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Beyond
Borders' Use of Open Space in Haiti
Beyond Borders believes strongly in the
importance of sharing, not only of resources
between rich and poor, but also of ideas
and experiences among different organizations
in Haiti. Too often, groups that are working
against poverty are not of “one heart
and mind” and fail to share or collaborate
effectively. Resources get wasted this
way, as organizations “reinvent the
wheel” and duplicate efforts instead
of sharing and learning from the experiences
of others who have already tread that
path.
Beyond
Borders has made it a priority to encourage
openness, sharing, and collaboration among
organizations wherever we work. Nearly
every month we organize a conference or
meeting that brings together leaders of
different organizations to share ideas
and discuss ways of cooperating to serve
their constituents better. Out of these
meetings have emerged some beautiful initiatives.
One
method we are using to build collaboration
between organizations is called Open Space
Technology. Introduced to Haiti by Beyond
Borders in 1997, Open Space is a set of
simple but powerful techniques used by
organizations worldwide to organize meetings
and conferences that encourage communication
and dissolve barriers to collaboration.
Open Space allows a group of people who
share a concern to come together and quickly
and inexpensively organize a meeting or
conference with a full agenda, where all
present participate in preparing the schedule
and topics for small group discussions.
Dozens
of organizations in Haiti have found ways
of collaborating and sharing resources
and expertise as a result of these efforts.
Participants have begun using Open Space
methodology within their own organizations,
reporting that it is a powerful tool that
can revolutionize how people and organizations
collaborate and share. Open Space creates
a place for individuals and organizations
to learn and teach one another in a very
natural, non-coercive fashion.
Beyond
Borders and our sister organization in
Haiti, Fondasyon Limye Lavi, both use
Open Space techniques for all our staff
meetings and for managing consensus within
and between our organizations. This allows
us to maintain an essentially horizontal,
non-hierarchical structure within each
organization.
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