OS & Sustainabilty

[Mike Copeland]

G'day Everyone and hope the New Year is a good one!

I think Open Space Technology is the best tool I know of to move us along
the path of sustainabilty. Last week I attended the New Zealand
Environmental Education conference. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to
facilitate an "Introduction to Open Space" workshop. The space was opened
and although we had only two sessions of ten minutes each, we acomplished
the same intro,postings and market place that would have happened if we were
having a three day event. Unfortuntely with only 75 minutes in total we had
to close but I really sensed people could have chatted all day.

The great thing for me was all the talk during the conference of
participatory consultation, bottom up initiatives, empowering "the people"
and inclusiveness. The only problem was the whole conference was run using
conventional, heirarcharcal, pedagogic techniques of having guest speakers,
lectures, and a tight schedule. The morning and afternoon 30 minute teabreak
were once again relegated to the most meaningful action of the conference!

What I am rapidly realising with open space is it is the best tool I know of
to advance sustainabilty (and I talk here of personal, relational, work and
organisational sustainabilty)as it in itself is a sustainable process! So
much of the talk about sustainablilty and the new cultural shift etc. is
left high and dry when we use non sustainable realtional and oraganisational
processes. Open Space in itself mimics ecologically sustainable processes.

I for one am increasingly being tainted for any other form of conversation
or realtionship unless it uses open space principles. This pertains
especially in personal relationships where I am finding it helpful in
sorting out responsibities. So often I've experienced angst when someone
wants "me" to do their bidding, like washing the dishes, when I really have
no worries letting them sit for another day. Open space, I am finding, has
as much pertinance in the furnace of the everyday, as it does at some huge
political level.

A penny for ya thorts?

Mike Copeland


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