OPEN SPACE

some time ago someone realised that moste important things durring conferences happen within coffe breaks.. short conversation with person that shares same interests, values, the same passion can be highly inspiring, can be starting point for new ideas, important changes, longterm projects..

open space creates space, in which each single person is encouraged to active participation, and is carring responsibility for whatever he or she will take advantage of this unique opportunity, its up to each participant weather he or she will take a chance to learn from others.. method allows to actively involve up to 2500 people, it is being used to organised big conferences, to work with complex issues. to develop strategies for organisations and institutions..

Aim: to create space for open discussion on issues which matter, searching for various solutions of certain problem, developing strategy for organisation

Potential open space topics: are completely up to participants, most importnat is that topic of an open space matters for all of the participants, is urgent, and participants feel passion for it and responsibility .

Most often ways of using open space technology:

• conferences (up to 2500 participants)
• developing strategy for institution / organisation / community
• comming up with innovative solutions

Examples:
conferences: list of topics below
open space on: “Future of our school”, for teachers, pupils, school council activists, parents council and other stakeholders discuss strategy for the school. Result of an open space will be set of ideas concerning possible directions in which school should develop, wich can be bases for implementing concrete changes and improvements.

Time and space: minimum 4-5 hours, maximum 3 days, place: big open space – best is school gym, or conference room where you can easily rearage the room. Open space conferences in Wroclaw we usually organised in cooperation with Gymnasium nr 13, which has beautiful and functional gym.

So far we did organise open space conferences on the following topics:

1. Youth opens the space. Intercultural, civic and peace education (July 2007) in cooperation with UNESCO Headquater from Paris
2. What about tolerance? Intercultural learning in the world of stereotypes (December 2006). within the project World is Yours as Well
3. Education is an action (October 2008), within World is Yours as Well project
4. Youth opens the space 2. Active participation on sustainable development (August 2009)
5. open space team from UNESCO Initiatives Centre was responsible for facilitation of an open space conference organised by Regional Municipality of Lower Silesia and Semper Avanti: Forum: youth – polititians (March 2009)
6. Youth opens the space. Active participation for sustainable development (August 2009), in cooperation with UNESCO Headquoter, Paris
7. Festival of activism. Forum of the youth and representatives of non govermental sector of the Klodzko region (November 2009), in cooperation with association Education and Development
8. Future of our school (February 2010), High school nr 1 in Gorzów Wielkopolski
9. Wielkopolska plays – for Polish Presidency in 2011 in Council of European Union. (November 2011) in cooperation with Municipality of Poznan

*possible languages of facilitating an open space: polish, czech, english
*cost of facilitation is each time discussed with hosting organisation or institution