Open Space
News off the 451 website:
[11.05.07] From 7 - 12 May, a youth conference "Young European Parliament" is meeting in Mestre, Venice. 451 has been giving the organisers a hand for the last 3 days by setting up a series of Open Space Technology afternoons. The participants, among Italians including people from Norway, Sweden, Greece and Bulgaria, discussed their positions and possibilities as young people on substance abuse, immigration and integration issues, and international development. The feedback from the participants has been very positive, expressing surprise at the Open Space as an incredibly dynamic and involving group working method that enables everyone to express their opinion on topics that are most important for them.
The Open Space sessions were conducted by my colleagues Riccardo, Giorgio and myself. We were asked to give the organisers a hand with holding the afternoon group-working sessions after each morning of presentations by experts. We had 50-70 youngsters, most of them arrived directly from school and expecting something quite the same as school. They were surprised to find that they were free to discuss what was interesting for them, only as long as they wanted to and - most importantly - without an expert in sight. We got back surprising reports on drug abuse, immigration and integration issues and a group of very inspired young people.
Some of my favourite lines from discussion groups:
"But you don't have to take drugs to have fun - I'll tell you a joke and you'll have fun anyway..."
"So if you go on a bus and it's full of Albanian guys, what do you think?"
"You know, this is the first time someone asks us what we think about it!"
[11.05.07] From 7 - 12 May, a youth conference "Young European Parliament" is meeting in Mestre, Venice. 451 has been giving the organisers a hand for the last 3 days by setting up a series of Open Space Technology afternoons. The participants, among Italians including people from Norway, Sweden, Greece and Bulgaria, discussed their positions and possibilities as young people on substance abuse, immigration and integration issues, and international development. The feedback from the participants has been very positive, expressing surprise at the Open Space as an incredibly dynamic and involving group working method that enables everyone to express their opinion on topics that are most important for them.
The Open Space sessions were conducted by my colleagues Riccardo, Giorgio and myself. We were asked to give the organisers a hand with holding the afternoon group-working sessions after each morning of presentations by experts. We had 50-70 youngsters, most of them arrived directly from school and expecting something quite the same as school. They were surprised to find that they were free to discuss what was interesting for them, only as long as they wanted to and - most importantly - without an expert in sight. We got back surprising reports on drug abuse, immigration and integration issues and a group of very inspired young people.
Some of my favourite lines from discussion groups:
"But you don't have to take drugs to have fun - I'll tell you a joke and you'll have fun anyway..."
"So if you go on a bus and it's full of Albanian guys, what do you think?"
"You know, this is the first time someone asks us what we think about it!"
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