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.

• Read about an Open Space conference Beyond Borders has organized.
• To learn more about how Open Space is used worldwide, visit http://www.openspaceworld.org/ or http://www.openspace-online.com/.