We now have five topics announced:
1) New Approach to the Theory of Sustainable Development: to Consider the Quality of Life of the Population Before the Improvement of the Environment hosted by Felipe Macedo
2) Behavior Change Discussion: How to Change Stakeholders’ Behavior to Fight Plastic Flood in Laos hosted by Serge Doussantousse
3) How Designers, Manufacturers and Users of T-Shirts Can Work Together to Create a Sustainable Fashion Industry hosted by Anne-Cécile Gallon
4) Collaborating for Sustainability: How Can We Extend the VOSS Experience into the Future? hosted by Dariana Bluehand
5) Creation of a Local Cell-Information on the Usefulness of E-Learning hosted by Hugues Fongang
I encourage those of you who want to host a conversation, to announce your topics as soon as possible, because we are starting in less than 48 hours. Here are some tips and announcements:
For Participants in General:
I have just sent a WebEx invitation to the Opening Circle (Saturday, September 29, 7:00am California Time) to all of you. Opening Circle is an opportunity to “see” each other before the conversation sessions start. Hosts will announce their topics, participants will share their plans, and there will be the last opportunity to ask questions before the sessions. Please do everything you can to attend the Opening Circle.
Organizational Tips for Hosts:
1) As you know, you can choose one of the two sessions (7:30-8:15 and 8:15-9:00 California Time). If you want to attend some of the conversations in the Session One, I encourage you to schedule your conversation in Session Two.
2) One of the 5 basic principles of Open Space is “Whoever comes is the right people”. Don’t panic if you have as many as 20 people joining you, and don’t get frustrated if there is only one dedicated participant talking with you about your topic. Treat everyone who joins you as your dear guest: any background can make a difference in the conversation.
3) Another OS principle is “Whenever it starts is the right time”. This means that you don’t have to start exactly at the official starting time. Feel free to wait and see if there is someone else who wants to join you, and at the same time feel free to start the conversation right away without waiting for anybody. Just feel the energy of the group, and start when you feel like it is the right time for everybody.
4) Please know that “Wherever it happens is the right place”. Although you are expected to schedule a WebEx meeting, feel free to switch to Skype or any other platform if you have technical difficulties with WebEx, or if your group strongly prefers that other “place”.
5) Always keep in mind that “Whatever happens is the only thing that could have”. Don’t get frustrated if anything “goes wrong”. Nothing can go wrong in the Open Space environment because any outcome is the right one. Feel like you are failing with moderating the discussion? Share your concerns with others and think together how to overcome it. Nobody joined you? Wait as long as you want, and feel free to join other conversations.
6) The last OS principle is “When it’s over, it’s over”. If you feel like the topic is exhausted, and nobody is interested in going into further discussions, feel free to close the conversation and join someone else’s discussion. Equally, if you have a lively, vibrant discussion, feel free to proceed regardless of what time it is. If anyone has to host another conversation, he or she will simply leave your discussion. Don’t get frustrated about it, and feel free to proceed for as long as you have a productive discussion. And yes, you may keep the discussion going for hours, if you and at least one other participant have enough energy to do it.
7) After Saturday, hosts will summarize the ideas emerged from their conversations and publish them on Facebook, Coursera of any other platform they feel comfortable with. Their reports will be used by Anne Cécile to create the mind map of the conference, which should be a great way for hosts to attract attention of a broader audience to their projects.
Technical Tips for Hosts:
1) When creating your WebEx meeting, check the box “RECORD THE MEETING”. It is very important to make recordings of all conversations, so please remember to check the box.
2) Use your topic as a headline for your meeting, so that it will be easier for the participants to find your invitation in their e-mail boxes.
3) I encourage you to schedule at least one test meeting in advance, and to invite your friends or relatives to join this test meeting to help you make sure that everything works well technically.
4) If you hear certain noise that interferes the conversation, ask everyone to keep their microphones muted when they are not speaking, and turn the mics on only to say something.
Once again, I encourage you to announce your topics as soon as possible, and those of you who has not replied to my “How Can I Help” letter yet, please do so as soon as possible.
Thank you for your commitment to make VOSS a great experience for everyone involved, and I wish you good luck on Saturday!
Cordially,
Fedor
Delightful Quest for Presencing 