[OSList] WOSonOS - future hosts? Wisdom to share...

[Lisa Heft]

Dear Ludger -

Nothing is too far away from anything in the world if you look at it  
as sharing something around the world - so in one year it is hard for  
some people to get there (because it is too far away) and in that same  
year it is easier for people to get there (because they live in the  
region).

We met in Australia in 2002, which does not mean we could not go back  
there again.
There is a thriving community of practice of people learning and  
convening in Open Space in Australia and New Zealand - from faith  
communities to businesses to educational institutions.
And some lovely people giving workshops to help build the capacity of  
facilitators and others in that region to convene people in Open Space.

Certainly if our Open Space colleagues in Australia or in any country  
feel they wish to host this they are invited to contact me as I love  
supporting future Host Teams by sharing wisdom from past Host Teams.
And as I mention, if someone cannot come to a certain WOSonOS to  
invite, they can invite through me or someone else who is attending.

A sampling of the cities and countries this annual gathering has been  
hosted in include...(and there were others before I started attending)

Berlin, Germany
Vancouver, Canada
Melbourne, Australia
'Swenmark' (a collaboration between our Danish and Swedish friends,  
which happened physically in Denmark)
Goa, India
Halifax, Canada
Moscow, Russia
Kiev, Ukraine
San Francisco, USA
Taipei, Taiwan
Berlin, Germany
Olmue, Chile
London, United Kingdom
St. Petersburg, USA

Ludger, anything is an option if a group of Open Space colleagues from  
and in a region feel they would like to host in a future year.
If there is more than one invitation for the same year (to this  
particular event), we simply engage in a lovely dialogue-based  
exploration process at the conference where that invitation happens,  
to make a shared decision.
I invited three years before this event was in San Francisco, because  
it was not yet the time. Other invitations were offered also in each  
of those years and it was the time to go those other places.

And we can say 'oh it should go to x country or continent' but we are  
not the ones to say. The Open Space facilitators / learners /  
enthusiasts in that country are the ones to say.
Not just because they wish there was more Open Space in their region  
but because they feel they have capacity and energy. Because inviting  
folks - even to your home - is more than a great dialogue process.
There are the tasks, timelines and expenses of putting on that dinner  
party. Event planning. Not all facilitators also have the interest in  
doing all the million tasks it takes to host, also because so many  
people have very full lives. And this is not something to do as a  
single person. Suzanne and Phelim and other hosts can give you an idea  
of all the pre-work and team work. I know that when I hosted I had an  
amazing team of colleagues who worked very hard and creatively. We  
worked together on the conference for a year in advance. Not because  
it was so complicated to get a meeting room and say 'everybody join  
us' - but because we had an amazing time together thinking of how to  
raise resources (for reserving a large meeting room, providing some  
food, and creating funds for some Askers of lower financial means  
wishing to get to our event), but also researching home-stays and  
hotels, offering workshops in advance, helping people with visa  
invitations and shared travel, and more.

You don't have to do it this way - Harrison gets a church hall and  
some muffins and says 'join me' - and then we go there and everyone  
looks after themselves and each other in a self-organized way. And it  
is fabulous. However our team - and some of my fellow Host Team  
colleagues from other countries - can tell you what a joy it is to  
help people who do not have much travel experience understand what  
they need to know, have the financial flexibility to welcome people to  
come even if they cannot afford the full price, connect with a  
language buddy so they can join in the conversation, think of ways to  
explore documentation and set that up and experiment with it in  
advance... What I am saying is that some of us use this Host  
experience as a learning lab for what else, what else, what else could  
we do for more access, inclusion, diversity, and experiential learning  
in ways to create dialogue events.  Even if you are Suzanne's 'One  
Less Thing' team.

Remember there is also hosting anything you want, whenever you want -  
such as a regional, international or local gathering in Open Space  
about Open Space and other great topics.
Anyone can host a conference in the process of Open Space about Open  
Space. Anyone can invite one of us who offer learning workshops to  
come to their region so more people can share knowledge of and grow  
their community of practice in Open Space. Several of us do these  
additional gatherings annually. For example I have one every Spring in  
San Francisco.

And guess what? Ludger, you will get a first-hand experience of this  
particular event - and this time's particular flavor (as each has its  
own flavor) - when you see us next week for the workshop and the  
conference.

How lucky we will be to know and share this learning with you...

Lisa



On May 9, 2013, at 12:43 AM, Christina & Ludger Benighaus wrote:

>
> Dear Lisa,
>
> I just read your lines, and thought about if Australia for 2014 or  
> 2015 for the wosonos conference would be an option. What do you  
> think? Or is that too far away from anting in the world.
>
> I lived in New Zealand last year for eight months, and looked at the  
> community of public participation and the International association  
> of public participation (IAP2). They are very active both on  
> Australia and in NZ.
>
> Kind regards
> Ludger

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