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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Always surprising and delightful to see one's long
gone postings resuscitated, as Jay did recently</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>in quoting me in his on 'Knowledge
cafes/Reflections on nested OST forums.'</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>There was a gem IMO awaiting for those who had the
stamina to read to the end of this piece,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>viz 'in this particular context.'</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I believe that there is scope for marrying Open
Space with other processes _in specific contexts_. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My most recent experience of doing this was in
the course of a community consultation about the</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>design and function of a large
facility.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>As I reported on May 21, 2000 re: OS in community
planning? a combination of the 'Passion Cafe' (Cafe</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>with Open Space a la carte, according to Nancy
Margulies, colleague of Juanita Brown) variation of World</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Cafe 'worked well' - as I used it. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This use was quite different to what was mentioned
by Ingrid Olausson in her account of the workshop</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>run by Juanita in Sweden. Here Open Space was used
to generate the topics and Passion Cafe to flesh them out.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>There were three meetings in total, each lasting
only four hours and a month apart. The first was 'by the</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>book' Open Space and the second and third Cafes.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In the gatherings we began and ended in a circle.
Principles of Open Space and L2F were invoked</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>throughout. People were not asked to move during
the Cafes, they did this of their own volition.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>There are at least two obvious differences between
the format of Open Space and Cafe. In the latter,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>ambience is created to simulate that of a cafe,
with small tables, decor and music. And in the Cafe,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>proceedings of the conversations are recorded on
paper table cloths, in diverse forms. This can complicate</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>the subsequnet transcription onto computer but is
not insurmountable.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Whatever, the use of these 'conversational
processes' could signify the beginnings of a new form of</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>governance. Borrowing from Jeff Aitken's
words: </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>. Citizens provide ideas and energy - indispensable
to the design and functioning of, in this case, a major</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>community facility - fully aware that these need to
go through a decision making process. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>. (Local) government still has certainty about
boundaries - within which creativity and inspiration can</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>flourish - in exchange for letting go of
control.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV>And might the introduction of these processes also portend a growing
understanding within this local government</DIV>
<DIV>authority (Marion Council) of how conversational
processes can, in Birgitt Williams words 'transform the very</DIV>
<DIV>essence and activity of organisations and on-going groups into more
productive and more sensible work places for all?' <BR><BR></FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2>People in Adelaide are tasting these delicious
morsels. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Again, the caravan rolls on.</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alan Stewart<BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>