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<div>Hi</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Thanks Juan Luis for breaking the silence, due, no doubt, to the
occasional technical wobble that sometimes affects our LISTSERVE,
which, otherwise, is so ably served by BOISE STATE.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>As we were preparing another tender for the Scottish government,
I would like to share the portion that describes Open Space as a
methodology:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000">Open Space is a
large group process devised in 1985 by Harrison Owen and currently
used in 122 countries. It is a bottom-up process during which
participants organize their own agenda around issues of concern to
them. Other people volunteer to work in breakout groups on
the issues raised. Actions from each group are presented
to everyone who then vote on priorities, creating an agreed list of
priority actions deemed important on the day. </font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000">Open Space provides
easy access and total involvement of all participants who are invited
to work on the sponsor's theme. During the process,
participants share experience, hear different views and, most
importantly, learn quickly from each other. The process is
driven by passion (care about an issue) and responsibility (do
something about it).</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000">Open Space
conferences look markedly different from conventional workshops.
There are no experts making presentations, no power point, no top
table and no prearranged workshops. Nobody knows what issues
will be raised or actions proposed until they happen in real time
during Open Space, except they all would be within the framework of
the sponsor's theme, which is included in the invitation for every
event. </font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000"> </font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000">As participants
create their own agenda and vote in real time within an open and
transparent marketplace, the process generates commitment and
ownership of outcomes. It also provides an opportunity for
participants to learn from the direct experiences of others in a
supportive and positive context, demonstrating participatory democracy
and good citizenship by treating everyone as equals, valuing all
contributions and providing equal access to raise and discuss issues
and vote on priorities. In other words, the process itself is an
exercise in citizenship and participatory democracy. Open
Space, therefore, has demonstrated the ability to inculcate democratic
values.</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000">Kind
regards</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2" color="#000000">Kerry</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2"
color="#000000">Edinburgh</font></div>
<div><font face="Times" size="+2"
color="#000000">www.openfutures.com</font></div>
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