Hello Oliver, And welcome to the list and good luck in pulling your first OS together. In response to your questions, I believe that underneath all of that which is done in OS there are strong and important values including a belief in people, a belief in the power of passion and of responsibility. A belief that the way of Spirit is for a person to show up and be present, pay attention to what has heart and meaning, tell the truth without blame or judgement, and let it all go (the four fold way). In trying to answer questions about the practicalities of OS, I always look to these and other values that I feel go with being an OS facilitator. And then I answer. For me, in response to your questions it means 1. be clear in the INVITATION that it is best if a person stays for the whole process and that the times of the collective (beginning, evening and morning news, closing) are very important to attend. So...the invitation is there. And then just trust people to do whatever is right for them (because you believe in them) and they will. If the theme and the givens are clear and something that inspires their passion, they will likely stay for much of what is happening. If not, it is your job to let go of worrying about it and let them do what they need to do. Trust, respect, and love.
Hope this helps. Warmest regards, Birgitt Birgitt Bolton of Dalar Associates www.openspacetechnology.com 55 Ravina Cres., Ancaster, Ontario, Canada L9G 2E8 phone: 905-648-5775 fax: 905-648-2262 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
