AW: Open Space experience with African countries

Sat Mar 20 14:21:08 PST 2004

one more africa story...

i opened a space for 150 or so here in chicago a few years ago for an
international group, with some from south africa. one guy came to me
afterward to say, "we have been doing open space for a long long time in
south africa, though we do it outside and we call it 'meeting under the
trees.' but we do not run our gov't that way. coming here and seeing
this conference, the biggest learning for me is that we could be running
our gov't under the trees!"

good luck, mayke! michaelh

Harrison Owen wrote:

>Mayke – One way to handle the problem with “senior people” is to make sure
>that you have had a conversation with them BEFORE the OS starts. In most
>cases if you explain how it is all going to work and how essential it is for
>everybody to have a chance to speak, I find there is usually no problem.
>Also, as you may remember, Open Space was “born” in Africa. I spent some
>long time in West Africa working with a variety of people, mostly the Kpelle
>in Liberia. My inspiration for the circle in Open Space came from my time
>with them. And I think there is a real point here – for most people in
>Africa (certainly tribal people) Open Space will seem very natural. In fact
>they have names for it. In Liberia it was called Palaver, and I think in
>Southern Africa it is called Indaba – but Valerie can tell you about that
>(also say hi to her). In Liberia when there was some major issue to be dealt
>with, everybody would sit in a circle, sometimes the whole village – and
>EVERYBODY talked, and usually one at a time. The people would say, “Never
>let the Sun set on a Palaver” – which meant we don’t stop talking until it
>is over. When it was over, the chief elder would say the final word, usually
>some parable or saying that captured what the consensus was. Up to that
>point it was not uncommon for that elder to sit in silence for hours. Just
>holding the space. I don’t know where you are, or what groups you are
>working with, but I would be willing to bet that they already know a lot
>more about Open Space than you think. If so, all you have to do is to open
>the space and let them, get on with what they would do naturally. I have
>also had a very similar experience here in the US when doing OS with First
>Nation People. At first they thought it was some strange new white magic. I
>guess the name threw them – or the fact that I am white made them sure that
>whatever I might do was going to be strange. But it usually only took about
>20 min and they forgot all the strangeness and felt right at home. I
>remember one Navajo Chief coming up to me after the 1st day saying “What
>took you so long, White Man?” He said it with a smile. This strange, new,
>wonderful thing called Open Space had actually been in native tradition from
>the beginning. We (white people) were only just catching on.
>
>
>
>Have fun!
>
>
>
>Harrison
>
>
>
>Harrison Owen
>
>7808 River Falls Drive
>
>Potomac, Maryland   20845
>
>Phone 301-365-2093
>
>Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/>
>
>
>Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
>
>Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
>OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>
>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit:
>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Mayke
>Wagner, essence
>Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2004 3:23 PM
>To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>Subject: Re: AW: Open Space experience with African countries
>
>
>
>Hi Holger,
>thanks for getting me in touch with Valerie and also for sharing your
>experience with OST with African participants.
>The first aspect you mentioned ("To my experience so far, you should not
>fall into the African ³trap² that everything needs to be discussed at
>length. So, after you have introduced the rules, do not accept any
>discussions but open the market place immediately.") makes perfectly sense
>to me.
>For the second aspect ("You might also run into slight problems if there are
>some senior people who want their status to be honored.") I am wondering how
>you deal with that. In terms of space invasion I can imagine possible ways
>to deal with this. Do you have any other recommendations for this specific
>situation? What did you do? And what did other people do who found
>themselves in this specific situation?
>
>Thanks for your support and your willingness to share. I am very impressed
>by the openness and the readiness to invite newcomers to the OST community!
>Happy trails,
>Mayke
>___________________________________________
>essence - Beratung, Training, Coaching
>Mayke Wagner
>Hanser 3
>88279 Amtzell
>GERMANY
>
>mayke.wagner at t-e-a-m.org
>Tel (+49) 07520 / 9232 02
>visit us:  <http://www.t-e-a-m.org>
>
>
>Von: Change Management Toolbook <holger at change-management-toolbook.com>
>Antworten an: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
>Datum: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 10:06:09 +0100
>An: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>Betreff: [OSLIST] AW: Open Space experience with African countries
>
>
>
>Hello Mayke,
>
>
>
>I will have a short training session on Open Space in South Africa next
>week. I will give you feed back once I am back.
>
>
>
>To my knowledge one of the leading OST specialists in Africa is Valerie
>Morris from Cape Town. I am copying your message to her and you might
>contact her if you wish.
>
>
>
>To my experience so far, you should not fall into the African ³trap² that
>everything needs to be discussed at length. So, after you have introduced
>the rules, do not accept any discussions but open the market place
>immediately. You might also run into slight problems if there are some
>senior people who want their status to be honoured.
>
>
>
>Michael P Pannwitz, can we send her Theo¹s dissertation?
>
>
>
>Regards,
>
>Holger
>
>
>
>
>
>Dr. Holger Nauheimer
>
>BeraterKompetenz
>
>Rosenheimer Str. 5
>
>10781 Berlin
>
>
>
>Tel. +49-30-219 684 49
>
>http://www.beraterkompetenz.de/
>
>
>
>http://www.change-management-toolbook.com/
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
>Von: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]Im Auftrag von Mayke
>Wagner, essence
>Gesendet: Dienstag, 16. März 2004 08:19
>An: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>Betreff: Open Space experience with African countries
>
>
>
>Hello from springtime Germany,
>
>I have my first Open Space Conference coming up in April and Lisa encouraged
>me to make use of the expertise and experience of all of you!
>The Open Space will take place in Nairobi, Kenya and we will have
>participants from Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Sounth
>Africa. The topic will be "Towards Sustainability of Healthcare Technology
>Systems" with participants being stakeholders, decision makers, and
>maintenance staff from all levels (national, regional, district, facility)
>of the healthcare technology system.
>My question is whether - from your experience - there are certain cultural
>aspects I need to consider. Do you have any experience with /
>recommendations for this group of participants?
>
>Looking forward to your ideas and stories,
>
>Mayke
>___________________________________________
>essence - Beratung, Training, Coaching
>Mayke Wagner
>Hanser 3
>88279 Amtzell
>GERMANY
>
>mayke.wagner at t-e-a-m.org
>Tel (+49) 07520 / 9232 02
>visit us:  <http://www.t-e-a-m.org>
>
>
>* * ==========================================================
>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
>
>
>
>* * ==========================================================
>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
>
>
>

--

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
300 West North Avenue #1105
Chicago IL 60610 USA
(312) 280-7838

http://www.michaelherman.com - consulting & publications
http://www.globalchicago.net - laboratory & playground
http://www.openspaceworld.org - worldwide open space

...inviting organization into movement

*
*
==========================================================
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