Hello! I`m rather new in this list, just having participated in my first OS. Having been a facilitator (or moderator as we call it) with a basically similar approach to people for ten years I'm most intrigued by this way to really make selforganization possible. So I will organize an OS soon, but in preparing this event I stumbled over the question, whether somebody who wants to come, has to commit himself for the whole time (in this case two days, in an volunteers organization, with about 80 to 120 people possibly being interested enough).
As I understand the opening proces is a very important happening of coming together and opening the space. So how about people who (think they) can't stay all the time, either coming late or leaving early? How to integrate them in the proces? Do the principles of openspace also apply to OS as a whole, or is it necessary that everybody or at least a vast mayority commit themselves to be present the whole time, or at least at the beginning? Anybody got answers to this or experiences with people coming and going? How do you deal with this? Is there a critical mass, that should commit themselves, so its possible for some people not to be present all the time, or is it necessary for almost everybody to be there all the time? Or isn't it a problem anyway? looking forward to answers, happy new year to everybody Oliver Schrader, Vienna
