September 3-6, 2008 :: Hollyhock Centre
An invitational retreat on open thinking, doing and being for social change
Why open?
As we work for a better world, many of us have intuitively started to mash-up the values and tactics of different kinds of 'open'. Open space meetings. Open source software. Open public policy. Open networks. Open philanthropy. Open.
Open is at once disruptive and transformational – a new way of working. And, while Wikipedia and open source software serve as easy examples, open thinking and doing have spread well beyond the realm of technology. People are exploring ways to embody openness, connectedness and emergence in all aspects of their social change work – and they're getting traction. At the same time, we are only scratching the surface.
What's open?
The Centre for Social Innovation creates spaces built around the power of connection. The World Social Forum attracts 10,000s of activists around programs that organize themselves. The Shuttleworth Foundation applies open source thinking to the practice of philanthropy. Wikipedia sparks communities everywhere to give every one the planet access to knowledge.
The people behind this work exemplify open thinking, doing and being. Open Everything is for people like these.
Why now?
Open is changing the game. And, while Wikipedia and open source software offer great examples of what's up, we know that openness, collaboration and participation are spreading well beyond the realm of technology. It's about value, and values. Where open is headed is huge. Open Everything gathers people who are charting this trajectory.
We're an emerging and fledgling group, but we're on to something. It's time to step back, take stock, reflect and dig deeper. It's time to learn from each other, improve our stories and get better at what we do. This is work that matters. Open Everything is about helping us take that work to the next level, giving us the tools and insights to spread this work further and faster.
What will we talk about?
Are you using openness, connectedness and emergence as a practical part of your work for a better world? Open Everything offers a chance to create and attend sessions like:
- Open in action. Speedgeek with super hot case studies from people using 'open' in education, philanthropy, politics, urban planning, music, office space and technology.
- The business of open. Peer coaching on how to pay the rent, write a grant or run business based on the principles of "open".
- Open sourcing philanthropy: we need your help! Provide advice to three foundations that want to apply open source principles to the way they invest in social change.
- Local. Global. Open. The nitty gritty of how Wikipedia and Ubuntu organize local teams and thread them into a global community.
- Opening the hearts of politicians. The inside scoop on how the open access movement convinced Congress to back their cause.
- Participatory event culture 101. Hands on clinic and skill share for people who want to apply open, collaborative principles of web 2.0 to running real world events.
- Open train wrecks. Hilarious and painful true stories of failed (or semi-failed) attempts integrate open thinking into running a grant program, a public policy consultation and a major global conference.
These are examples. Actual sessions will be designed by participants before and during the event. We'll use these sessions to deepen the practice of open thinking, doing and being, in very concrete ways, together.
What will we take away?
The aim of Open Everything is to both explore the principles at the core of 'open' and to improve the game of people using open strategies in their work. We are hoping to leave Hollyhock with:
- A clear narrative about 'what is open?' for us explain what we are doing to confused colleagues and family members.
- Concrete examples that show open strategies in everything from software to education to government.
- Feedback and coaching that offer practical advice on how to make our open organizations and networks better.
- New friends who are doing practical, interesting and crazy things to build 'open' into their work.
- Maybe (just maybe) a manifesto that explains why open matters, and why it's not just tech.
We are also planning to take away a pile of documentation: video, podcasts, blogs, case writeups. This info will be posted to
www.openeverything.net ... and will be threaded together with ideas from a series of shorter Open Everything events happening in cities around the world.
If you think Open is for you, please drop us an email. An invitation list is currently being compiled.
