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

03 July 2010 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Brighton, East Sussex, UK

For more info & booking, click here > http://decisionlab.org.uk/open-space-training/

This workshop invites those who are new to using Open Space Technology and those who already have some (or even extensive) experience of using it to co-learn together, deepen our practice, and share our experiences.

It will be run as an Open Space so that participants can learn experientially, while learning how to design, prepare and facilitate an Open Space event, including tips and tricks, likely issues that may be encountered, follow up and incorporating an event within a wider context or strategy.
You might also be interested in (the World’s 1st!) FacilitationCamp, London, 9-10th July. Go to homepage to sign up for our newsletter, CoLaborative Times for more of this kind of thing

thanks to Martin Grimshaw for sending this along.

Good wonderings, Doug. But I might suggest that you turn things around, or possibly upside down. Rather than internalizing The Law of Two Feet (and we might also add the 4 Principles), I suspect that it is more a matter of remembering what we already know and for one reason or another have chosen to repress. All of this goes with the idea that Open Space is truly not something new and radically different. In fact it is a forceful confrontation with a pre-existing condition.

We are already in Open Space by virtue of the fact that we have forever been in a self organizing world (the usual 13.7 billion years stuff). The Law and the Principles are descriptive of normative behavior in a self organizing world, and therefore Open Space, I think. In short, we do all of the above all the time — unfortunately we usually feel guilty about it, and because of this, we tend to do it/them badly, or at least awkwardly and grudgingly.

Thus with the Law: when faced with a nonproductive situation (no learning, no contribution) we always leave (hearts and mind out the window) — but the body remains feeling miserable, and making others miserable as well. Once we get the picture, things work better, and we feel a lot better. But it is not about doing something new, or internalizing some new truth — but rather remembering what we already knew and doing what we should/could have been doing in the first place.

Why bother with all this? Well if nothing else, I think it makes our job as consultants and facilitators a lot easier. First of all we are not inviting our clients to engage in risky behavior. Quite the opposite, we are opening a space in which they can really be themselves. And the real risk is to continue with the non-productive, guilt inducing, dependant behavior. The old Marxist Battle Cry might have some application here (with modification): People of the World Unite — You have nothing to lose but your chains.” In a word — Be yourself.

(…which points to another dimension of the both/and nature of Open Space: People can be united and unique, at the same time. The “marketplace” we make for “individual” passions, skills, interests, responsibility — and initiatives — is its own sort of “united” collective. In this way, the realization of Open Space can begin to erode traditional political and idealogical fault lines, in largely peaceful and powerfully practical ways.)

Of course, the WOSonOS is in Berlin, Germany May 12 - 15.

You may also be aware that Fr Brian Bainbridge (who died in early February this year) was instrumental in the growth and development of Open Space in Australia and New Zealand. He also maintained the Open Space Institute, circulated regular newsletters and trained many of us in the art and practice of Open Space Technology. He was also well known throughout the world and attended all but one of the last 17 World Open Space on Open Space events. He was, of course, planning to attend the WOSonOS in Berlin.

We have decided to host a Fringe Open Space on Open Space in Melbourne on May 11 to continue the tradition of having local Open Space on Open Space events and to honour Brian’s contribution. Fringe because it’s the day before the WOSonOS and we hope to post some pictures and reports on the (yet to be created) new Australasian Open Space Institute web site for those in Berlin, and elsewhere, to enjoy. It’s also an opportunity to explore the future of Open Space in Australasia - and to do what we always do at an Open Space on Open Space: have conversations about what matters to us, whatever that might be.

Oh, you’re wondering who ‘we’ is? Well, it’s me (Viv McWaters) and Andrew Rixon (Australia) and Anne Pattillo (New Zealand) and Chris Corrigan (Canada) and Johnnie Moore (UK) and Geoff Brown (Australia). So you see it’s our mini World Open Space on Open Space, and even if no-one else comes we’ll have great conversations.

But we’d love you to join us.

Date: Tuesday May 11 2010
Venue: Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford
Time: 9.30 am - 4 pm
Cost: Free
Format: Open Space

Please mailto:viv@mcwaters.com.au if you plan to attend, or if you have any questions. That way we’ll know how many lunches to order.

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.

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!!!

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/