Carla: there's actually a quite large body of research and theory that Open Space would fit with, just as Future Searches do - check the Cornell Participatory Action Research Network website - may be distinct from Cornell as PARNet.com by now; that was the plan last fall but I've not kept up with status.
The self-organization is also akin to the core theoretical premise in the field of adult education, which is that folks - and this goes for all ages, not just what our culture considers "adults" - have the capacity to identify and find solutions to dilemmas in their individual and collective lives. In the Adult Edn tradition that I espouse, the 'educator' is a facilitator, not a "sage on the stage" or expert. This premise runs through most AE evaluations and reports, including those from UNESCO and the World Bank - though what 'participation' actually means in practice with World Bank et al is problematic. ----- Original Message ----- From: Harrison Owen <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 08:11:20 -0500 Subject: Re: great success for Open Space in the Netherlands > Carla wrote: "- why does Open Space work? (those academic boys and girls > over ?here want to know something about theoretical background and start > looking very upset as I told them that it just works)." > > Good work Carla! As to why OS works I believe the answer is -- > Self-organization. I have spelled out the details in a number of places > including, "Expanding Our Now," "The Power of Spirit" (Both published by > Berrett-Koehler) Also in "The Practice of Peace" -- with a final effort in > my forthcoming (I think) book -- which at this point is called "In Pursuit > of High Performance." There is no publisher for this -- and it will be a > while before I get far enough to look for one. You might also check an > article I did several years ago for the OD "Practitioner" I suspect they > have it on their website, but my version of the piece will be found at > http://www.openspaceworld.com/emergent_order.htm > > There are a lot of things that are strange (different) about OS, but from > the Academics' point of view one of the most disturbing is that it started > as a practice and went in search of a theory. This is precisely the reverse > of what "should" have happened, they seem to think. And if you are actually > looking for the origin of Open Space (at least my part in Open Space) you > will find it in the bottom of two Martini Glasses. True story! Sounds pretty > bad, but then again Penicillin was discovered in the bottom of dirty dishes. > > 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 Vliex, > Carla (cvl) > Sent: Monday, March 13, 2006 6:13 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: great succes for Open Space in the Netherlands > > Hi all > > Last week we had a meeting with about 20 OD consultants in the Netherlands. > Some who lecture about OD at University, some who do research on OD and some > who work as OD consultants (like me). I was invited to write an article an > how Open Space works and why it works according to my experinces with Open > Space. I used many of the things I have read over the years on the list! > The article is going to be published in juni in one of our more prestige > journals (for the dutch: Management en Organisatie). And there will be a > national congres on Open Space and other inteventions who really are > interactive (appreciative inquiry, Future Search, and much much more) > > I was very honoured not only to be asked but that Open Space is goging to be > even more 'hot' in the Netherlands. > > So if there are some reflections on the the next two items, it would help me > very much to rewrite some parts of the article: > - why does Open Space work? (those academic boys and girls over ?here want > to know something about theoretical background and start looking very upset > as I told them that it just works). > > - as Harrison wrote in his book Open Space; exapanding our now, Open Space > has very ancient backgrounds (meeting in a cirkel, breathing, starting en > ending 'time' and son on). What is more to say about these ancient ways of > meeting? > > Anything or everything is welcome > > warm regards > Carla > > > * > * > ========================================================== > [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 "Never doubt that a group of committed citizens can change the world - indeed, it's the only thing that can." - Margaret Mead -- This email was brought to you by Kaxy Mail http://www.kaxy.com/free_email_account.htm * * ========================================================== [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
