silence is golden

[Christine Whitney Sanchez]

Hi Kerry,
 
Thank you for sharing your description of OST.  I especially appreciate your
emphasis in the last paragraph on participatory democracy.  Lovely.
 
Warm greetings from sunny Phoenix,
 
Christine
 
Christine Whitney Sanchez
KAIROS Alliance Inc.
2717 E. Mountain Sky Avenue
Phoenix, AZ  85048
480.759.0262
www.kairosalliance.com <http://www.kairosalliance.com/> 
 

  _____  

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of kerry
napuk
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2006 12:47 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: silence is golden


Hi

Thanks Juan Luis for breaking the silence, due, no doubt, to the occasional
technical wobble that sometimes affects our LISTSERVE, which, otherwise, is
so ably served by BOISE STATE.

As we were preparing another tender for the Scottish government, I would
like to share the portion that describes Open Space as a methodology:

Open Space is a large group process devised in 1985 by Harrison Owen and
currently used in 122 countries.  It is a bottom-up process during which
participants organize their own agenda around issues of concern to them.
Other people volunteer to work in breakout groups on the issues raised.
Actions from each group are presented to everyone who then vote on
priorities, creating an agreed list of priority actions deemed important on
the day. 


Open Space provides easy access and total involvement of all participants
who are invited to work on the sponsor's theme.  During the process,
participants share experience, hear different views and, most importantly,
learn quickly from each other.   The process is driven by passion (care
about an issue) and responsibility (do something about it).


Open Space conferences look markedly different from conventional workshops.
There are no experts making presentations, no power point, no top table and
no prearranged workshops.  Nobody knows what issues will be raised or
actions proposed until they happen in real time during Open Space, except
they all would be within the framework of the sponsor's theme, which is
included in the invitation for every event. 
 
As participants create their own agenda and vote in real time within an open
and transparent marketplace, the process generates commitment and ownership
of outcomes.  It also provides an opportunity for participants to learn from
the direct experiences of others in a supportive and positive context,
demonstrating participatory democracy and good citizenship by treating
everyone as equals, valuing all contributions and providing equal access to
raise and discuss issues and vote on priorities.  In other words, the
process itself is an exercise in citizenship and participatory democracy.
Open Space, therefore, has demonstrated the ability to inculcate democratic
values.


Kind regards


Kerry
Edinburgh
www.openfutures.com
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