How Doing One Less Thing is

Improving Education for Sustainability Practice in

Victoria

“Open Space is simplicity itself. All you have to do is sit in a circle, create a bulletin board, open a marketplace and go to work. That’s all there is.

The truth of the matter is that anyone with a good head and a good heart can do it, but there’s a lot more to learn as well.

In fact, you can do it right now, but it will take you a lifetime, probably, to do it well.”

Harrison OwenFounder and Originator of Open Space Technology

Passion and Responsibility are the two keys for a successful meeting. Without passion,

enthusiasm for an idea will soon wane, and without responsibility, there is the risk that the

ideas will never move forward.

“The impact of the Gippsland Open Space forum held in March is difficult to quantify, but has

been a lasting and valuable one.”

“The original session by itself has had many effects, particularly by linking people in a

meaningful way who would not have been connected by any other method and has

galvanised many of them to continued efforts in the area of Education for Sustainability in

Gippsland - and not only what is traditionally thought of as "education“.

“Gippsland Education for Sustainability has benefited from the links formed in many ways, an

example being the way that Heyfield Resource Centre has blossomed through its director

becoming known throughout the region and being asked to give talks to different groups and

in turn she has gained knowledge from these groups to take back to Heyfield.”

“Another example is the produce swaps which were started at Trafalgar and Poowong which

have continued and inspired efforts in producing more healthy food. These are just a couple of

examples of what was "galvanised" and followed from this first session. There are many more.”

“Open Space technology has become the regular way of working for the Gippsland Education for

Sustainability Network.”

“We actually decided to adopt the methodology as the regular way we network. It is perfect for our

situation where we just want to provide a way for people to connect without necessarily having a

particular agenda.

Aside from this we might have other methodologies for other purposes, eg a specific workshop or

presentation or steering group meeting, but the open space technologies is the methodology we

chose for regular networking.”

“Regarding the effects of Opening The Box, as a performance measure there has been a great amount of traffic on the OTB Groupsite, with a wide variety of

conversations appearing, and being followed.

Some noteworthy aspects of the conversations are that: all of this has occurred without needing to be

'nursed along' by the Steering Committee or Managers of the groupsite; they are amongst people

from across the sectors, especially education, community and government; and that open and free exchange of ideas, resources and events is occurring.”

“Good community architecture invites many different levels of participation. Consider the variety of

activities we might find in a city neighbourhood on any given day: solitary shoppers, people walking

briskly to work, friends out for a casual stroll, couples chatting at an outdoor cafe, a crowd watching a street performer. Others are on the periphery, watching the

action from the windows above the street.”

Ettienne WegnerBest known for foundational work in the field Communities of Practice

(Extracted from his paper “7 Principles for cultivating communities of practice”)