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

Thu May 9 14:24:43 PDT 2013

Lisa Love! You do do wonderful things! AND Me thinkest that everybody is
working much too hard. Not that I don't appreciate the effort - yours and
everybody else's. BUT There really is an easier way for WOSONOS or OSONOS -
or whatever.

Several years ago (just to make the point) I "convened" OSONOS-BY-THE-SEA in
Camden Maine, a small village where I spend my summers. The conference fee
was a raging $25 (half of which we didn't use, so I sent it to "The Access
Queen Fund."). For space I talked to a local church, where I had some
connections. As for accommodations I gave the website of the local Chamber
of Commerce which listed all Hotels, Camp Sites, B&B's, etc - figuring that
the good folks coming could find their own place. All meals were "on your
own" - with all the wonderful eating establishments of Camden available. We
did supply coffee/tea and delicious muffins (local of course) - which set us
back $50 as I recall. 

We actually did this twice. The first year I figured the space could handle
50 - and 50 folks showed up. But it became clear that I had underestimated,
and 75 was a more appropriate number. So that was the limit for the
following year - and guess what we were "full."  Truthfully, "full" is a
miss-statement because I believe everybody who really wanted to come found a
place in the space. But we were definitely "full" with wonderful people from
all over the world.

As for the "agony of organization" I do have to say, there was none. I think
my total effort took place in something less than 12 hours over all. That's
everything. And I truly believe it was less by a half.

Doing less, every day! But it worked and it can work. So folks if you are
thinking about hosting WOSONOS or OSONOS - Do what you care to do and it
will be wonderful! But there is an easier way.

Harrison 

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Dr.

Potomac, MD 20854

USA

189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)

Camden, Maine 04843

Phone 301-365-2093

(summer)  207-763-3261

www.openspaceworld.com 

www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)

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From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Lisa Heft
Sent: Thursday, May 09, 2013 10:43 AM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] WOSonOS - future hosts? Wisdom to share...

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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