OS & Sustainabilty

[scochran at leadershipresults.org]

Mike:

Congratulations, Mike on introducing Open Space to the
environmental education community in New Zealand. I'm
in full agreement about its usefulness in furthering
sustainability goals.

Toward that end, in Washington, D.C. on 10 November,
almost 100 cross-sector leaders in the sustainability
field from around the United States were convened in
Open Space. Like you, I regard myself as fortunate to
have facilitated the gathering.

Our focus was a US response to the United Nations
(UNESCO) "Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development", which begins in January 2005.

Thanks to Open Space "magic", and the caring of
commitment of the attendees, twenty-two one-hour
sessions occured over a six-hour period and an
inclusive organization was born, the "United States
Coalition for the Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development" (USCDESD).  The Coalition has been
expanding by leaps and bouncds. We've even met with and
engaged the new US Ambassador to UNESCO - Louise Oliver
- in the effort.

A description of the November Open Space, the session
results, attendees, and information about both the
Decade and the Coalition and its partners can be found
at:

http://www.NCSEonline.org/EFS/page.cfm?FID=3138

Please let me know how we can help as you move forward
in this important work.

All the Best -

Steve Cochran
Executive Director
Int'l Centre for Leadership Results,
in collaboration with Gettysburg College
Gettysburg PA 17325
717-486-4072
SCochran at LeadershipResults.org
www.LeadershipResults.org




On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 09:08:18 +1300, Mike Copeland wrote:






OS & Sustainabilty



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




Attention:
This e-mail (and attachments)
is confidential and may be legally privileged.


*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html