open space and heros

[christine koehler]

Hi to all

I am working with a group that wants to organize a open space event in a
highly “political” context :  Theme is very sensitive, has been discussed
for years by all actors without any results except fights and division. But
now context has changed and they feel that if they, actors of the system,
don’t work together now and suggest something very quicly, the law will do
it for them without them...
Yet it took them some time to agree to go for OST. Their fear is great :
they fear that some actors in the system will take advantage of the event
for their own interest. They also fear that “wise men (and women)” who were
pionners in their field but now do not act any more but talk talk talk ,
will take advantage of the event to … talk and bring the audience somewhere
else.
Interesting fears, aren’t they ? I'd love to have your opinion on those.;

Regarding the first fear : they choose not to invite one specific person as
co-inviter with them. There was a strong veto from one of the co-inviter,
saying that working with this person had been one of the worst experience in
his life and that he won’t do that again. As this co-inviter is probably one
of the most active in the group (he DOES the work), I think his request was
accepted as a given.
Yet now the group fears that this (not-invited-as-co-inviter) person, who
has a strong influence base, might come with lots of his people at the event
and influence the whole result..
The risk is that they limit the number of participants to X people per
organization (or/and whatever criteria they choose).
My question : did you experience a situation where a person, not invited as
a co-inviter because too difficult to deal with, has “spoiled”an OS event ?
 I wonder if the risk is real (if so I’d challenge the group and have him
included as a co-inviter) or if I just let them go with people they really
want to work with...

Their second fear concerns the wise persons (who are also “big egos” ;-))
They don’t want them as co-inviters, but they want them somewhere. These
people are the “heroes” of this community, but they are not so young now ,
and are not so active anymore in doing things.  They talk about  offering
them to join a “scientific committee” or something like this.  I don’t like
the idea of “scientific committee” in the context of an OS event, but don’t
have any better idea. What do you suggest ?
They also fear that they invide the space during the creation of the agenda.
All of those wise persons, I was told, can, with the help of a mic, bring a
group wherever they want and talk for hours. Especially if they are all in
the same room (because none of them wants to speak less than the others...)
Any suggestion to me, as facilitator , to avoid use of mic as a tribune
without being rude to their heroes ?

Christine Koehler

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