album of OST held in 2003 for Capital One with their sponsored non-profit agencies
• OST signs in PowerPoint (click for slideshow and option to download)

John Engle and friends in Haiti have announced a downloadable version of “Circles of Change: a quiet revolution in Haiti” video with French subtitles.

He sez…

It’s 19 minutes long and in very good resolution. It’s a large file (1,100 mb) and will require some time to download even with a high-speed internet connection. We have many DVD’s of English subtitle version and have also distributed in Haiti many of the Haitian-Creole version, which has no subtitles.

We’ve received a number of requests in recent months for this French version and we’re delighted to make it available in downloadable form. Perhaps you know of individuals and/or organizations in French speaking Canada or French speaking African countries who might appreciate viewing this. Please feel free to share the download link with anyone who might be interested.

Let me know if you have problems downloading, have questions, or if you would like to receive a DVD of this version. mailto:john@johnengle.net.

Earlier this year, Larry Peterson opened space for 150 on future of the Ontario Social Housing Sector, and shared this report:

We started with 150 from across the province with two days to be together. The planning committee of the sponsor struggled to decide – OST for 1.5 days then convergence or begin convergence on [the morning of] day 2. It was decided to go for 1 Day in OST to explore ideas and 1 day (in effect in OST) to explore action: Ideas to Action was the overall theme Eh? Shifting Gears beyond Survival was the theme in the OS question.

Great self-organizing discussions on Day 1 but the “breakthroughs” to a new sector paradigm were not there quite yet. The planning group wanted some sector priorities (the sponsor was not the sector, but a key coordination organization in it.) so we did that first thing on day 2, then Opened the Space again for more sector leadership to emerge and take ideas toward action strategies.

In morning news [beginning of Day 2] a brave soul finally stated what was real – the whole had not shifted to a new understanding yet. This was reinforced as we opened the space for action strategies. Not many action strategy sessions emerged, but those who cared were there and were ready to shift. The sessions all went to another level, with some leading the way – even talking about breaking the law to get new directions noticed.

The closing was a mutual love feast – sector leadership from various forms of social housing – co-op, non-profit, municipal, small town, big town now felt they were on the same page, ready to work together on some key change strategies with a sponsor who had decided to provide resources to some of the key efforts.

Great fun to hold such a space.

I’ve used something like this “serial Open Space” a number of times, including one 4-day session on peaceful development in Nepal, where we merged with Appreciative Inquiry practice. The four themes, on four consecutive days, were the 4-Ds of AI: Discover, Dream, Design, Deliver. In every case I can remember, it seems to work as Larry says. The sub-themes suggest a path, invite a direction. They’re never going to fit perfectly into the movement of the group, but then the group takes them by the horns and steers them to what fits. It’s just another dimension of ownership and responsibility and the crafting of the process by and for the people involved.

While tomorrow is the official start of World Open Space on Open Space XVI, conference events are well underway.

The week started with an extremely well-attended (40+ participants) two day Open Space Technology learning workshop led by Lisa Heft. People from Uganda, Russia, Spain (Basque country), South Korea, the Netherlands, UK, and other countries attended the workshop.

Tuesday evening Harrison Owen presented the third edition (expanded and updated) of Open Space Technology: a User’s Guide. Harrison encouraged the approximately 100 attendees to dive in to the wine and crackers after a short talk about Open Space, self-organization, and his upcoming book, Wave Rider: Leadership for High Performance in a Self-organizing World. It was a delightful meeting of new and old friends of Open Space.

This evening, Wednesday, was an informal gathering also held at the historic Fort Mason site. This was the traditional pre-conference informal gathering. More wine, a delicious dinner, and extremely rich conversation.

Lisa Heft gives a taste of the whole WOSonOS experience thus far on the OSlist.

More reporting from the conference forthcoming!

John Engle sends pictures from the 7th annual OSonOS in Haiti.

There were about 80 participants. Mostly were Haitians coming from towns and villages from around the country, plus eleven from Dominican Republic and several from the US. Great meeting! Lots of synergy as usual and plans for trainings, conferences, exchanges, etc.

Way to go, Haiti!