Monday 2 June 2014

Perth: What Matters to You?

Western Australian of the Year, David Flanagan, spoke about “What Matters in WA” at the awards ceremony on Saturday. Now, what matters to you in South Perth?
You are invited to tell our community, the Council, Government and others about your ideas for South Perth, your suggestions, your concerns and what can be done. This is an Open Space event, with unrestricted topics. There’s another page about how Open Space works (click for details).
You are invited to be part of a discussion about what really matters in South Perth. We’ll begin with a blank agenda; you set the topics. With your passion and with your solutions, things will happen.
Please "Share" or “Forward” this event to bring your friends too. I’d really appreciate it if you could RSVP to let me know you are coming, preferably on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/228677680675385/, or by email, or in Comments, below.
We’ll all be at South Perth Community Hall, corner South Terrace and Sandgate Road, South Perth at 7:00 p.m.on Thursday 26 June 2014.

Our Open Space Event

Our Open Space event has no restriction of topics. Here’s how Open Space works.

First some key points, then the process.

  • Those who attend are the ones who came. Whatever gets done will be done by them, or not at all. They will be the right people.
  • There is a time of beginning and a time for closure. Everything in the middle will be allowed to run its own course.
  • The One Law of Open Space is the Law of Two Feet. Responsibility for a successful outcome in any Open Space Event resides with each participant. Every person can use their two feet, and always move respectfully to a new place where they can make a difference.

Now the process:

  • Everyone joins a large circle. We expect 250 people or more.
  • The professional facilitator welcomes participants and explains the process, very briefly.
  • Anyone in the room may propose a topic by coming to the centre of the circle, writing a short description (typically up to 7 words) on a sheet of paper and announcing it to the group.
  • The person who has called out an issue sticks the paper on the agenda panel.
  • The person posting a topic is expected to have the passion to be responsible enough to start the discussion on it. That person also makes sure that a report of the discussion is written and posted. (on another panel) for any participant to read.
  • There’s no limit on the topics, nor on how many topics.
  • When all issues are posted participants go to the part of the room for their topic of interest, the proposer begins the discussion and groups get to work.
  • There will be movable chairs, but no tables.
  • Anyone may attend any topic group and may switch groups at any time.
  • All discussion reports are compiled in a document and sent to participants, unedited, shortly afterwards.
  • Reports are passed on to decision-makers and published on the event web site.
  • We’ll supply tea and coffee. You might like to bring something to share.