OSLIST Digest - 2 Sep 2007 to 4 Sep 2007 (#2007-224)

[Scott Gassman]

Tenneson,

I am very moved by the link you shared.

Like a hike, I look forward to exploring the inner parts, treasures of
your site.

Scott Gassman

On 9/5/07, Tenneson Woolf <tenneson at berkana.org> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Patricia, all
>
>
>
> I'm working on a community wide "Creating a Culture of Connection" process
> in Salt Lake City. It grows out of several interactive processes over the
> last two years with many "bridgers" in the area. Open Space was one of these
> – from which we created or strengthened working groups in a day long event,
> now focused on: neighborhood convening councils, facilitation / hosting
> resources, dialogue process in middle school on what "welcome" means, an
> arts council to invite connection through multiple mediums.
>
>
>
> My current space in it is working with my colleague to support the
> architecture that holds the process as is and invites continued connection /
> co-creation. For me this is rooted in an art of hosting model
> (http://www.artofhosting.org/thepractice/5breaths/) from
> which I know many of my OS pals.
>
>
>
> Saying it here to name some current work that might connect to what you are
> doing. Happy to huddle round a skype fire to invite another kind of learning
> and inspiration together here.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Tenneson Woolf
>
>
>
> tenneson at berkana.org
>
> 801 376 2213
>
>
>
> Dyer Institute for Leading Organizational Change
>
> tenneson_woolf at byu.edu
>
> www.dyerinstitute.byu.edu
>
> 801 422 2665
>
>
>
>  ________________________________
>
>
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Patricia
> Mikkelson
>  Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 10:59 AM
>  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>  Subject: Re: OSLIST Digest - 2 Sep 2007 to 4 Sep 2007 (#2007-224)
>
>
>
>
> Wow! I feel so honored to hear that you read this Harrison. By the way, when
> I wrote about the popcorn, I meant Popcorn-like statements--like quick
> phrases and words--but I think you meant real popcorn. I shall consider
> having a lot of popcorn available--at the end--that might result in enticing
> a lot of people stay longer.
>
>  I am happy to say that Jeff Aiken is giving me some invaluable feedback off
> the post--and I feel so so so so grateful that this list is out
> there--because he is the person I really need to connect with about this.
>
>  And the amazing thing is that I met him out in San Francisco when I
> attended Lisa Heft's WONDERFUL facilitators conference.
>
>  I will be very happy to report to you how this turned out--please send some
> positive energy and prayers my way to find some partners who want to help
> get the very first community gathering off the ground.
>
>  Thanks, Harrison, for your encouragement!
>
>  Warmly, Patricia
>
>
>
>  Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2007 15:05:48 -0400
>  From: Harrison Owen
>  Subject: Re: Using OS for Neighborhood organizing with the Community
> Gathering, eventually spreading OS world wide. Feedback requested
>
>  This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
>
>  ------=_NextPart_000_001A_01C7EF05.144CF050
>  Content-Type: text/plain;
>  charset="US-ASCII"
>  Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
>  Patricia - Looks like you have your work cut out for you! And a good work
> it
>  will be!! I can't think of anything to offer by way of suggestions or
>  feedback, so I guess you will just have to try it and let us know how it
> all
>  turns out. I particularly like the Popcorn!
>
>
>
>  Harrison
>
>
>
>  _____
>
>  From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Patricia
>  Mikkelson
>  Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2007 7:08 PM
>  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>  Subject: Using OS for Neighborhood organizing with the Community Gathering,
>  eventually spreading OS world wide. Feedback requested
>
>
>
>  The following flyer is a description of a gathering that I have designed
>  which incorporates Open Space Technology. I would like feedback on the
>  following:
>
>  1. The invitation itself, including the title of the event
>  2. The way of using OS and structuring the Community Gathering which I will
>  describe in more detail after the flyer.
>  3. The concept
>  4. The over all strategy of helping OS to be commonly practiced in every
>  neighborhood in the world.
>
>  I experienced OS 8 years ago at an Intentional Communities gathering at
> Twin
>  Oaks and a Permaculture Gathering at Celo Community. I have been excited
>  about the concept ever since then. I have studied it extensively, tried it
>  only once, and finally took a facilitators workshop recently with Lisa Heft
>  in San Francisco (Fantastic!). I love the piece that Chris Corrigen wrote
>  comparing OS to the Tao, because I see this as a spiritual concept that
>  helps us to live life better.
>
>  The work I present to you is really the culmination of 32 years of
>  researching, practicing, talking about--how to build healthy communities
>  everywhere. Tears come to my eyes because I feel like I am close to being
>  able to wholeheartedly do the work that I have been called to do in this
>  life. I present this to the OS community with confidence that I will get
>  encouragement and feedback that will help me move forward with presenting
>  this to people who will want to have Community Gatherings to empower civic
>  engagement by people of all backgrounds, including the under-heard and
>  under-served people in their communities.
>
>  I have a vision for engaging millions of people in the job of "civilization
>  building" using OS with the Community Gathering concept, and I would sure
>  love to have your help. So here is the flyer:
>
>  The Community Gathering
>
>  An excellent, effective, unique way to help neighbors work together to
>  create thriving, self-reliant communities
>
>  The Community Gathering combines time tested, effective ingredients such as
>  fun, food, music, open space technology and childcare which makes it easy
>  for neighbors and friends to:
>
>  * Find meaningful ways to serve using their unique talents
>  * Play music. Dance. Play games. Do Art. and do other fun things with
>  friends of all ages
>  * Take and teach classes. Get coaching and mentoring. Give and receive
>  empathic listening. Get support for your projects and solving your
> problems.
>  * Meet regularly (usually weekly) to keep the momentum going
>  * Find other people who share common goals. Build friendships and trust.
>  * Be engaged in "civilization building" with the whole family and your
>  neighbors
>  * Network with a large variety of people and find ways to get everyone's
>  needs met including finding meaningful work, electing political candidates,
>  learning, safety and caring for the environment
>
>  A Community Gathering can be sponsored by anyone who wants to better his or
>  her community. With the help of a handbook and DVD that is in the process
> of
>  being developed, just about anyone with passion and integrity plus
>  leadership and organizing abilities can do the following:
>
>  * Find and work with a planning team
>  * Use Open Space Technology, an effective, economical, fast, and easily
>  repeatable strategy for organizing meetings of between 5 and 1,000
>  participants
>  * Use a simple meeting facilitation technique that encourages liberty.
>  People can effectively and easily divide into small groups to converse,
>  learn, plan, and/or give and receive support
>  * Find an appropriate space to meet
>  * Raise the necessary funds and find volunteers
>  * Keep the Community Gathering environment clean, ecological, family
>  friendly and safe
>  * Use communication methods to help people connect in between meetings.
>  * Make sure that such topics that are important to your neighbors are
>  covered, including emergency preparedness, safety, and food production are
>  covered.
>
>  Do you want to make a huge difference in your neighborhood and world? Start
>  a Community Gathering in your neighborhood.
>
>  For more information, to offer feedback, or get involved in a local
>  Community Gathering
>  Call Patricia Mikkelson 479-225-0047 community_gathering at yahoo.com
>
>
>  Here is the way I see facilitating this meeting:
>
>  1. Schedule of the meeting:
>  6:00 Food is served
>  6:20 rousing sing along songs that everyone knows
>  6:30 Everyone is sitting down and eating: Introduction to meeting
> begins--an
>  adapted version of OS. People will probably be sitting at tables to eat, so
>  a circle is difficult for me to see happening
>  7:15-8:15 first session
>  8:15-9:15 second session
>  9:20-9:30 Closure with popcorn, quick comments--and a song
>  9:30-11:00 Open mic and dance in main room--and networking and informal
>  discussions can take place in smaller rooms. (this part makes it more like
> a
>  party and draws people who might not otherwise come)
>
>
>  Convening the open space goes something like this:
>
>  "Everyone here has something valuable to contribute to our neighborhood.
>  Whether you are here to have fun and socialize, or to work on a project
> that
>  is important to you, or to find ways to get involved in bettering our
>  neighborhood--your contribution is valuable."
>
>  "There are two ways you can participate. One is by joining a group that
> will
>  soon be listed on this wall here. The other way is to convene an activity.
> "
>
>  "Here are some examples of activities you might want to sponsor:
>  1. A conversation about something that is important to you-like how can we
>  have a safer neighborhood
>  2. A planning session around a project you are working on, including
> getting
>  a political candidate elected; sponsoring a block party; getting a
> community
>  garden started.
>  3. Information sharing--perhaps you want to teach some skill, share some
>  knowledge about something that is important to you."
>
>  "As you can see on the wall, there are already activities which are going
> to
>  take place--including success teams where you can get support on your
>  personal goals; a dance jam; an open mic and jam session; child care,
>  classes; exercise; various support groups" (including 12 step programs)
>
>  (at this point, explain the one law, the four principles in a classic
> style)
>
>  "So if you want to get your idea on the wall, please write down the topic
> on
>  the paper provided (there will be paper and markers available near the
> empty
>  wall). And remember, even if someone does not attend your activity, you can
>  choose to take that precious time to work by yourself--or you can feel free
>  to take the topic off the wall and join others. Take a sticky note off the
>  wall which will state where the meeting will be held, and which session."
>  (The tables will ideally be scattered all around, with numbers on each
>  table--also groups of chairs--all will be numbered for easy identification)
>  After the agenda is created, facilitator continues:
>
>  "If you wish, please write down what happened during the meeting. You can
>  appoint a recorder--paper and pen are at each location. You can even type
> up
>  the results (if we have computers). We will be posting these on the local
>  community gathering website so people can get involved if they wish. Also,
>  we will adding this to the notebook which is available for perusal at all
>  the community gatherings."
>
>  Then, after the meal is over, and tables are cleared, facilitator
> announces:
>
>  "Okay, you can go to the activities you decide to go to--have fun, and
>  remember the main guideline "treat each other with respect""
>
>  Closing would be:
>
>  "Let's all get in a closing circle. Let's sing: some universally appealing
>  song
>
>  We just have a few minutes to end--so please be very brief using just a few
>  words or a phrase that describes the experience you had tonight"
>
>  Additional notes: More feedback requests about the following
>
>  1. A church, non-profit, or even business could have a gathering like this
>  to build their own sense of community.
>  2. I intend to create a user manual and dvd to teach people about every
>  detail--what to do to create this activity--(any ideas on already existing
>  materials?)
>  3. When momentum gathers in a neighborhood, a 2 or 3 day Open space
>  gathering to help the neighborhood create a shared vision and strategy for
>  carrying it out will be planned.
>  4. As more and more neighborhoods in one city get on board, then a larger
>  gathering for the whole city for shared vision and strategy can be
> sponsored
>  by numerous neighborhoods. Eventually the whole city will be familiar with
>  OS.\
>  5. Once one city has achieved success using the community gathering
> concept,
>  this can easily spread to other cities, and my hope is that this will
> spread
>  like wild fire and every city in the us, and eventually world, and rural
>  areas also--will use os to self organize and make a better world.
>
>
>  Again, thanks for your feedback
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>  Patricia Mikkelson
>  About Livable Future Project and me
>
>  Wellspring
>
>  Eco-village and Learning Center
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  * *
> ==========================================================
>  OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To subscribe,
>  unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
>  oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
>  http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To
> learn about
>  OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>
>
>  *
>  *
>  ==========================================================
>  OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>  -----------------------------
>  To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
>  view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
>  http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
>  To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
>  http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>
>  ------=_NextPart_000_001A_01C7EF05.144CF050
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>  charset="US-ASCII"
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> style=3D'font-size:
>  10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Patricia â€" Looks
> like you =
>  have your
>  work cut out for you! And a good work it will be!! I can’t think =
>  of
>  anything to offer by way of suggestions or feedback, so I guess you will =
>  just
>  have to try it and let us know how it all turns out. I particularly like =
>  the
>  Popcorn!
>
>
>
>
> style=3D'font-size:
>  10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>
>
>
>
>
> face=3DArial>
>  =
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Harrisonfont>
>  size=3D2 color=3Dnavy
> face=3DArial>style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
>  color:navy'>
>
>
>
>
> style=3D'font-size:
>  10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> size=3D3
>  face=3D"Times New Roman">
>  ________________________________
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
>  font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:size=3D2
>  face=3DTahoma> =
>
>  w:st=3D"on">OSLIST [mailto:w:st=3D"on">OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]
>  On Behalf Of Patricia =
>  Mikkelson
>
>  Sent: Sunday, September =
>  02, 2007
>  7:08 PM
>
>  To: w:st=3D"on">OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>
>  Subject: Using OS for =
>  Neighborhood
>  organizing with the Community Gathering, eventually spreading OS world =
>  wide.
>  Feedback requested
>
>
>
>
>
>
> style=3D'font-size:
>  12.0pt'>
>
>
>
>
> style=3D'font-size:
>  12.0pt'>The following flyer is a description of a gathering that I have
>  designed which incorporates Open Space Technology. I would like feedback =
>  on the
>  following:
>
>
>
>  1. The invitation itself, including the title of the event
>
>  2. The way of using OS and structuring the Community Gathering which I =
>  will
>  describe in more detail after the flyer.
>
>  3. The concept
>
>  4. The over all strategy of helping OS to be commonly practiced in every
>  neighborhood in the world.
>
>
>
>  I experienced OS 8 years ago at an Intentional Communities gathering at =
>  Twin
>  Oaks and a Permaculture Gathering at Celo Community. I have been excited =
>  about
>  the concept ever since then. I have studied it extensively, tried it =
>  only once,
>  and finally took a facilitators workshop recently with Lisa Heft in =
>
>  w:st=3D"on">San Francisco =
>  (Fantastic!).
>  I love the piece that Chris Corrigen wrote comparing OS to the Tao, =
>  because I
>  see this as a spiritual concept that helps us to live life better.
>
>
>
>  The work I present to you is really the culmination of 32 years of =
>  researching,
>  practicing, talking about--how to build healthy communities everywhere. =
>  Tears
>  come to my eyes because I feel like I am close to being able to =
>  wholeheartedly
>  do the work that I have been called to do in this life.  I present =
>  this to
>  the OS community with confidence that I will get encouragement and =
>  feedback
>  that will help me move forward with presenting this to people who will =
>  want to
>  have Community Gatherings to empower civic engagement by people of all
>  backgrounds, including  the under-heard and under-served =
>  people  in
>  their communities.
>
>
>
>  I have a vision for engaging millions of people in the job of
>  "civilization building" using OS with the Community Gathering
>  concept, and I would sure love to have your help.  So here is the =
>  flyer:
>
>
>
>  The Community Gathering
>
>
>
>  An excellent, effective, unique way to help neighbors work together to =
>  create
>  thriving, self-reliant communities
>
>
>
>  The Community Gathering combines time tested, effective ingredients such =
>  as
>  fun, food, music, open space technology and childcare which makes it =
>  easy for
>  neighbors and friends to:
>
>
>
>  style=3D'font-family:Symbol'>·
>  Find meaningful ways to serve using their unique talents
>
>  style=3D'font-family:Symbol'>·  Play
>  music. Dance. Play games. Do Art.  and do other fun things with =
>  friends of
>  all ages
>
>  style=3D'font-family:Symbol'>· Take and
>  teach classes. Get coaching and mentoring. Give and receive empathic =
>  listening.
>  Get support for your projects and solving your problems.
>
>  style=3D'font-family:Symbol'>· Meet
>  regularly (usually weekly) to keep the momentum going
>
>  style=3D'font-family:Symbol'>· Find other
>  people who share common goals. Build friendships and trust.
>
>  style=3D'font-family:Symbol'>· Be engaged
>  in "civilization building" with the whole family and your =
>  neighbors
>
>  style=3D'font-family:Symbol'>· Network with
>  a large variety of people and find ways to get everyone's needs met =
>  including
>  finding meaningful work, electing political candidates, learning, safety =
>  and
>  caring for the environment
>
>
>
>  A Community Gathering can be sponsored by anyone who wants to better his =
>  or her
>  community. With the help of a handbook and DVD that is in the process of =
>  being
>  developed, just about anyone with passion and integrity plus leadership =
>  and
>  organizing abilities can do the following:
>
>
>
>  style=3D'font-family:Symbol'>· Find and
>  work with a planning team
>
>  style=3D'font-family:Symbol'>· Use Open
>  Space Technology, an effective, economical, fast, and easily repeatable
>  strategy for organizing meetings of between 5 and 1,000 participants
>
>  style=3D'font-family:Symbol'>· Use a simple
>  meeting facilitation technique that encourages liberty. People can =
>  effectively
>  and easily divide into small groups to converse, learn, plan, and/or =
>  give and
>  receive support
>
>  style=3D'font-family:Symbol'>· Find an
>  appropriate space to meet
>
>
>  === message truncated ===
>
>
>
>
>  Patricia Mikkelson
>  About Livable Future Project and me
>
>
> Wellspring Eco-village and Learning Center
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> * *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To subscribe,
> unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
> oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To
> learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To subscribe,
> unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
> oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To
> learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist


-- 
Scott Gassman
IdeaJuice
(917) 951 - 0258
scott.gassman at gmail.com

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
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To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
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