Successful OS in the auditorium: Earth Charter Community Summit Seattle rocked!

[Susan Partnow]

Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences about opening space
in an auditorium!  Yesterday’s Earth Charter Community Summit was a great
success.  We had over 165 people in the auditorium
and the Open Space
marketplace generated great energy, passion and wisdom.  As auditoriums go,
it was a sweet space:  lots of windows on both sides giving natural light;
wide aisles; rows widely spaced.  I arranged four whiteboards on wheels in
front of the stage where people posted their topics.  Instead of ‘walking
the circle’, I asked everyone to stand up (they had been sitting quite a
while for the keynote) and, after stretching, to look around the room at
the amazing group of people present (everyone had introduced themselves
earlier, stating their connection to the Earth Charter)
 and to not just
look around, but to be sure to look in to the eyes of at least a couple of
the people around them, to really take in the extraordinary people
present.  Then, as they sat down, to visualize being in a circle with
everyone, to feel the connection between us all
  After explaining the
process – people were invited to come forward to state and post their
topic
  Later, we rolled the whiteboards out into the main hall so people
could easily check the marketplace wall


Let me share a few other strategies we developed
 to help promote the
purpose of the Summit, i.e. get the community engaged around our focusing
question, “What can we DO to PROMOTE and USE the Earth Charter?”  We gave
each convenor a flipchart paper that had a template written out on it –
Topic, Convenor, Key Points, Actions to Take, NEXT STEPS – with some space
on the left margin for attendees to sign up with email.  After the sessions
we posted all of these in the hall –under the appropriate principle of the
Earth charter (Respect and care for community of life; Ecological
Integrity; Social and Economic Justice; Democracy, Nonviolence and Peace) –
and asked people to sign on to any of the topics/groups that they would
want to connect with after the summit.  We asked convenors to write up more
detailed notes (on a form provided with the email info) and email them to
the coordinator who will compile and send out the proceedings – we did not
have computers at the event.

Fortunately we were blessed with good weather and so held the closing
circle outside, arranged around a pond.  After giving people time to
reflect, each participant wrote their ‘next step’ or action plan on a
colorful paper (there were 5 colors) (1/4 sheets with holes punched)

Next,  they reflected and wrote in a word or two their inspiration from the
day
 We passed a basket as the talking object, and as each person stated
their inspiration they deposited the flag
 Later, at the closing reception,
we strung them all together like prayer flags and hung them on the wall.
We’ll bring these back to next year’s Summit!

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