<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META content="MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Yes I am familiar with the knowledge cafe or world
cafe as it is also called. I have worked with Juanita Brown who is the
originator of the process. We made a cafe at my workplace, the Svenska Dagbladet
(Swedish Daily News) several years ago. We had invited the readers for 2
hours of discussion about the newspaper and 25 people came. It worked really
well - people are still talking about this event.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Juanita was recently in Sweden and made a 5 days
workshop on how to use the concept in the business world. I think it will be
used in Sweden by several consultants after this.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.worldcafe.com">www.worldcafe.com</A> has more
information</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think most important is that it is so easy that
it can be used by anyone without a lot of preparations. And everyone is free to
use it like Open Space.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It is a process that is suitable for just a couple
of hours or half a day. The cafe model makes it a non threatening process. You
are invited to a cafe with small round tables with red/white checkered
tableclothes on them, 4-5 people at each one. There is a flipchart paper on
every table for notes, insights, aha's. After a while (15,30,45 minutes) you
switch tables but leave one person, who can tell the newcomers about what has
been said on the topic. This can be done 2-3 times, til everyone has heard
almost everything.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>All tables talk about the same question, and it has
to be an open and also deep one. We used a lot of time on how to formulate good
questions in Juanitas workshop. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Here is one: "What are the most important issues
and oportunities that you work with today?" Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think the cafe could be a good process for a
planning group to discuss the theme for an upcoming Open Space. I am part
of a group planning to use it in schools to bring teachers, students and
parents together in evening cafes to discuss important questions. I
see World Cafe and Open Space as kindred spirits and I think they work
well together.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ingrid Olausson</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Stockholm</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>