[OSList] Tips for working with Translators during Open Space event

Tue Feb 23 16:31:03 PST 2016

Sounds great Michael.

And totally agree.

Will pop it into the database!

And maybe a few other Aussies lurking could do the same :-)

Warm regards
Andrew 

Sent from my iPhone

> On 24 Feb 2016, at 10:00 AM, Michael M Pannwitz <mmpannwitz at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> My pleasure, Andrew.
> 
> Its no secret that a lot of os-work is happening all over the planet. And its also no secret in general that we os-practitioners are a shy crowd, hiding most of the tremendous stuff we are doing. I keep wondering why only a tiny fraction of our work is documented... seems to me that documenting more of what we do is a simple way of spreading the word. The 793 events recorded by some 60 of us in the worldscape represent probably only 0,001% of what is actually taking place.
> 
> Greetings from Berlin
> mmp
> 
>> On 23.02.2016 22:02, Andrew Rixon wrote:
>> Thanks Michael.
>> 
>> And thanks also for sharing the openspaceworldscape link.
>> 
>> Australia looks a bit scarce on the map - but there is plenty happening
>> here. ;-)
>> 
>> Warm regards,
>> Andrew
>> 
>> On Tue, Feb 23, 2016 at 10:24 PM, Michael M Pannwitz
>> <mmpannwitz at gmail.com <mailto:mmpannwitz at gmail.com>> wrote:
>> 
>>    Dear Andrew, Lisa, Birgitt and you others,
>> 
>>    a few years ago I was asked to facilitate an event in the northeastern
>>    corner of Poland with folks across the border from Lithuania also
>>    attending. The sponsor asked two translators to translate my US-American
>>    introduction into Polish and Lithuanian. They walked the circle behind
>>    me as Lisa also described. One effect was that I constantly had little
>>    breaks to focus on the next thing to say and the participants had
>>    various inputs they could understand in different languages (my
>>    assumption: all understood their mother tongue, of course and most had
>>    at least some rudimentary language skills in the other languages
>>    spoken).
>>    All posters were in the three languages and issues were written on
>>    sheets that had been folded into three spaces, so that translations
>>    could be added by other participants.
>>    I was wondering how they would manage in the breakout sessions. To my
>>    surprise, a number of the breakout sessions used Russian... so there was
>>    a common language? On inquiry, I was told that it would never do to use
>>    Russian in an event like this, at least not in the "official" parts.
>>    Ok, be prepared to be surprised.
>> 
>>    Here is a short summary of some aspects of this event back in 2002 as
>>    recorded in the Open Space worldscape
>> 
>>        http://openspace-landschaft.de/an_veran.asp?veranstaltungId=1041&sprache=en&von_seite=ue_veranstaltung.asp&ds=10&branche=&begleiterId=9&anzeigeOrtId=0
>> 
>> 
>>    Reading through this report I noticed that I did not include the
>>    part about Russian in my note... hmmm? Political correctness?
>> 
>>    A few years later, Harrison came to Berlin and did his three day
>>    Practice of Peace event. Every day starts with a lecture followed by
>>    an open space on the theme of the lecture. On the first day,
>>    Harrison introduced the process, on the second day a colleague from
>>    Russia did it in Russian and on the third day I did it without using
>>    spoken words.
>>    To me, the most memorable moment was during the Russian introduction
>>    (not being translated) when pretty much at the beginning a
>>    participant ran to the Russian colleague, kneeled in front of her
>>    pleading, in English, to please translate her introduction. At that
>>    moment, his friend that he sat next to in the circle called out:
>>    "Hey, come back here, I know Russian and can translate for you if
>>    you like!"
>>    This was a hilarious intervention that not only stopped the space
>>    invader but also demonstrated how hidden the ressources in the group
>>    are even for people in the know (friends).
>> 
>>     From all this and other situations I learned to ask questions when
>>    the issue of translation arose (especially when the sponsor of the
>>    event does not come from the local context). This often leads to
>>    "one less thing to do" and to make more space for the forces of
>>    selforganisation to do its thing.
>> 
>>    Yes, lets hear how things went and I invite you to deposit a note
>>    about this event in the Open Space worldscape, a data base with
>>    presently 793 events recorded, here is the link, its in English and
>>    German
>> 
>>        http://openspaceworldscape.org/
>> 
>> 
>>    cheers
>>    mmp
>> 
>> 
>>    22.02.2016 22 <tel:22.02.2016%2022>:18, Andrew Rixon via OSList wrote:
>> 
>>        Hi All,
>> 
>>        I'm helping a client prepare for an Open Space event - 400 people,
>>        and within the audience there will be a group of 10-20 koreans who
>>        will require a translator.
>> 
>>        I'd love to hear stories and tips on what people have found to work
>>        well...
>> 
>>        Warm regards, Andrew
>> 
>>        -- Andrew Rixon PhD Director Babel Fish Group W:
>>        http://www.babelfishgroup.com E: andrew at babelfishgroup.com
>>        <mailto:andrew at babelfishgroup.com>
>>        <mailto:andrew at babelfishgroup.com
>>        <mailto:andrew at babelfishgroup.com>> M: +61400 352 809
>>        <tel:%2B61400%20352%20809> F: +61(0)3 8610
>>        0162
>> 
>>        *Come join Bob Dick and I on April 12th and 13th in Melbourne for:*
>>        "Kickstarting Change that Lasts: How to flatten hierarchies, build
>>        relationships and get work done!
>>        <http://kickstartingchangemelbourne2016.eventbrite.com.au>"
>>        <http://kickstartingchangemelbourne2016.eventbrite.com.au> An
>>        innovative program on applying Open Space Technology and Action
>>        Learning
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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>> 
>> 
>>    --
>>    Michael M Pannwitz
>>    Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
>>    ++49 - 30-772 8000 <tel:%2B%2B49%20-%2030-772%208000>
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>    Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 402 resident Open
>>    Space Workers in 67 countries working in a total of 143 countries
>>    worldwide: www.openspaceworldmap.org <http://www.openspaceworldmap.org>
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> Andrew Rixon PhD
>> Director
>> Babel Fish Group
>> W: http://www.babelfishgroup.com
>> E: andrew at babelfishgroup.com <mailto:andrew at babelfishgroup.com>
>> M: +61400 352 809
>> F: +61(0)3 8610 0162
>> 
>> *Come join Bob Dick and I on April 12th and 13th in Melbourne for:*
>> "Kickstarting Change that Lasts: How to flatten hierarchies, build
>> relationships and get work done!
>> <http://kickstartingchangemelbourne2016.eventbrite.com.au>"
>> <http://kickstartingchangemelbourne2016.eventbrite.com.au>
>> An innovative program on applying Open Space Technology and Action Learning
> 
> -- 
> Michael M Pannwitz
> Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
> ++49 - 30-772 8000
> 
> 
> 
> Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 402 resident Open Space Workers in 67 countries working in a total of 143 countries worldwide: www.openspaceworldmap.org