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At 10:03 AM 4/18/00 -0700, you wrote: <br>
<font face="arial" size=2><blockquote type=cite cite>Greetings,</font><br>
<br>
<font face="arial" size=2>I look forward to sharing Open space
experiences with you all.</font><br>
<br>
<font face="arial" size=2>In years past when working at a conference
centre in the interior of British Columbia- Sorrento Centre- Open Space
was used by programmes that were sponsored at our centre. I was not
directly involved but was impressed with the results, the morale tone and
the general method, as I observed it from something of a
distance.</font><br>
<br>
<font face="arial" size=2>Earlier this year, the idea of using Open Space
came up when I was invited to be a speaker/facilitator for a special 1
day youth conference on the subject of leadership in the century ahead. I
had been asked, because I had been a speaker for a session in similar
events in the past, but now I was to be given responsibility for a full
day's event.</font></blockquote><br>
**************************************<br>
Congratulations on a job obviously well done. The first time out is
always a WOW -- and it just gets better. I promise. Opening Space for
Young Folks is very special if only because the energy present keeps
pushing back the walls, making that space bigger and bigger. You might be
interested to know that the US Peace Corps used Open Space pretty much
all over the world with its Youth Development programs. Their experience
was similar to yours. Also in Sweden, a group of young, unemployed
budding entrepreneurs have jumped in. I will try and get their mentors
online here. <br>
<br>
And about the name. Inviting participants to say their name is only
partially about making sure that people know who they are. It is also
about commitment. When you stand up in front of your friends, peers and
colleagues and say something like This is my passion and my name is______
you have placed yourself on the line. There can be no anonymity in Open
Space 'cause it is all about taking <i>personal</i> responsibility for
what <i>you</i> care about. I find that if you make this link to personal
responsibility, any questions about saying one's name disappear. And when
there is hesitance to do that it can mean that the group is not ready to
take the risk of personal responsibility. I don't think for a minute that
was true with your young people -- but it is an area worth
exploration.<br>
<br>
Thank you for sharing!<br>
<br>
Harrison<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div align="center">
Harrison Owen<br>
7808 River Falls Drive<br>
Potomac, MD 20854<br>
USA<br>
phone 301-469-9269<br>
fax 301-983-9314<br>
website <br>
<a href="http://www.mindspring.com/~owenhh" eudora="autourl">www.mindspring.com/~owenhh</a><br>
Open Space Institute websites<br>
<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.org</a><br>
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