<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span>Marvelous, Marie Ann.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Thanks for sharing.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Artur</span></div><div><br></div> <div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; "> <div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; "> <div dir="ltr"> <font size="2" face="Arial"> <hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Marie Ann Östlund <marieann.ostlund@gmail.com><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> World wide Open Space Technology email list <oslist@lists.openspacetech.org> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Thursday, April 5, 2012 8:19 AM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [OSList] My first OS<br> </font> </div>
<br>Dear all,<br><br>I sent this letter Saturday but it got stuck as I had added a photo to<br>it, but here it is again:<br><br>There is only one open space that will be the first, even if all of<br>them certainly will be unique. Since I facilitated my first open space<br>last weekend March 23-24, I thought to write something about it. I<br>find this email list both generous and helpful, and I admire the way<br>you're all supporting each other. In any case, here is my little<br>peanut of a contribution to the OSList bowl.<br><br>I held the open space at the Hare Krishna farm/village community in<br>Sweden (Järna), which hosts around 35 adults and 30 kids (most of them<br>below 10!). There are mostly independent families with kids living<br>there. I had suggested to them that they try OS. A few of them got it<br>immediately, but there was some scepticism as they suffer from quite<br>some meeting-fatigue .<br><br>Some desired we hold it around the spring
equinox and an astrologer<br>pointed out the weekend after as excellent, if we could start on the<br>Friday. Considering people's work commitments, that they are early<br>risers, the children, we decided to hold a short inauguration of the<br>meetings in the evening instead of starting the OS or doing some<br>storytelling. They arranged for some recitation of mantras and<br>chanting, and the children led a big part of it. They were so good! We<br>also had some food, and the whole thing was really appreciated.<br><br>The main challenge for the community in regards to the meeting was to<br>engage the children so that the parents could attend. In the end they<br>sorted something out by themselves (as is of course the best).<br><br>By the end of the weekend (it was a 1 1/2 day event) they were<br>surprised of how relaxed the meetings were while being very efficient.<br>They experienced how OS got them into a collaborative instead of an<br>adversarial mood,
and had a really good time. They would like to<br>continue the process. They also noticed who did not come and started<br>to think more deeply about who feels included and who does not. It's<br>nice to see how OS creates the clarity needed for action.<br><br>Some learnings/reflections:<br><br>We did one hour sessions, which was too short for some topics. Next we<br>time we could use 1 1/2hrs per session. Anyone having experiences of<br>mixing the length of time, like using 1 1/2 hr sessions in the morning<br>and 1hr sessions in the afternoon?<br><br>I could do a better introduction. I didn't prepare enough, and what I<br>had prepared was in English - and had to switch to Swedish on the<br>spot. I think simplicity really is the key, and getting out of the<br>way. :)<br><br>One person took the opportunity to organise a meeting demanding<br>parents attendance. I let that go, as they were discussing an<br>important topic for them. He also organised another
one like that, but<br>this time people voted with their feet. I should have been more alert<br>to this.<br><br>In the end, some kids sat by me drawing, and one started to come up<br>with his own topics. I then gave them a part of the wall and asked<br>what they wanted and they came up with really good stuff. I think they<br>were really pleased to be asked. They wanted e.g. a more quiet temple<br>room and less running around in it, which surprised me as they usually<br>are the cause to the cacophony. It was a great learning, both in terms<br>of how kids can do OS quite effectively, and how it's so much better<br>to create the ground rules together than dictating them. And as<br>someone told me afterwards, the 'cause' of a problem should be<br>included in solving it as they are the experts in it.<br><br>I hope you're well. We're getting some snow tomorrow in Stockholm, but<br>are still keeping our hopes for spring alive! Happy Easter!<br><br>Best
wishes,<br><br>Marie Ann Östlund<br><br>PS. A few pictures of the weekend:<br><a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150663955813785.392314.730693784&type=3&l=29b6f85440" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150663955813785.392314.730693784&type=3&l=29b6f85440</a><br>_______________________________________________<br>OSList mailing list<br>To post send emails to <a ymailto="mailto:OSList@lists.openspacetech.org" href="mailto:OSList@lists.openspacetech.org">OSList@lists.openspacetech.org</a><br>To unsubscribe send an email to <a ymailto="mailto:OSList-leave@lists.openspacetech.org" href="mailto:OSList-leave@lists.openspacetech.org">OSList-leave@lists.openspacetech.org</a><br>To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:<br><a href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org"
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