Thanks for your questions. I think that I would like to start in a different place: my guess of the purpose of the days meeting, and then ask what sorts of elements of open space can help even if its been ad-libbed with and therefore wouldnt qualify as a pure open space as opposed to an inspired application of open space communal spirit Purpose : 4th meeting where 20 europeans meet in one city interested in how blogs can change the world and the internet ; seen as how can we make the most of our 20 intelligences during a days conversation for real; how can we continue to compound the social network of bloggers across Europe comprising thousands of young investigative minds, many of whom will never have the time to meet for real but mist of whom are know by at least one of the 20 present or the 4 other 40 groups who have so far attended this series Elements of open space include: -lets give a flavour to each blogwalks invitation this one was can blogs change business organisations to be more human? -start meeting as a circle and have a minute to say why you are here with couple of prompt questions reminding of context so one doesnt get random biographies of a persons life -mingle and have a conversation with a few people and as you do start to write up postits on issues that might be ingredients for a session; put all postits on a wall; communally play a game of clustering which postits match which -clusters of postits now become meeting agendas -have 1 round of meetings reminding people of law of 2 feet -go back to the wall and re-arrange some other ways of looking at the postits adding in a few new bridging postits that may have come from the first sessions -use new clusters as second round of sessions -write up any meeting notes and have lunch -go for a walk -have one final circle; if you want more time go and have a drink or dinner . -keep everyone in an email circulation list so that after-day perspectives and Q&A can be reflected, iterated -if action teams emerge either towards end of real day or in subsequent emails, good! -storytell what the blogwalk meant on each individuals blog which itself is a loosely connecting space both between the 20 and the expert clusters that most read each blogger try a google of blogwalk4 to see -try and discuss this with other facilitator and knowledge-city café networks like this one Note: This was done in a space that cost 80 dollars to rent , ie with coffee and biscuits 6 dollars per person for an all day space If blogwalk hadnt emerged , we would have people who are technically very competent at networks never having met, nor at leas=t discovering methods that appear to make the most of the 20 peoples time (at least at this level of cost and improvisation). In other words, the virtual community world has been infiltrated by people who now believe in the spirit of real community meetings too! I would say that alone makes worth celebrating as open space in intent if not in total purity of form chris macrae, wcbn...@easynet.co.uk -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Zelle Nelson Sent: 23 September 2004 04:29 To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: open space series of cafes in London, clarification Chris,
Thanks for contributing this modified "Open Space". I'm confused about the format: Their one day format consisted of 4 hours indoors and 2 hours walking and conversing round London. Their 4 hour format was very interesting to me: 15 minutes circle introduction 20 minutes of postits of what do you most want to discuss 20 minutes of rearranging a wall of postits into 4 clusters which then became one-hours sessions dividing the 22? who came into almost equal groups [MY QUESTION] Were there 4 1-hour sessions or 1 hour long session with 4 topics? then another look at the postits where different people took the opportunity to rearrange how 2 or more concerns connected and to discuss how they interpreted these new linked meanings I would say the spirit and intent of this equalled several true open spaces over 1 or 2 days that I have attended , so for those people who come to an open space café in London who dont dare produce a 2-day event for their first big challenge convention, I think we should look at attempts for mini-open space designs that if not exactly endorsing, we agree have the same self-organising spirit. Yes the same rule of the law of 2 feet was the only rule applied today Sounds exciting! Let me know which version : 4 1-hour sessions (with multiple topics within each session) or 1 hour long session broken into 4 topic groups. Thanks. With Grace and Love, Zelle ************ Zelle Nelson Engaging the Soul at Work/Know Place Like Home/State of Grace Document www.stateofgracedocument.com ze...@maureenandzelle.com office - 828.693.0802 mobile - 847.951.7030 Ravenswood - Isle of Skye 2021 Greenville Hwy Flat Rock, NC 28731 chris macrae wrote: London, Tuesday 21 Sept at 17.30, British Library: we are hosting the first of a series of one-hour Simpol cafes www.simpol.org.uk - on why practitioners of Open Space love what we try to facilitate for people who dont fully understand what Open Space systemises but are concerned with big challenges Bridget Peake is being our first guide. Amongst other application areas she has taken open space to are: 5 general Create the World we Wants arguably connecting the largest network of change concern folk in Britain (which is admittedly is a sleepy country for change) 2 specific CTWWW3 on education (which has become an idea that other European countries are considering replicating), and international policy CTWWW has also spawned other events like sustainable business exchanges at Findhorn Scotland probably the largest permanent change community in Britain Bridget has also taught young cultural creatives to convene their open spaces as I reported a few months back. She also does open space in business However there is something else that I would like these cafes which I try to co-produce in London to achieve. Today I was at Londons first convention of bloggers run in what they called an open space format. Surprisingly? while they were all far more technology literate than me, as social networkers most had a deeper humanitarian practice issue. Their one day format consisted of 4 hours indoors and 2 hours walking and conversing round London. Their 4 hour format was very interesting to me: 15 minutes circle introduction 20 minutes of postits of what do you most want to discuss 20 minutes of rearranging a wall of postits into 4 clusters which then became one-hours sessions dividing the 22? who came into almost equal groups then another look at the postits where different people took the opportunity to rearrange how 2 or more concerns connected and to discuss how they interpreted these new linked meanings I would say the spirit and intent of this equalled several true open spaces over 1 or 2 days that I have attended , so for those people who come to an open space café in London who dont dare produce a 2-day event for their first big challenge convention, I think we should look at attempts for mini-open space designs that if not exactly endorsing, we agree have the same self-organising spirit. Yes the same rule of the law of 2 feet was the only rule applied today Back to Tuesday, we meet in the café behind the main floor of the British Library near Euston and Kings Cross Station. If you would like to come or know someone in London who might (please relay the post ) . The event is free, as are all collaboration and simpol cafes organised by London, as First Collaboration Knowledge City an odd phrase I have to use because the European Union wont look at any conversation format unless it has knowledge in it . Please email me at wcbn...@easynet.co.uk if you wish to come or need further details. NB we just squat in the café like any other customers (ie we are not a formal British Library Event). Anything we think we may learn we will try and share with the community be this alumni of open space or of collaboration knowledge cities around the world Makes enough sense? Cheers Chris Macrae, wcbn...@easynet.co.uk Blog of Firsts in the World is at http://firstsintheworld.blogspot.com/ Water Angels http://waterangels.blogspot.com/ being the context of most concern for www.simpol.org.uk <http://www.simpol.org.uk/> and next months 20000 European Social Forum activists meeting in London ÐÏ à¡± á * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
