Melinda -- I beg to differ! NH is not a backwater!! Nor is it bereft of Open Space. In fact, New Hampshire was host to the initiating event which gave rise to Open Space. That was the "1st International Symposium on Organization Transformation" which took place in 1983 (UNH in Durham). I was the "organizer" and it came as close to Open Space as I knew how at that point. We got a little better in Monteray in 1985 with the 1st (real) "Open Space" -- but the New Hampshire was hardly hostile for the moment of insemination, or something.
Anyhow, I don't think you have a problem. NH (along with ME, VT, and MA) all share a common tradition. It is called the "Town Meeting", and in the early days for sure -- and still to some degree -- it's open space. So if I were looking for a "billing" it might go something like -- "Town Meeting on Teaching Peace. But with a real difference. Every issue (your's included) is on the agenda. All will be discussed, written up -- and avaiable for further action." Those are the "promises" you can make with any Open Space -- and most people are more interested in hearing the promises and having them fulfilled (and you will do that!) than they are interested in knowing all the "process" details. So don't even try to explain it, 'cause if you do they won't understand it, and certainly won't believe it. Just make the invitation, state the THEME, make the promises -- and go for broke. It always works. And then when it is all over and it is a raging success -- just tell them, it wasn't a miracle. Just Open Space. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20854 Phone 301-365-2093 Skype hhowen Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Melinda Salazar Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 2:22 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: The Art and Craft of Teaching Peace in OS Dear Friends, Two high school colleagues are planning to host a second Teaching Peace conference on April 1, 2006 in New Hampshire, this time using OS and WC. New Hampshire is a backwater where no one has heard of OS (and apologies to those on this list who may live in NH), so we and our participants are in a transitional stage of shifting paradigms. For a traditional conference, this is the time when we would be securing presenters/workshop leaders, in otherwords, communicating with the "experts." As we move forward to announce the conference to the general public, we have several questions. 1. How do we market the conference to a public who generally does not know who OS is and who might be looking for the big name/keynote speaker and workshop leaders? That is, a traditional conference would list speakers and workshops to draw participants. Last year, we offered 5 workshop tracks. Since we don't know who is coming yet this year, how can we advertise the conference? Should we plant some conveners in our participant group who have offered sessions at the previous conference? 2. How do we get those "experts" to attend and to see themselves as participants who both have something to offer and gain from the experience? Thanks, Melinda Salazar and Kay Morgan Oyster River High School Durham, NH * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
