Open Space

I spent 13 hours yesterday on the Google Campus in Mountain View, CA, at BarCamp Africa.

My reflections on the day's content will go up on the BarCamp Africa blog shortly. What I want to share here is the open space principles which governed the day's proceedings (described as an "unconference').

I've participated in Open Space events before - most notably, two South Asian Progressive Conferences in San Francisco. And I recall responding instantly to the brilliance, simplicity and democracy of the Open Space principles. Then, for some reason, they filtered out of my consciousness as a tool for effective gatherings. When they were introduced yesterday, it was a welcome re-connection. And I suddenly realized their power and applicability to all the other areas of my life too - relationships, work projects, political organizing.

So the way an Un-conference works: people propose, in a forum of the whole gathering, the sessions they want to lead / moderate, on the topics of key interest to them. They write their name and session description - 1 line! - on a post-it note. The post-its are put up on a chart, that maps out the rooms for each session, and participants check out the chart and decide what session they want to catch. My favourite part is that it's totally OK to be a "butterfly" - to flit from session to session.

Open Space Principles

1) Whoever comes - are the right people.

2) Whatever happens - is the only thing that could have happened.

3) Whenever it starts - is the right time.

4) When it's over - it's over.

The Law Of Two Feet

You are responsible for your own experiences. If what's happening in any space or session is not working for you, you can exercise the Law Of Two Feet and move on in search of something that is.