Un-conference Hindu article
Sudhir
Kiruba @ Kiruba.com
Excellent write up, as should be expected of you. Nice coverage giving equal importance to unconferences throghout India.
The first page coverage on Hindu Metro Plus looks quite impressive , far better than the online version.
Great to see the UnBook getting its share of exposure. Will update our blog with the link to the article.
I'm going to spread the word about this article to the Bangalore Barcamp and Delhi barcamp guys.
Great show, Sudhir.
Cheers,
Kiruba Shankar
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Sudhir
Lisa Heft
Congratulations !!
Here is one thing I think is vitally important.
When I read this article, it says
- first-ever corporate use of this method this year (corporations have been using it for 2+ decades);
- maybe this method will move into other areas besides technology / perhaps food or fashion (same comment as above)
- Open Space was originated in 1985 (right) to discuss things related to technology (wrong).
It has been used in the corporate world and in all other industries you can think of starting in 1985. It is only in the last 4 or so years that a certain segment of the tech community has discovered it.
I understand that an interviewer can hear something through their own filter and write some things that perhaps we as individuals do not mean or never said that way.
My plea is that please please please let us not pass on the well-intentioned (if any of you, or your clients, or the journalists have just discovered it) mythology that this has just originated recently and just in the tech community. It is something that has been around for a long time across the world and in a huge diversity of industries, cultures, and countries.
Thank you so much – to me, the energy and enthusiasm for and use of this tool is wonderful – but I also believe in proper sourcing, looking around to see if you’re the first – or if you’re just the first that you know of.
Thank you all, dear colleagues,
Lisa
___________________________
L i s a H e f t
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
O p e n i n g S p a c e
Sudhir
Thank you for your views.
You must keep in mind however, that though not mentioned explicitly - the article was with an India focus. Therefore CTS's use is the first time a corporate has used an unconference model in India - the same goes with the food, fashion comment. It could move to food - fashion in India.
The other point regarding unconferences - Open space technology as I know it, was first used in technology driven companies and then moved onto other industries. This is what I meant by saying Open space technology was used to discuss ' Technology' - didnt say it wasnt used for other topics.
In India however you look at it, its the new age unconferences which are creating the buzz and these are the only ones people have heard of or in many cases want to know of. This is the segment the article addresses.
Thank you for you views...
Sudhir
Blog on,
www.sudhirsyal.com
prabhug
Lisa Heft
Hi, Sudhir –
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on all this. I was actually reading the article and indeed getting the feeling of an India focus.
What I am saying here is really part of the ‘which-came-first’ story – a lovely focus on India being part of the history of this particular meeting method.
CTS was not the first time this model was used by corporate folks in India – it was actually used by corporate executives in India as early as 1989.
Corporate executives meeting for The Business of Business is Learning conference (to discuss their corporations as learning organizations) in Goa – September 1989
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/9215/bkeicher.htm
and http://www.globalcitizenship.com/dharmashala.html
In around 1996, India’s Mastek used Open Space
http://mithya.prasadkaipa.com/learning/openspace.html
Dialogue, Peace and Prosperity conferences in 2001 and 2002
http://practiceofpeace.com/PoPannouncement_files/KashmirOS.htm
...and not so long ago, the annual international gathering for Open Space facilitators from around the world was held in Goa, India (2004).
Also there was a Practice of Peace conference in India in 2005.
Here is video from a health policy Open Space in India in 2006.
http://jostwagner.multiply.com/video/item/5
Just a few examples.
(I’m smiling – I don’t know of any yet in India for food or fashion – I look forward to that!)
And actually, Open Space was not actually first used in just technology companies. It was used in corporate businesses (like Rockport Shoes), in governmental and tribal conferences discussing land use, and with chemists discovering new plastics. And yes it was also used in technology companies, like a large telecommunications company – but not necessarily to discuss technology – more engage the whole company in how the company as a whole could be better.
A lot of this info is in Harrison Owen’s book, “Open Space Technology: A User’s Guide” (Berrett-Koehler, Publishers, 1997).
Sudhir I don’t mean to be difficult – just to share some of the history – history within your own country of this marvelous meeting method that is now taking off in some of the tech communities.
I say celebrate India’s participation in the development of all this...
Lisa
___________________________
L i s a H e f t
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
O p e n i n g S p a c e
Sudhir
Blog on,
www.sudhirsyal.com
Kiruba @ Kiruba.com
Wow, there's so much to OST's history. It would be great if we can bring all these into the book.
Regards,
Kiruba Shankar
Lisa Heft
Thanks for checking in on all that – I appreciate it... Lisa
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Sudhir
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Subject: {UnBook} Re:
Un-conference Hindu article
Great, Thanks Lisa.