[OSList] Development of Open Space in Egypt

Thu Aug 25 00:11:22 PDT 2011

Dear Claudia,
I´m very grateful to have read the story. Thrilling and wonderful!
There are few things comparable to the start of such a venture, to the
continuous opening space,... isn´t it?
Best wishes!

* Eleder BuM31    Mind Mapping-Open Space Technology-Creativity*
www.burumapak.blogspot.com (eus)   @Eleder_BuM<http://twitter.com/Eleder_BuM>
(Twitter)
www.in-fluyendo.blogspot.com (esp)   www.flowandshow.blogspot.com

2011/8/24 Dr. Claudia Gross <info at claudiagross.com>

> Dear All!
>
> My name is Claudia and I am writing you from Cairo/Egypt.
> Harrison has mentioned my name in May after the OSLEX in Sardinia, the
> cradle of the 5th Principle.
>
> Since it's Ramadan, the Holy Month, life is quieter and
> I finally have found the time to write you some lines about the development
> of Open Space in Egypt.
>
> Actually it all has started 2,5 years ago when the director of the Konrad
> Adenauer-Stiftung, a German political foundation present here in Cairo,
> has asked me if I could imagine to facilitate an Open Space in Egypt. Of
> course I could! Then it took another 2 years until we had a meeting in
> November 2010, planning the supposedly 1st Open Space in Egypt for March
> 2011. On Jan. 25th the demonstrations on Midan Tahrir started and suddenly
> everything moved that seemed to be clear and stable.
>
> I will never forget the picture of the Midan Square filled with millions of
> people, demonstrating peacefully and expressing their wish for democracy and
> a better life. Fascinating time that gave birth to many great initiatives
> and movements in Egypt and the whole Arab region. While I am writing you
> this email, the Arab Spring is just about to close another page and open a
> new chapter: Gaddafi's era is about to end. Two nights ago, people were
> celebrating on one of the main streets here in Cairo (and supposedly in
> front of the Embassy), waving the flags of the new Libya. Goosebumps!
>
> After the revolution in Egypt ended on Feb. 11th, we started sitting
> together again and came back to our original plan of organizing the Open
> Space - could there be any better time for it? The title was born soon
> "Egypt at the Crossroads" and from March 31 until April 2, 30 young activists
> (Egyptians and Germans) came together for the maybe 1st Open Space in
> Egypt. It was a time of amazingly fruitful discussions and the participants
> highly appreciated the format that matched so beautifully with their new
> freedom, their wish to express themselves and their aspirations. Some
> commented that the Open Space reminded them of the atmosphere on Midan
> Tahrir. After having had doubts during the demonstrations if there was an
> international agenda behind it, they highly appreciated the OS Technology
> that hasn't an agenda by definition and consequently cannot have a hidden
> agenda. What a relief!
>
> In May and June, I facilitated two more Open Spaces in Egypt, this time
> funded by the German International Cooperation (GIZ, formerly know as GTZ).
> The 2nd OS with 30 participants on "New women for new Egypt" and a 3rd OS
> with 80 participants with the title "Egypt at work!?" All three OS were
> organized by the Egyptian Youth Federation which has a facebook page on
> which you can see the pictures of these events. After over 130 people got
> infected by the Open Space virus, many new projects were identified and some
> of them are already realized.
>
> The most prominent amongst them is the 4th Open Space in Egypt called
> "Unity in Diversity" to foster the inter-faith dialogue. This OS was defined
> as a project in the 2nd OS and the aim was to organize the 1st Arabic
> speaking OS in Egypt. A group of participants of the three former OS had
> organized the funding, the logistics,the design of the welcome poster and
> the invitations. While at the beginning, they hoped to find 25 participants,
> they succeeded in attracting 40 participants, women and man, coming from 17
> Egyptian governorates (of 28), discussing the last days before Ramadan about
> their perspectives and ideas on religion and the peaceful social interaction
> of the Egyptian community. The facilitator of this event was also a
> participant of the 2nd OS. I contributed by coaching him where needed and
> requested and supporting him in the set-up of the venue, a Bedouin-like tent
> in an eco-lodge in Wadi Natrun, a place where a couple of Coptic monasteries
> are in the direct neighborhood. Historical place. By chance when checking in
> and deciding with whom to share the room, a Salafi and a Copt decided to
> stay in the same room, having no idea that real religious opposites were
> about to meet and get to know each other ("Whatever happens..."). As
> social psychologists would put it: "Proximity creates sympathy". I wish we
> could create more events like this, bringing more people together to build
> bridges and create something new based on voluntarism and the collective
> wisdom (in contrast to the force and power of a few and their limited
> horizon).
>
> Just one day later the 2nd Arabic OS for an Egyptian NGO in the Egyptian
> delta was facilitated as well by a participant of the first three OS. The
> title of this event was "Activate the concept of volunteering" and 21
> participants joined the discussions.
>
> In the aftermath of these five OS and the time between and after them,
> former OS participants e.g.
> -  did a clip with interviews of the participants of the 1st OS,
> -  created closed facebook groups to keep in touch and actively use this
> medium to exchange information and ideas,
> -  continued working on their projects,
> -  brainstormed online on new, more local pictures for the OS principles to
> design new posters,
> -  translated some of the material (and were happy to use the Arabic
> version of Lisa Heft's glossary as translated by Carol Daniel Kasbari -
> thanks a lot for your support!),
> -  wrote two articles on the 1st and 4th OS in German (and currently
> translate them to English and Arabic),
> -  met twice in an OS Learning Exchange in Cairo,
> -  organized an OS Iftar (the meal to break the fasting at sundown during
> Ramadan) and one more will be held in a couple of days
> -  started to develop the website "Open Space Egypt" that just was launched
> by Eslam (www.openspaceegypt.com)
> -  and the related facebook group
> http://www.facebook.com/pages/Open-Space-Egypt/137259493032174 ,
> -  plan to organize one or more Train-of-Trainers respectively
> Train-the-Facilitators with participants from the whole region,
> -  and supposedly many more things I haven't heard about...
>
> Since the GIZ took the chance to write two books about the Open Space
> events I have facilitated (which are not published yet), they had
> professional photographers with them. They were able to publish their
> pictures on the facebook group of the Egyptian Youth Federation and a video
> clip on YouTube (which is still password protected, the second will follow
> soon). I hope we will manage to show them all to all of you on the Open
> Space Egypt website too.
>
> As you can see, things are moving here in Egypt and the whole Arab region,
> and Open Space and its participants play a huge role in it.
> Countless people are bringing in their talents, passion and take
> responsibility for their future.
>
> We are all looking forward to more developments to happen after Ramadan and
> Eid - insha'allah.
>
> Sunny greetings from Cairo!
>
> Claudia
>
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