Convergence-a different angle

[Peg Holman]

I, too, was part of the conversation in Toronto on convergence.  And like
Diane Gibeault, am resistant to voting for several reasons.  The primary one
is that people's thinking has moved from what was originally posted.  And
while looking at the content of the proceedings shows this to be the case,
naming is quite powerful and I think people are better served by naming
what's important now.

That said, I finally had a chance to experiment with something I've wanted
to try since OSonOS in Toronto: opening a space for convergence.

I did this for the last gathering of the arts commission work I've mentioned
several times on this list.  In the end, the design was quite simple:

*  A "reading room" -- about an hour to look at the proceedings

*  An open space -- with the convergent twist; I'll say more in a moment

*  A closing circle -- using the paper chain made up of ~600 links with
closing comments made over the 6 weeks of OS gatherings as the talking
object.

About the OS, the question we used was:
What is essential for the future of arts & culture in our state and our
communities?

This was a variation from the question used throughout the 6 week
conversation  -- what are the issues and opportunities for arts & culture in
our state and our communities -- that emphasized convergence.

The principle difference in this OS was that in inviting people to come
forward and write a question, I asked them to consider 2 things in deciding
to post:
1.  Do they personally have passion for the subject; and
2.  Do they absolutely believe it is essential for the future of the
community?

In other words, I raised the bar asking people to act with passion and
responsibility thinking of themselves and their community.  This seemed to
work; people took this responsibility to heart.

In all other ways, the day was like any other convergence day -- there was
one time established for the sessions.  It ran from 11:00-2:30 with a lunch
break whenever they wanted to take it.  We offered a handout with some
suggested topics that we thought would be useful for planning.  Some groups
used it, some didn't.  Finally, when I opened the space, I suggested people
use the time from about 2:30-3:30 for a walk about.  Some people did, others
kept working.

All in all, I wouldn't hesitate to use a "convergent space" with any large
group.  Simpler than voting, dots and allows for the synthesis to happen in
a magically intuitive way.

Peg Holman