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When it come to dealing with the interesting question: Why does Open
Space Work? -- I have found the emerging theory and practice
surrounding Self organization to be very helpful. Not the only help to be
sure, but definitely on the short list. I also confess to a degree of
frustration -- that to the moment, few in the larger scientific
community have taken any notice or interest in Open Space. I think this
is a lose/lose situation. We lose because their insights and questions
might reveal aspects of Open Space that we have failed to notice. And I
think they lose because, from where I sit, Open Space is a wonderful
natural experiment over time and in the present. Over time, we have
probably some 20,000 iterations of the "experiment" from which
to learn. Since most of us were more interested in the practical results
than "doing science" detailed accounts are hard to come by. but
we do have a network, and it does have a memory. And what we may have
lost as a matter of historical record can be replicated any time someone
chooses to open space. <br><br>
Anyhow, it may happen that the Plexus Institute becomes a useful
intermediary. Those of you who were in OZ for OSONOS will remember Henri
Lipmanowicz who is chairman of the Institute and came to OZ to find out
about Open Space. The mission of the Institute is to discover and foster
the application of principles of self-organization to the real world of
human systems, particularly health care systems. Since OZ, Henri and I
have had a number of conversations, and I attended a conference they
sponsored in Austin TX -- which was most interesting and definitely
neither Open Space nor self-organizing. But one thing is sure, Plexus did
manage to attract substantive folks from multiple disciplines and some
useful conversations have started.<br><br>
My conversations with Henri will continue, and hopefully move from talk
to action. Which brings me to the point (at long last) of this note. What
sort of actions, questions, explorations occur to you which might be
pursued with Plexus. Henri, Curt (The president) and I will be conversing
next week, and I will let you know the outcome -- but if any burning,
passionate issues or opportunities jump to your mind -- let me
know.<br><br>
Harrison<br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<div align="center">Harrison Owen<br>
7808 River Falls Drive<br>
Potomac, MD 20854 USA<br>
phone 301-365-2093<br>
Open Space Training
<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.com</a>
<br>
Open Space Institute <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.org</a><br>
Personal website <a href="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm" eudora="autourl"><font color="#0000FF">http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm</a><br><br>
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