SV: Request for stories about mentoring, and a reminder about the conference for the International Alliance for Mentoring

Thomas Herrmann thomas at openspaceconsulting.com
Thu Aug 29 15:53:44 PDT 2002


Dear Birgitt.
Today I facilitated an Open Space meeting which was really about mentoring.
Well I guess in fact they all are.
Anyway, I am part of a mentoring program for newly arrived refugees in a
nearby town. We are 9 mentors and 9 refugees (with similair profession,
mentoring each other. This evening 14 of them (+ 2 from the community who
are connected to the project + a politician from a refrencegroup) went into
Open Space to explore where to go from here and how to develop the program
further.

We had access to a translator in the opening. Most of the participants
understand Swedish well enough but those who needed translation placed
themselves next to the translator. I also had the principles and the law
translated to Kurdish (Sorani) and Arabic posted next to the Swedish ones.
Unfortunately I didn´t manage to get the Persian ready in time, but I was
excused for that.

We had two sessions of one hour each and a wonderful time together. The
agenda was built. Actually the first to raise a subject was an elder man who
does not speak much Swedish. He read his topic and the translator helped us
understand. That session was convened in Kurdish, the rest in Swedish. As I
heard examples from some of you, everybody had the chance to choose language
for his/her topic. Participants helping each other out during the sessions.
The discussions covered all from more social contacts and finding work to
exploring the term integration.

It was a lovely experience of self-organization. After the opening everybody
went to get some food (in the same room), talked, mingled, talked some more
and all of a sudden everybody was seated. The closing took about half an
hour and I think everybody felt quite strengthened after this evening.

I have looked for an opportunity to trying to open space in this context,
and I am greatful I got this. I would really love to open space in this way
for community development in our segregated suburbs. Not bad to be given a
voice and having ones language back at the same time.

By the way I will make digital copies of the principles and the law and see
if they somehow fit onto the openspaceworld website, like your suggested
Michael P
Good Night
Thomas Herrmann
  -----Ursprungligt meddelande-----
  Från: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]För Birgitt Williams
  Skickat: den 29 augusti 2002 20:40
  Till: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
  Ämne: Request for stories about mentoring, and a reminder about the
conference for the International Alliance for Mentoring


  Dear friends and colleagues,
  September 27th is the date for our on-line conference regarding mentoring
using the new software OpenSpace-Online®.* OpenSpace-Online® was developed
by our colleague Gabriela Ender and her team OpenSpace-Online GmBH in
Berlin, Germany and released in May 2002. They have captured the essence and
principles of an Open Space Technology meeting. September 28th and 29th are
the days in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA for the second annual conference
for the International Alliance for Mentoring. The meeting format is Open
Space Technology facilitated by our colleague Judi Richardson from Nova
Scotia Canada. Meals will be done in Open Space, facilitated by colleague
Eiwor Backelund from Sweden. Information about the conference is at
http://www.openspacetechnology.com/iam.html

  The International Alliance for Mentoring is an intentional conscious Open
Space Organization in its early stages. If you are interested in our story
as a conscious Open Space Organization to date please see
http://www.openspacetechnology.com/iam_story.html   This is one of the
current intentional conscious Open Space Organizations. I am learning
through this experience and experiences with other organizations, what is
required in terms of initial structure including "givens" to provide enough
form to enable the organization's development. With IAM, we experimented
with the least possible amount of structure---only one "given"--to see if
this was enough coupled with passion, for the development to progress.

  We also ask you to submit to us any stories that you may have regarding
mentoring. We will add these stories to this year's "book of proceedings".
Some may be used in a book, and for these we will seek your permission to do
so. Our vision is the promotion of mentoring (as a verb) to influence the
future of humanity. I am interested in mentoring by an individual to an
individual, by an individual to an organization (for me, a lot of the
consulting work that OST facilitators are doing is "mentoring" rather than
consulting), and I am interested in stories of organizations mentoring other
organizations and/or organizations in a mentoring relationship with each
other.

  Blessings to you and to all with whom you make Genuine Contact,
  Birgitt

  Birgitt  Williams of Dalar International Consultancy
http://www.dalarinternational.com

  Mentoring for Organizational Effectiveness

  view the calendar for upcoming training at
http://www.openspacetechnology.com/training.html



  We invite you to join the list serve at
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/genuinecontact




  Contact information for Dalar International Consultancy

  Mailing address: Po Box 19373, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 27619 or for
courier 12136 Shooting Club Rd., Raleigh, North Carolina USA 27613

  Phone: 919-522-7750     Fax: 919-870-6599



  "I believe that Spirit matters and people are precious. I know that
organizations incorporating these values have exciting, tangible results
including wealth, prosperity, and abundance. Daily, these organizations
attend to their health and balance. Participating in the Genuine Contact
program takes you on a learning journey of HOW to achieve the healthy and
balanced organization (the conscious Open Space Organization).”  Birgitt
Williams, Dalar International Consultancy




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