Last year, we had such a good response to our fringe workshops over the lunch break that we were able to open up all the sessions we’d had proposed for the day. We’re going to be taking a step further this time round, and extending that slot so we can make use of Open Space principles to let attendees set more of the day’s agenda.
We’ll be asking everyone in plenary to kick in ideas for discussions they’d like to see take place. The ideas get matched up with each other, and viable groupings start to emerge. Once we’ve worked out a bunch of sessions that reflect the interests of as many people as possible, we’ll send everyone off to grab a brown bag lunch and take it to join the group they want to take part in.
Groups will be informal, and the ethos of Open Space is that you can come and go, depending on what you find useful and feel you can best contribute to.
For those who haven’t already experienced Open Space techniques for organising an event, the idea is that by introducing much greater spontenaeity, you can help make sure the issues most important to people will get space, but also that those issues will each benefit from the experiences in the group that are most relevant to include.
It’s an experiment for us, but we hope it’ll work well in giving Netroots UK an agenda that responds to the most current concerns, and better to the personal concerns of everyone attending. So get your thinking caps on for your own suggestions for what should happen on the day, and we’ll look forward to taking part in it!
Topic FOR OPEN DISCUSSION
Develop intergenerational activism on line -trying to avoid the Digital Divide !
Great idea. I was going to suggest something about how to get children involved in politics which is seen as an adult issue.
How about votes at 14 ?
I think that Voting at 16 is a sensible idea. 14 is a bit too young. Children at that age have not been able to develop political views, usually. At 16 years old through the study for GCSEs children would have developed analytical thinking.
From
Maelo Manning
Fracking (if you don’t know what it is, watch the Gasland clip on Youtube) is coming to the UK and it puts our water supply and our health at risk. The government are subsidising big oil corporations to go ahead with this madness, instead of stimulating the transition to renewables, improving energy efficiency and behaviour change. They are branding gas as “green”. That will commit us and our children to much higher water bills, more expensive food, and a cancer and neurological disease timebomb. Experiencing catastrophic climate change will become a fact.
Help organise and GROW a strong anti-fracking movement, so we can compel the Government to support a cleaner, healthier, and just future.
yes this is an issue in Northern Ireland.
We need to examine the background power /influence of all the internal /external stakeholders involved
yep, I can help you with that and I can bring people who know about energy policy – how do I know if a workshop on fracking will happen for sure?
Why do you want a workshop?