During three days, all participants of the 26th International Leadership Workshop for Rural Youth in Germany have the great opportunity to learn more about the OPEN SPACE methodology. By practicing we learn how to use it as an instrument to find solutions and develop concrete actions for our organizations.
The main objective of our OPEN SPACE these days is:
How can we improve living conditions of young people living in rural areas?
Around 20 subtopics were firstly identified as being important to that question and presented on pin boards all over the seminar building. Everybody could participate freely to any topic on which he/she had to share some experience. When one could neither learn nor contribute to a subtopic he/she moved to another group. For each group main findings were later reported.
The methodology leaves it very open to participants to freely decide, what topic they want to work on and in which intensity they participate. One is also free to leave the group whenever he or she wants. Whenever a discussion about a topic starts, its the right time. And last but not least, when its over, its over.
OPEN SPACE methodology is perfectly appropriate to work with big groups from 50 up to 2000 participants.
In a short time effective solutions and concrete projects can be developed based on a participative approach.
All of our YPARDians that participated today in the workshop were impressed by the results accomplished through the method; sure that it will sooner or later be used in our work with rural youth.
For instance, our groups are going on deepening the discussions on the subtopics. We will keep you posted on our discussion round on Lack of motivation for youth to participate in agriculture.
Picture 1: Participants from Germany, Brazil and Austria discuss about education of rural youth
Picture 2: Ivana Radic, representative of YPARD Serbia shares her knowledge and ideas in the subtopic of ecotourism