Hi folks, how are you?
(Sorry that I just unintentionally send the unfinished draft of this message)

I´m writing to repport some learnings and reflections from a  5 day Open Space we announced here some months ago, just in case its useful for you.

It took place during a self managed fasting (with two options, 1. plain water and 2. fruits, juices, and vegetables; and everyone techno-fasting too ;-) week, in late July. The fasting week and all the process was really an adventure and gave us lots of things to think about.

And yes, it´s happened to be transformative in many ways. Something to reccomend anyone. Just a fasting or semifasting week in a peaceful countryside is helpful. Combined with OS, the impact increased much more (people that are used to these experiences agreed on it). The main promotors are delighted with the results, and most of the participants too. Most of them expressed it very clearly ate the end and during the OS days.

Around 20 people took part, six of which worked as a promotor group. Just two of us were familiar with Open Space, and just me was used to promote and facilitate OST. 7 out of 20 had taken part in and OST before, and just once.

Madame self-organization was all the time ruling, sure, and there are lots of anecdotes on it. For example, due to fear, some people were very strict on saying to invitees that one shoud take part for the whole week, that poping in and out wasn´t ok,… Some people did not sign up due to that, and finally, among the participants all this issues happened during the week, people popped in and out following their wish, everything was ok.

We the sponsor team had some communication and personal style troubles. Due to it my own motivation decayed along the previous process. I was feeling that it was being too complicated, doing too much, and so generating useless complications and then requiring extra efforts. In one point I decided to take more distance, let go of duties and worries, communicate  that I would just take care of the facilitation during the OS on site. Two weeks before the meeting I was quiet certain that we wouldn´t really hold the OS, as we were just the sponsors and 3 more people signed up. One week later I knew yes, we would have the fasting week and the 5 day OS, with arund 20 people.

Some things I appreciated:

• during the opening/introduction OST: Even if oneself can think the explanation was very clear, repeating the most important of them in  second and third days morning news helps people understand the principles, Tne inercia of other formal meetings all over our lives is so strong, that it takes time to do otherwise, I feel.

• From Peggy Holman in WOSonOS 2022 Bilbao I learned that it´s interesting in many-days-OS, having the people who have proposed the 1st day issues for the 2nd, re-read it in 2nd day´s morning news.

• I learned this time, that it´s good to make very clear each day that we focus to propose issues for the day, and that they can just write and post proposals for next days too. I find it helpful to maket he emphasis (mention just) on the day. Energy tended to disperse through thinking too far.

• It was very fine having and extra day cohabiting the place after the OST (as you´ve seen I would propose 2-3 ost-2 for next year, with 2 “spare” days). The spare day(s) is in my view for a first evaluation meeting by the sponsor team, as we had quite many difficulties to meet, cause we were 6 people living far from one another.

• It happened just in Basque language in this diglotical land where Spanish and French are much more used. This language treatment was the key factor for many  participants to happily join us, as many feel a lack of public spaces in Basque. There are many collective fasting opportunities during summer here, mainly in other languages.

• A strong sense of family/community was developed along the whole week. And a clear will in many of them to build on this community. In fact, last weeked some of  them had a one day meeting with 2 very different aims:

·      learning about picking and  cooking acorns

·      displaying a paper publication during the annual biggest Basque Books meeting, as they just do it online

Some things I would change future long OS meetings:

• As they have the clear intention to repeat and expand next year, and I don´t have it so clear, we agreed that I´m coaching and accompanying some other people to learn facilitating, so as s/he can do it next year. Ideally this ability will spread in the community during next years, instead of having the community depending on me.

• Two people for facilitation would let us do it more easily, and would be a good learning practice for both.

• Preparing and holding a 5 days OS was phisically a bit hard too. I recommended the team to offer the possibility to the facilitators to have a near place to sleep appart from the community, to have it easier to retire, relax and rest better (we were sharing the rooms with bunks).

• A shorter formal OS would be prefferable: the schema of the fasting week would be 2-3-2 (instead of this year´s 1-5-1): 2 days for welcome and self organizing the place and preparing the OST -3 days OST-2 last days to say goodbye and rearrange the place. The 5 days seemed too long. Tiredness and lack of spark increased days 4 and 5.

Some other (small?) details:

• Due to the troubles in the sponsor team (March-July) we didn´t reach to have a cheerful agreement about the invitation and a joyous spreading of it. Doubts and fear were long in our company. And I myself was a bit disappointed on it. Anyway, it worked, the invitation was simple: fasting/Basque/community building, even if we didn´t get to express and expand it brightly.

• After the experience, the main sponsors have a much more clear comprehension and impetus for next year.

• Sometimes I felt confused. I was being part of the community and was also having a clear role as facilitator. I felt some days in the morning news this mix made it flow less easily than other times. I also felt strange around the bonfire on the grass, where we hace good time to enjoy singing and stories. I felt as if I was seen different for my role or matters happened during OST time.

• During my last OS experiences I realize that nowadays, in the urban context, it´s very difficult to take part in a team fluidly if you aren´t using a smartphone. The e-mail and telephone combination seems unsufficient for most people here. The pressure becomes bigger and bigger (or the acceptance that there´ll be communication and team building gaps).

My friend, this repport took quite long. So, if you have read till here, it makes me happy to haven written so long. I´ve been keeping in mind to share about this my longest OST experience all the time since July.

Enjoy this rainy (in Bilbao) equinox day,

Gentza Eleder

------- Forwarded Message -------
De: Thomas Herrmann <thomas@openspaceconsulting.commailto:thomas@openspaceconsulting.com>
Data: em segunda-feira, 23 de janeiro de 2023 às 21:00
Assunto: Re: [OSList] Re: Long Open Space during a Fasting Week_21-27th July, 2023_Basque Country
Para: Gentza Eleder <Gentza.Eleder@protonmail.commailto:Gentza.Eleder@protonmail.com>

Wow dear Genza Elderer
What a wonderful, powerful initiative!
I wish I vould come
I look forward to hearing your stories!
Wishing you a grand journey
Thomas

Skickat från Outlook för iOShttps://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/aka.ms/o0ukef__;!!D5mp3PWONmH39b4!DmD3qv604BpnVWQVNE91qHBfD0YkTDSzuCyEHMUO92aW_pGmZC8YOiljqPq68npl7GyqudsDmKPmlGMx-afWIadpt2ydE9zeyqI$

Från: Gentza Eleder <Gentza.Eleder@protonmail.commailto:Gentza.Eleder@protonmail.com>
Skickat: Monday, January 23, 2023 7:37:58 PM
Till: Thomas Herrmann <thomas@openspaceconsulting.commailto:thomas@openspaceconsulting.com>
Ämne: Re: [OSList] Re: Long Open Space during a Fasting Week_21-27th July, 2023_Basque Country

Good point, Thomas!
We ate tasty and aboundant in Ws 2022, really ;-)!
Many people could have even dinner afterwards with the splendid rests!

These people convening the fasting week and 5 day Ws in July 23
are vey conscious of the benefits and ways of fasting.
It'll be my first long fasting.
There will be an option to be taking just juices and liquids, too,
Participants will be preparing themselves one week before
eating less and less on their own homes,
guided by typical ways to do it.

It's remarkable, that it will also be a technology fasting.
With no samrtphones nor cameras,...

Anyway, notes are planned to be taken
and shared on walls there.
And a repport will also be done and distributed
after the event.

Organizers got a wonderful farmhouse in an idilic countrysude
and a really good prize.
Organization will be supported by volunteers
and each participant will be paying around 10 € per day.
Those that will be taking part for 7 days or almost,
will be priorized if we were full

Those are general ideas now.

We'll see what happens.

Sure, you are super invited, Thomas,
and you'll have and extra holidays time
at locals friends'homes
to recover enjoying local food before leaving back
in you motorbike,

renewed and full of inspiration ;-)!

A big hug!

Gentza Eleder Aurtenetxe Pildain
BuM_31 unJobbing
Mundaka
(+0034) 638.733.223

Sent with Proton Mailhttps://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/proton.me/__;!!D5mp3PWONmH39b4!DmD3qv604BpnVWQVNE91qHBfD0YkTDSzuCyEHMUO92aW_pGmZC8YOiljqPq68npl7GyqudsDmKPmlGMx-afWIadpt2ydpUfQCRM$ secure email.

------- Original Message -------
On sexta-feira, 20 de janeiro de 2023 às 19:37, Thomas Herrmann via OSList <everyone@oslist.orgmailto:everyone@oslist.org> wrote:

Wow Genza Elderer

So good to hear from you. I guess this Open Space is the opposite to the one you hosted (WOSonOS) where we enjoyed eating so much. If that’s your everyday life I do understand you need a 5 day fasting every now and then 😊 <joke>

I would love to get on the motorbike and join you and I would love to hear basque for a week ❤

Wishing you continuous good planning.

With love and appreciation for all you open space for in the world.

THomas

Från: Gentza Eleder via OSList <everyone@oslist.orgmailto:everyone@oslist.org>
Skickat: den 17 januari 2023 21:04
Till: Open Space Listserv <everyone@oslist.orgmailto:everyone@oslist.org>
Ämne: [OSList] Long Open Space during a Fasting Week_21-27th July, 2023_Basque Country

Hello dear friends!

Last september, during GiGi Mundiala/WOSonOS 2022 in Bilbao, in the previous Open Space on "Complex times, how do we go ahead in collaborative ways?" (26-27 Sept 2022)

a group of passionated people started a conversation on a very specific action: "How can we prepare a fasting week for next summer?"

We are now glad to announce that the plan is going ahead. This makes the past GiGi adventure even more fullfilling!

Conveners plan to spend one week fasting on a farmhouse during 21-28th of July 2023, in which communication language will be Basque (this would normally not happen, being a diglotical situation, in which, at the end, those meetings most of times happen mainly in Spanish. Their goal is to do it in Basque to expand the usage field of the local language).

The issue for the OS is not fixed yet.

I have never facilitated this kind of OS,  with those 3 features:

a. participants willl most of them be fasting, with a doctor taking care of health/nutritional needs

b. the promotors have in mind a long OS (around 5 days?)

c. I suppose we'll convene the OS with the really important issues in life

And I'm excited about it!

Any input is welcome!

A big hug for al,

Gentza Eleder Aurtenetxe Pildain

BuM_31 unJobbing

Mundaka

(+0034) 638.733.223

ps. Just profiting this message to the world, one small question and suggestion: would you recommend  us any radio station in your area (lately I tend to explore this treasure called Radio Gardenhttps://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/radio.garden/__;!!D5mp3PWONmH39b4!DmD3qv604BpnVWQVNE91qHBfD0YkTDSzuCyEHMUO92aW_pGmZC8YOiljqPq68npl7GyqudsDmKPmlGMx-afWIadpt2yd-z_4LF0$)?

LEGEZKO ABISUA.- Mezu elektroniko honetako informazioa jasotzaile gisa ageri den(ar) entzat baino ez da. Mezu elektroniko honetako eta berari erantsitako fitxategietako informazioa isilpean eduki behar da edota jabetza intelektualaren gaineko legeen eta beste legeen babespean dago. Mezu honek ez dio ezartzen inolako konpromisorik bidaltzaileari, berak eta jasotzaileak, aldez aurretik, berariazko idatzizko itunaren bidez besterik hitzartu ezean. Errakuntzaren bat dela-eta mezu hau jasotzen baduzu, bertan jarritako jasotzailea ez izan arren, jakinarazi ahalik azkarren bidaltzaileari, mesedez (lantik@bizkaia.eus)mailto:lantik@bizkaia.eus eta gero ezabatu erabat. Horrez gainera, mezuan jarritako jasotzailea ez bazara, ezin duzu erabili, banatu, kopiatu ez inprimatu, ez osorik ez zati bat.

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Yq

Enviado desde mi iPhone

El 21-09-2023, a la(s) 05:52, AURTENETXE PILDAIN, Eleder via OSList <everyone@oslist.org> escribió:

message)

I´m writing to repport some learnings and reflections from a 5 day Open Space we announced here some months ago, just in case its useful for you.

It took place during a self managed fasting (with two options, 1. plain water and 2. fruits, juices, and vegetables; and everyone techno-fasting too ;-) week, in late July. The fasting week and all the process was really an adventure and gave us lots of things to think about.

And yes, it´s happened to be transformative in many ways. Something to reccomend anyone. Just a fasting or semifasting week in a peaceful countryside is helpful. Combined with OS, the impact increased much more (people that are used to these experiences agreed on it). The main promotors are delighted with the results, and most of the participants too.Most of them expressed it very clearly ate the end and during the OS days.

Around 20 people took part, six of which worked as a promotor group. Just two of us were familiar with Open Space, and just me was used to promote and facilitate OST. 7 out of 20 had taken part in and OST before, and just once.

Madame self-organization was all the time ruling, sure, and there are lots of anecdotes on it.For example, due to fear, some people were very strict on saying to invitees that one shoud take part for the whole week, that poping in and out wasn´t ok,… Some people did not sign up due to that, and finally, among the participants all this issues happened during the week, people popped in and out following their wish, everything was ok.

We the sponsor team had some communication and personal style troubles. Due to it my own motivation decayed along the previous process. I was feeling that it was being too complicated, doing too much, and so generating useless complications and then requiring extra efforts. In one point I decided to take more distance, let go of duties and worries, communicate that I would just take care of the facilitation during the OS on site. Two weeks before the meeting I was quiet certain that we wouldn´t really hold the OS, as we were just the sponsors and 3 more people signed up. One week later I knew yes, we would have the fasting week and the 5 day OS, with arund 20 people.

Some things I appreciated:

• during the opening/introduction OST: Even if oneself can think the explanation was very clear, repeating the most important of them in second and third days morning news helps people understand the principles, Tne inercia of other formal meetings all over our lives is so strong, that it takes time to do otherwise, I feel.

• From Peggy Holman in WOSonOS 2022 Bilbao I learned that it´s interesting in many-days-OS, having the people who have proposed the 1st day issues for the 2nd, re-read it in 2nd day´s morning news.

• I learned this time, that it´s good to make very clear each day that we focus to propose issues for the day, and that they can just write and post proposals for next days too. I find it helpful to maket he emphasis (mention just) on the day. Energy tended to disperse through thinking too far.

• It was very fine having and extra day cohabiting the place after the OST (as you´ve seen I would propose 2-3 ost-2 for next year, with 2 “spare” days). The spare day(s) is in my view for a first evaluation meeting by the sponsor team, as we had quite many difficulties to meet, cause we were 6 people living far from one another.

• It happened just in Basque language in this diglotical land where Spanish and French are much more used. This language treatment was the key factor for many  participants to happily join us, as many feel a lack of public spaces in Basque. There are many collective fasting opportunities during summer here, mainly in other languages.

• A strong sense of family/community was developed along the whole week. And a clear will in many of them to build on this community. In fact, last weeked some of them had a one day meeting with 2 very different aims:

· learning about picking and cooking acorns

· displaying a paper publication during the annual biggest Basque Books meeting, as they just do it online

Some things I would change future long OS meetings:

• As they have the clear intention to repeat and expand next year, and I don´t have it so clear, we agreed that I´m coaching and accompanying some other people to learn facilitating, so as s/he can do it next year. Ideally this ability will spread in the community during next years, instead of having the community depending on me.

• Two people for facilitation would let us do it more easily, and would be a good learning practice for both.

• Preparing and holding a 5 days OS was phisically a bit hard too. I recommended the team to offer the possibility to the facilitators to have a near place to sleep appart from the community, to have it easier to retire, relax and rest better (we were sharing the rooms with bunks).

• A shorter formal OS would be prefferable: the schema of the fasting week would be 2-3-2 (instead of this year´s 1-5-1): 2 days for welcome and self organizing the place and preparing the OST -3 days OST-2 last days to say goodbye and rearrange the place. The 5 days seemed too long. Tiredness and lack of spark increased days 4 and 5.

Some other (small?) details:

• Due to the troubles in the sponsor team (March-July) we didn´t reach to have a cheerful agreement about the invitation and a joyous spreading of it. Doubts and fear were long in our company. And I myself was a bit disappointed on it. Anyway, it worked, the invitation was simple: fasting/Basque/community building, even if we didn´t get to express and expand it brightly.

• After the experience, the main sponsors have a much more clear comprehension and impetus for next year.

• Sometimes I felt confused. I was being part of the community and was also having a clear role as facilitator. I felt some days in the morning news this mix made it flow less easily than other times. I also felt strange around the bonfire on the grass, where we hace good time to enjoy singing and stories. I felt as if I was seen different for my role or matters happened during OST time.

• During my last OS experiences I realize that nowadays, in the urban context, it´s very difficult to take part in a team fluidly if you aren´t using a smartphone. The e-mail and telephone combination seems unsufficient for most people here. The pressure becomes bigger and bigger (or the acceptance that there´ll be communication and team building gaps).

My friend, this repport took quite long. So, if you have read till here, it makes me happy to haven written so long. I´ve been keeping in mind to share about this my longest OST experience all the time since July.

Enjoy this rainy (in Bilbao) equinox day,

Gentza Eleder

------- Forwarded Message -------
De: Thomas Herrmann <thomas@openspaceconsulting.com>
Data: em segunda-feira, 23 de janeiro de 2023 às 21:00
Assunto: Re: [OSList] Re: Long Open Space during a Fasting Week_21-27th July, 2023_Basque Country
Para: Gentza Eleder <Gentza.Eleder@protonmail.com>

Wow dear Genza Elderer

What a wonderful, powerful initiative!

I wish I vould come

I look forward to hearing your stories!

Wishing you a grand journey

Thomas

Skickat från Outlook för iOS

---

Från: Gentza Eleder <Gentza.Eleder@protonmail.com>
Skickat: Monday, January 23, 2023 7:37:58 PM
Till: Thomas Herrmann <thomas@openspaceconsulting.com>
Ämne: Re: [OSList] Re: Long Open Space during a Fasting Week_21-27th July, 2023_Basque Country

Good point, Thomas!

We ate tasty and aboundant in Ws 2022, really ;-)!

Many people could have even dinner afterwards with the splendid rests!

These people convening the fasting week and 5 day Ws in July 23

are vey conscious of the benefits and ways of fasting.

It'll be my first long fasting.

There will be an option to be taking just juices and liquids, too,

Participants will be preparing themselves one week before

eating less and less on their own homes,

guided by typical ways to do it.

It's remarkable, that it will also be a technology fasting.

With no samrtphones nor cameras,...

Anyway, notes are planned to be taken

and shared on walls there.

And a repport will also be done and distributed

after the event.

Organizers got a wonderful farmhouse in an idilic countrysude

and a really good prize.

Organization will be supported by volunteers

and each participant will be paying around 10 € per day.

Those that will be taking part for 7 days or almost,

will be priorized if we were full

Those are general ideas now.

We'll see what happens.

Sure, you are super invited, Thomas,

and you'll have and extra holidays time

at locals friends'homes

to recover enjoying local food before leaving back

in you motorbike,

renewed and full of inspiration ;-)!

A big hug!

Gentza Eleder Aurtenetxe Pildain

BuM_31 unJobbing

Mundaka

(+0034) 638.733.223

Sent with Proton Mail secure email.

------- Original Message -------
On sexta-feira, 20 de janeiro de 2023 às 19:37, Thomas Herrmann via OSList <everyone@oslist.org> wrote:

Wow Genza Elderer

So good to hear from you. I guess this Open Space is the opposite to the one you hosted (WOSonOS) where we enjoyed eating so much. If that’s your everyday life I do understand you need a 5 day fasting every now and then 😊 <joke>

I would love to get on the motorbike and join you and I would love to hear basque for a week ❤

Wishing you continuous good planning.

With love and appreciation for all you open space for in the world.

THomas

Från: Gentza Eleder via OSList <everyone@oslist.org>
Skickat: den 17 januari 2023 21:04
Till: Open Space Listserv <everyone@oslist.org>
Ämne: [OSList] Long Open Space during a Fasting Week_21-27th July, 2023_Basque Country

Hello

Hi Lucas, thanks for you feedback and specific add-ons!

I agree with you on  the need to keep separation.
Take separation, take rest, refflect on small things for oneself to do/stop doing,
I suggested to the organizers that next time we would offer the facilitator(s) a place appart for accomodation.
And as a facilitator, next time I would be more conscious about it from the design of the event.

Lucas, you had fun on your thinking about power and OST facilitation, and I took pleasure too. I underline here some for refflection with some ideas on green:

As OST facilitators, we do lead them by organizing them in a way that they would not organize themselves

The OST facilitator has the responsibility to "hold the space".  To do that, they need power.
The power is given to them by the participants for that specific purpose when the event begins,

after the facilitator has demonstrated that they are competent enough to use that power wisely.

The facilitator shows that they are competent by setting up the room well and starting the opening well.
I would add there, if the facilitators realize during the process small mistakes
and this troubles her/him, it ´s perceived by the participants, and, depending of the group and the facilitator´s self-awareness/confidence,
the participants  can lose some confidence (even some respect) on the facilitator´s role (or in your words, take some power off).

Power is earned as people settle into the space and become more comfortable.
The facilitator uses the art of listening to the spirit through the group, taking care in a lovely way of  participants, the tempo and order that helps everybody feel comfortable. One of the qualities to improve, the ability to deeply listening each one in each moment. Moments of lots of small things to take care of and many people  involved make it more difficult. Long term personal consciousness work helps there much.

The power must be earned by the facilitator from the participants
(I would say here, that if the pre-work was well done, the facilitator starts with clear  confidence (power) from the participants, and only if behaving in very non-open space ways s/he can lose ot.

The process has the power. So a facilitator's power is not used on a person directly but in an invisible way through the process.

For me they make much sense, thanks so much, Lucas!

More stories related to OST, the power of the facilitator, and how to prevent possible difficulties?

Gentza Eleder

Hemendik: lucas@qiqochat.com lucas@qiqochat.com
Bidaltze-data: lunes, 25 de septiembre de 2023 15:20
Hona: AURTENETXE PILDAIN, Eleder eleder.aurtenetxe@bizkaia.eus
Cc: everyone@oslist.org
Gaia: Re: [OSList] Longish repport_FW: Re: Re: Long Open Space during a Fasting Week_21-27th July, 2023_Basque Country

You don't often get email from lucas@qiqochat.commailto:lucas@qiqochat.com. Learn why this is importanthttps://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification

Gentza, thank you so much for sharing so much of what you learned.

I found this part to be very interesting:
I also felt strange around the bonfire on the grass, where we were having a good time to enjoy singing and stories. I felt as if I was seen different for my role or matters happened during OST time.

I wonder if any other facilitators have felt something similar when they have been in social situations after an OST with their participants?  Does anyone have an explanation of why that might be?

If I facilitate an open space, I do feel the need to keep separation.  When I was a military officer, I was not allowed to have a beer with the soldiers after work.  As an officer, I am not better; I am different.  We each have a different role to make the organization work.  Often the officer has to tell soldiers to do things that they do not want to do.  As OST facilitators, we do not often tell people to do things that they don't want to do, but we do lead them by organizing them in a way that they would not organize themselves if we were not present (such as "gather around in this circle and here is how you can propose a session...").  If we didn't do this, then the event would happen very differently.

At International House (organized in New York by Karen Davis and Suzanne Daigle) participants can be the facilitator for the opening or closing session on day 1 or day 2, and they also will participate in the sessions.  That works great, because everyone knows that they are participants stepping forward to take the role of OST facilitator for 10 minutes and then they turn back into a participant.

I'm just thinking out loud about OST and power here...
The OST facilitator has the responsibility to "hold the space".  To do that, they need power.  The power is given to them by the participants for that specific purpose when the event begins, after the facilitator has demonstrated that they are competent enough to use that power wisely.  The facilitator shows that they are competent by setting up the room well and starting the opening well.  Power is earned every minute in a slow and steady direction, as people settle into the space and become more comfortable.  The power must be earned by the facilitator from the participants.  You can imagine that if the facilitator was a nasty person, all the participants would take that power away by walking out of the room immediately.

The facilitator has the power to stop anyone from behaving badly (such as a participant taking the microphone in the closing session and talking for 20 minutes) but they almost never have to do that because their power is "baked back into the process" — the process sets everyone's expectations so that they know that no one person should speak for 20 minutes at the closing.  The process has the power and the process uses that power the way a magnet pulls in a paperclip.  So a facilitator's power is not used on a person directly but in an invisible way through the process.

Does any of that make sense?  I don't know, but I had fun thinking about it and typing it out.

A question for everyone — what are your stories related to OST and the power of the facilitator?

Lucas

On Thu, Sep 21, 2023 at 4:51 AM AURTENETXE PILDAIN, Eleder via OSList <everyone@oslist.orgmailto:everyone@oslist.org> wrote:

Hi folks, how are you?
(Sorry that I just unintentionally send the unfinished draft of this message)

I´m writing to repport some learnings and reflections from a  5 day Open Space we announced here some months ago, just in case its useful for you.

It took place during a self managed fasting (with two options, 1. plain water and 2. fruits, juices, and vegetables; and everyone techno-fasting too ;-) week, in late July. The fasting week and all the process was really an adventure and gave us lots of things to think about.

And yes, it´s happened to be transformative in many ways. Something to reccomend anyone. Just a fasting or semifasting week in a peaceful countryside is helpful. Combined with OS, the impact increased much more (people that are used to these experiences agreed on it). The main promotors are delighted with the results, and most of the participants too. Most of them expressed it very clearly ate the end and during the OS days.

Around 20 people took part, six of which worked as a promotor group. Just two of us were familiar with Open Space, and just me was used to promote and facilitate OST. 7 out of 20 had taken part in and OST before, and just once.

Madame self-organization was all the time ruling, sure, and there are lots of anecdotes on it. For example, due to fear, some people were very strict on saying to invitees that one shoud take part for the whole week, that poping in and out wasn´t ok,… Some people did not sign up due to that, and finally, among the participants all this issues happened during the week, people popped in and out following their wish, everything was ok.

We the sponsor team had some communication and personal style troubles. Due to it my own motivation decayed along the previous process. I was feeling that it was being too complicated, doing too much, and so generating useless complications and then requiring extra efforts. In one point I decided to take more distance, let go of duties and worries, communicate  that I would just take care of the facilitation during the OS on site. Two weeks before the meeting I was quiet certain that we wouldn´t really hold the OS, as we were just the sponsors and 3 more people signed up. One week later I knew yes, we would have the fasting week and the 5 day OS, with arund 20 people.

Some things I appreciated:

• during the opening/introduction OST: Even if oneself can think the explanation was very clear, repeating the most important of them in  second and third days morning news helps people understand the principles, Tne inercia of other formal meetings all over our lives is so strong, that it takes time to do otherwise, I feel.

• From Peggy Holman in WOSonOS 2022 Bilbao I learned that it´s interesting in many-days-OS, having the people who have proposed the 1st day issues for the 2nd, re-read it in 2nd day´s morning news.

• I learned this time, that it´s good to make very clear each day that we focus to propose issues for the day, and that they can just write and post proposals for next days too. I find it helpful to maket he emphasis (mention just) on the day. Energy tended to disperse through thinking too far.

• It was very fine having and extra day cohabiting the place after the OST (as you´ve seen I would propose 2-3 ost-2 for next year, with 2 “spare” days). The spare day(s) is in my view for a first evaluation meeting by the sponsor team, as we had quite many difficulties to meet, cause we were 6 people living far from one another.

• It happened just in Basque language in this diglotical land where Spanish and French are much more used. This language treatment was the key factor for many  participants to happily join us, as many feel a lack of public spaces in Basque. There are many collective fasting opportunities during summer here, mainly in other languages.

• A strong sense of family/community was developed along the whole week. And a clear will in many of them to build on this community. In fact, last weeked some of  them had a one day meeting with 2 very different aims:

•      learning about picking and  cooking acorns

•      displaying a paper publication during the annual biggest Basque Books meeting, as they just do it online

Some things I would change future long OS meetings:

• As they have the clear intention to repeat and expand next year, and I don´t have it so clear, we agreed that I´m coaching and accompanying some other people to learn facilitating, so as s/he can do it next year. Ideally this ability will spread in the community during next years, instead of having the community depending on me.

• Two people for facilitation would let us do it more easily, and would be a good learning practice for both.

• Preparing and holding a 5 days OS was phisically a bit hard too. I recommended the team to offer the possibility to the facilitators to have a near place to sleep appart from the community, to have it easier to retire, relax and rest better (we were sharing the rooms with bunks).

• A shorter formal OS would be prefferable: the schema of the fasting week would be 2-3-2 (instead of this year´s 1-5-1): 2 days for welcome and self organizing the place and preparing the OST -3 days OST-2 last days to say goodbye and rearrange the place. The 5 days seemed too long. Tiredness and lack of spark increased days 4 and 5.

Some other (small?) details:

• Due to the troubles in the sponsor team (March-July) we didn´t reach to have a cheerful agreement about the invitation and a joyous spreading of it. Doubts and fear were long in our company. And I myself was a bit disappointed on it. Anyway, it worked, the invitation was simple: fasting/Basque/community building, even if we didn´t get to express and expand it brightly.

• After the experience, the main sponsors have a much more clear comprehension and impetus for next year.

• Sometimes I felt confused. I was being part of the community and was also having a clear role as facilitator. I felt some days in the morning news this mix made it flow less easily than other times. I also felt strange around the bonfire on the grass, where we hace good time to enjoy singing and stories. I felt as if I was seen different for my role or matters happened during OST time.

• During my last OS experiences I realize that nowadays, in the urban context, it´s very difficult to take part in a team fluidly if you aren´t using a smartphone. The e-mail and telephone combination seems unsufficient for most people here. The pressure becomes bigger and bigger (or the acceptance that there´ll be communication and team building gaps).

My friend, this repport took quite long. So, if you have read till here, it makes me happy to haven written so long. I´ve been keeping in mind to share about this my longest OST experience all the time since July.

Enjoy this rainy (in Bilbao) equinox day,

Gentza Eleder

------- Forwarded Message -------
De: Thomas Herrmann <thomas@openspaceconsulting.commailto:thomas@openspaceconsulting.com>
Data: em segunda-feira, 23 de janeiro de 2023 às 21:00
Assunto: Re: [OSList] Re: Long Open Space during a Fasting Week_21-27th July, 2023_Basque Country
Para: Gentza Eleder <Gentza.Eleder@protonmail.commailto:Gentza.Eleder@protonmail.com>
Wow dear Genza Elderer
What a wonderful, powerful initiative!
I wish I vould come
I look forward to hearing your stories!
Wishing you a grand journey
Thomas

Skickat från Outlook för iOShttps://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/aka.ms/o0ukef__;!!D5mp3PWONmH39b4!DmD3qv604BpnVWQVNE91qHBfD0YkTDSzuCyEHMUO92aW_pGmZC8YOiljqPq68npl7GyqudsDmKPmlGMx-afWIadpt2ydE9zeyqI$

Från: Gentza Eleder <Gentza.Eleder@protonmail.commailto:Gentza.Eleder@protonmail.com>
Skickat: Monday, January 23, 2023 7:37:58 PM
Till: Thomas Herrmann <thomas@openspaceconsulting.commailto:thomas@openspaceconsulting.com>
Ämne: Re: [OSList] Re: Long Open Space during a Fasting Week_21-27th July, 2023_Basque Country

Good point, Thomas!
We ate tasty and aboundant in Ws 2022, really ;-)!
Many people could have even dinner afterwards with the splendid rests!

These people convening the fasting week and 5 day Ws in July 23
are vey conscious of the benefits and ways of fasting.
It'll be my first long fasting.
There will be an option to be taking just juices and liquids, too,
Participants will be preparing themselves one week before
eating less and less on their own homes,
guided by typical ways to do it.

It's remarkable, that it will also be a technology fasting.
With no samrtphones nor cameras,...

Anyway, notes are planned to be taken
and shared on walls there.
And a repport will also be done and distributed
after the event.

Organizers got a wonderful farmhouse in an idilic countrysude
and a really good prize.
Organization will be supported by volunteers
and each participant will be paying around 10 € per day.
Those that will be taking part for 7 days or almost,
will be priorized if we were full

Those are general ideas now.

We'll see what happens.

Sure, you are super invited, Thomas,
and you'll have and extra holidays time
at locals friends'homes
to recover enjoying local food before leaving back
in you motorbike,

renewed and full of inspiration ;-)!

A big hug!

Gentza Eleder Aurtenetxe Pildain
BuM_31 unJobbing
Mundaka
(+0034) 638.733.223

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------- Original Message -------
On sexta-feira, 20 de janeiro de 2023 às 19:37, Thomas Herrmann via OSList <everyone@oslist.orgmailto:everyone@oslist.org> wrote:

Wow Genza Elderer

So good to hear from you. I guess this Open Space is the opposite to the one you hosted (WOSonOS) where we enjoyed eating so much. If that’s your everyday life I do understand you need a 5 day fasting every now and then 😊 <joke>

I would love to get on the motorbike and join you and I would love to hear basque for a week ❤

Wishing you continuous good planning.

With love and appreciation for all you open space for in the world.

THomas

Från: Gentza Eleder via OSList <everyone@oslist.orgmailto:everyone@oslist.org>
Skickat: den 17 januari 2023 21:04
Till: Open Space Listserv <everyone@oslist.orgmailto:everyone@oslist.org>
Ämne: [OSList] Long Open Space during a Fasting Week_21-27th July, 2023_Basque Country

Hello dear friends!

Last september, during GiGi Mundiala/WOSonOS 2022 in Bilbao, in the previous Open Space on "Complex times, how do we go ahead in collaborative ways?" (26-27 Sept 2022)

a group of passionated people started a conversation on a very specific action: "How can we prepare a fasting week for next summer?"

We are now glad to announce that the plan is going ahead. This makes the past GiGi adventure even more fullfilling!

Conveners plan to spend one week fasting on a farmhouse during 21-28th of July 2023, in which communication language will be Basque (this would normally not happen, being a diglotical situation, in which, at the end, those meetings most of times happen mainly in Spanish. Their goal is to do it in Basque to expand the usage field of the local language).

The issue for the OS is not fixed yet.

I have never facilitated this kind of OS,  with those 3 features:

a. participants willl most of them be fasting, with a doctor taking care of health/nutritional needs

b. the promotors have in mind a long OS (around 5 days?)

c. I suppose we'll convene the OS with the really important issues in life

And I'm excited about it!

Any input is welcome!

A big hug for al,

Gentza Eleder Aurtenetxe Pildain

BuM_31 unJobbing

Mundaka

(+0034) 638.733.223

ps. Just profiting this message to the world, one small question and suggestion: would you recommend  us any radio station in your area (lately I tend to explore this treasure called Radio Gardenhttps://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/radio.garden/__;!!D5mp3PWONmH39b4!DmD3qv604BpnVWQVNE91qHBfD0YkTDSzuCyEHMUO92aW_pGmZC8YOiljqPq68npl7GyqudsDmKPmlGMx-afWIadpt2yd-z_4LF0$)?

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