OST training and "certification" - the role of OSIs? (was: Re: [OSLIST] Open Space Facilitation: Making it Work! 28-30 Sep 2010, Utrecht, The Netherlands

Artur Silva arturfsilva at yahoo.com
Tue May 25 06:40:31 PDT 2010


Jack:
 
This is a critical problem, in these days.
 
Was OST a gift for all people that
read the book (or not) and have a "good heart and a good mind"
and where training is an additional aid for those that need
that, or is it a business (or part of a business) for "self empowered
"trainers"? And what is a "good heart"? And a "good
mind"?
 
Do the organizers from Merlin (that btw are mostly scholars, but you may became a member and have discounts for a Standard Individual Membership per year of 59.95 eur) and the facilitator of the course you mentioned have "a good heart" or an "old days Kansas" one?
 
In Berlin, I was surprised to see the advertisement
of a Program (presented as if it was a gift to the Access Queen")
with a Certification Program costing 3.800 US $, with a four days part on
"Working with OST" costing 650 US $. These prices are lower or
greater the ones you mentioned? And including OST combined with other methods
is still the "free" and "open" spirit of OST? Is it still
OST?
 
But "certification" is often a requisite for
grants in the EU and I think elsewhere too. 
 
Who (and how) can 'certify' that someone that presents
oneself as an "OST facilitator" is indeed using OST, and not mixing
it with other methods that "facilitate too much" (having, for
instance, people presenting themselves in groups of two, previously to the
opening, or having "reflections in pairs" before the closing, or
guiding them through the stages of Future Search in a so called OST meeting, to
give only some examples)?
 
I think that the Open Space Institutes around the
world (and only OSIs, and not other "facilitation organizations", that use OST as one
among many different tools, with many different epistemologies and values,
frequently mixing and confusing them in a single so called OST event) can have
a saying in relation to that.
 
Something that, IMHO, does that care about the future
of OST must consider carefully...
 
Regards
 
Artur



________________________________
From: Jack Martin Leith <jack at leithcocreation.com>
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Sent: Tue, May 25, 2010 9:11:56 AM
Subject: Re: [OSLIST] Open Space Facilitation: Making it Work! 28-30 Sep 2010, Utrecht, The Netherlands


My curiosity aroused by the announcement below, I visited www.merlien.org/upcoming-events/osft2010.html
 
Very interesting. An OS facilitator training led by ... well, who, exactly?
 
An OS facilitator training for, among others, professional conference companies.
 
An OS facilitator training that costs €795.00.
 
An OS facilitator training that provides participations with "a certificate awarded by the School of Advanced Facilitation".
 
Ladies and gentlemen, 25 years down the track, we are not in Kansas anymore!
 
Jack 

Jack Martin Leith
Leith Co-creation
email: jack at leithcocreation.com
Mobile: 07831 840541 (+44 7831 840541)
Skype: jackmartinleith
Professional website: www.leithcocreation.com
Personal website: www.jackmartinleith.com



On 24 May 2010 23:59, OST Training <events at merlien.org> wrote:

Open Space Facilitation: Making it work!
>How to design, plan and execute unconference meetings successfully
>>28-30 September 2010, Utrecht
>Event website: http://www.merlien.org/upcoming-events/osft2010.html
>
>About the workshop:
>The International Open Space Facilitator workshop, co-organised by the
>>School of Advanced Facilitation (SAF) and Merlien Institute will be held on
>the 28-30 September 2010 in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Open Space offers your
>participants more than just talks, questions and poster sessions. It builds
>>on the knowledge people bring to the event, harness their passion and give
>them the responsibility for discussing what really matters to them in a
>self-organising conference format. This workshop, conducted in English wiill
>>equip you with the essential skills to design and execute an open space
>workshop or incorporate open space within your existing conference formats.
>
>Who should attend:
>This workshop is for meeting organisers and facilitators who will offer
>>their participants the opportunity to tackle complex issues in a highly
>interactive, productive and self-structured "unconference" environment. The
>workshop is designed with meeting organisers and facilitators in mind who
>>work for government agencies, educational institutions, European programmes
>and projects, professional conference companies and industry associations.
>
>Take advantage of this unique opportunity to equip yourself with skills to
>>design and execute successful open space events. This two and half days
>course includes refreshments and lunches. Early-Bird registration is now
>open! To register, please visit:
>http://www.merlien.org/upcoming-events/osft2010.html
>
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