[OSList] inquiry OS
Lisa Heft
lisaheft at openingspace.net
Mon Mar 4 18:58:44 PST 2013
Celia - thank you so much for sharing your reflections, observations,
learning and interest with us. We all learn together, in this sharing.
So many things can affect how a dialogue-based event goes, Open Space
or otherwise.
I agree with what brother Chris and others say about invitation - to
me, invitation - is an essential, important, key part of any dialogue-
based event. Messaging, strategy, how, whom, why, giving enough
advance time for people to plan for attending, and many other things.
Pre-registration is also useful - finding out about people, engaging
them with outreach and relationship during and after the registration
process, and so on.
Then there is the selection of what process best fits the overarching
objective (reason for this particular meeting), Open Space or
otherwise. Based on an analysis of why, for whom, to what end,
context, what came before and what follows, how will the information /
ideas / relationships generated at this event be used post-event, and
so on. Then the choice of best-fit process to fulfill that - plus
documentation design to support that, and so on.
Then there is the way - if Open Space is the process that fits the
situation - how we explain the Principles and Law, how we hold the
space, and so on.
Harrison is correct - there is hierarchy and cultural reasons for
being not used to self-organization, education systems that do not
engage people in critical thinking or dialogue, power dynamics -
across all cultures. Not just Kenya.
And there are other cultures where people are expected to be paid for
things - take for example some clients of some NGOs for whom vouchers
are given so they can attend, or for whom meals or child care or bus
money is offered so they can attend... But this in itself does not
seem to change the dynamics of engagement. It just changes who attends
and who cannot or who chooses not to.
I have facilitated Open Space in Mozambique and South Africa and other
dialogue-based processes in Zambia. I have not worked yet in Kenya.
All has gone very well, no problem with culture and and not only that:
Open Space, when it has been used - has broken through power dynamics
and hierarchal dynamics and intercultural differences and class and
academic level and everything else. So I do not see it as different
in Africa - although of course wherever we work - whomever we work
with - it is important to be aware of our own cultural filters,
expectations and lenses. But Open Space itself has a way of working
even if we are not the same culture as the people for whom we
facilitate - because the facilitator very quickly becomes invisible -
though completely present.
There is also the idea of timing. In so many countries such as so many
African countries - the time of elections is fraught with memories of
violence and corruption and grief. Could this event have been timed at
the right time? Would another time of the year have been best?
There is also the question of - was it full, complete form of Open
Space - or was it compressed into a very short time, was it not the
complete form, and so on - because if not, that can change the
dynamics, productivity and results.
A million questions. A million things for you to share and explore.
What does all of our sharing of ideas and questions bring up for you?
Upon reflection, what would you yourself say? What are your theories
about why it may not have worked, or worked in the way you thought it
would?
You teach us so much, in your discovery and learning,
Lisa
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