The Art and Craft of Teaching Peace in OS

[Harrison Owen]

Melinda -- I beg to differ! NH is not a backwater!! Nor is it bereft of Open
Space. In fact, New Hampshire was host to the initiating event which gave
rise to Open Space. That was the "1st International Symposium on
Organization Transformation" which took place in 1983 (UNH in Durham). I was
the "organizer" and it came as close to Open Space as I knew how at that
point. We got a little better in Monteray in 1985 with the 1st (real) "Open
Space" -- but the New Hampshire was hardly hostile for the moment of
insemination, or something. 

Anyhow, I don't think you have a problem. NH (along with ME, VT, and MA) all
share a common tradition. It is called the "Town Meeting", and in the early
days for sure -- and still to some degree -- it's open space. So if I were
looking for a "billing" it might go something like -- "Town Meeting on
Teaching Peace. But with a real difference. Every issue (your's included) is
on the agenda. All will be discussed, written up -- and avaiable for further
action." Those are the "promises" you can make with any Open Space -- and
most people are more interested in hearing the promises and having them
fulfilled (and you will do that!) than they are interested in knowing all
the "process" details. So don't even try to explain it, 'cause if you do
they won't understand it, and certainly won't believe it. Just make the
invitation, state the THEME, make the promises -- and go for broke. It
always works. And then when it is all over and it is a raging success --
just tell them, it wasn't a miracle. Just Open Space. 

Harrison 

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20854
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com 
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.ho-image.com 
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Melinda
Salazar
Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 2:22 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: The Art and Craft of Teaching Peace in OS

Dear Friends,
Two high school colleagues are planning to host a second Teaching Peace 
conference on April 1, 2006 in New Hampshire, this time using OS and 
WC.  New Hampshire is a backwater where no one has heard of OS (and 
apologies to those on this list who may live in NH), so we and our 
participants are in a transitional stage of shifting paradigms.  For a 
traditional conference, this is the time when we would be securing 
presenters/workshop leaders, in otherwords, communicating with the 
"experts."  As we move forward to announce the conference to the 
general public, we have several questions.

1.  How do we market the conference to a public who generally does not 
know who OS is and who might be looking for the big name/keynote 
speaker and workshop leaders? That is, a traditional conference would 
list speakers and workshops to draw participants.  Last year, we 
offered 5 workshop tracks.  Since we don't know who is coming yet this 
year, how can we advertise the conference? Should we plant some 
conveners in our participant group who have offered sessions at the 
previous conference?

2.  How do we get those "experts" to attend and to see themselves as 
participants who both have something to offer and gain from the 
experience?

Thanks,
Melinda Salazar and Kay Morgan
Oyster River High School
Durham, NH

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