Looking for advice: Is this a time where OS should not be used?

Thu Feb 9 07:11:17 PST 2006

Dear All

I am writing with a request for advice. I must also admit that I am
feeling somewhat guilty this as it is the 2nd (or 3rd) time that I have
written to this amazing group of people and I am asking for help,
rather than offering it.

My organisation has partnered with 2 others to organise a conference
in Thailand which will bring together 150-200 people who are interested
in exploring the impact of copyright on access to knowledge and
culture in Asia, in learning about models which support collaborative
knowledge and culture creation and in looking forward in making Asia
Commons a reality. We have a planning team of 7 - each of us with a
lead role in organising the event. I am the lead for developing the 
conference methodology.

Since the beginning of the planning stages, the organising team hasn't
quite seen eye-to-eye on the conference methodology. Truth be told, it
is just me that hasn't quite seen eye to eye with them. We have a
conference sponsor who is funding the event, but they are hands-off
and happy, for the most part, to let us do the work that we want to
do. Early on, I proposed the idea that we organise the conference in
OS. My co-organisers and sponsor know and like OS but they don't want
the entire event in OS as they would like to bring in a few keynotes
and showcase the research papers being commissioned. I think that some
of the resistance stems from their belief that OS doesn't work well in
Asian cultures which I know is not true (and have shown them proof to
the contrary).

So, they are willing to do one of the sessions in OS (possibly up to a
day and a half) but not the entire conference. I am trying to figure
out if it is worth it. I know that there are things that I can do to
minimise the impact of bringing in the so called experts for the first
2 days. I have thought of a few things like the enquiry circle
(which I think would work), informal community conversations, the chat
show methodology (making the session lighter by inviting the experts
as guests in a chat show rather than asking them to do a ppt) etc.
BUT, I am wondering if I should continue to push for OS if it can only
be slotted in for a day especially if it follows 2 days which are more
keynote/presenter oriented. I think that it is taking a risk that I am
not sure is worth taking as I am not convinced that it will work.

I would really appreciate hearing your views/opinions especially if you
have done something similar which actually worked.

Thanks in advance.

Best,
Allison

-- 
Allison Hewlitt
Bellanet International Secretariat <www.bellanet.org>
Tel: +1 613.236.6163 x2393

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>From  Thu Feb  9 10:27:08 2006
Message-Id: <THU.9.FEB.2006.102708.0500.>
Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2006 10:27:08 -0500
Reply-To: hhowen at verizon.net
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>
Organization: HH Owen and Co.
Subject: Re: Sustainbility Open Space alert: Mar 1-3 Raleigh, NC
In-Reply-To: <GMail.1139492259.5383361.88412345113 at kaxy.com>
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Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
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Sounds like a most interesting gathering -- but Patricia I am curious, Why
are you doing a series of Open Spaces when one big one would do? Presumably
all the folks who are interested in the themes you are suggesting will be
present, and if so the pertinent issues will come up. And if not -- not.
And what about crossovers -- I would think that higher education has
something to do with Green building and so on. 

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 Patricia
Haines
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 8:38 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Sustainbility Open Space alert: Mar 1-3 Raleigh, NC

See <uspartnership.org> for details on the 1st anniversary Convocation of
the U.S. Partnership for
the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development - hosted by the EPA
in Raleigh, NC!

In addition to updates on Partnership progress this past year, March 1-2
will be a series of
OpenSpace gatherings around issues and topics that participants put on the
table ahead of time.
EVERYONE WELCOME!

Given this group's passionate participation and experience, I'm really
hoping that any of you
interested in sustainability, in any of its myriad forms, who can make it to
Raleigh will join us.

For one example, with Raphael Peter of Asheville I'm anchoring an Open Space
on intergrating the
arts across the sustainability movement. Other areas already on the table
include the business
community, k-12 education, community-based learning, faith-based and
-related movements, higher
education - we'd love someone to take a lead on green building, sustainable
agriculture, health,
marketing/advertising - what else can you creative folks think of?

Patricia Haines
Level Green Institute, Ithaca, NY
Co-Chair, Adult & Community Learning, US Partnership for the Decade of
Education for Sustainable
Development

"Never doubt that a group of committed citizens can change the world -
indeed, it's the only thing
that can." - Margaret Mead

--
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