First National Summit of Imagine Initiatives of Nepal

Conference Summary

In October, 2004, Nepal Apprecaitve Inquiry National Network (NAINN) organized four day First National Summit of Imagine Initiatives of Nepal (FNSIIN) from October 1 - 4, 2004 in Banepa, Budol, Kavre District, Nepal. This important achievement for the Imagine Initiatives Movement for Positive Societal Transformation was made possible by the active support of the NGO Federation of Nepal.

The Summit was the first of its kind in Nepal. More than 60 representatives of Nepal Apprecaitve Inquiry National Network, from all five of Nepal's regional AI networks, representatives of 13 district-level Imgaine Initiatives, and other networks attended. Every sector of community development was represented. The program was designed as a blending of two simple but powerful community development practices, Open Space Technology and Appreciative Inquiry. It was conducted in Nepali and English by facilitators Buddhi Tamang (Imagine Nepal and NAINN) and Michael Herman (Open Space Institute USA and SmallChangeNews.Net).

This was simultaneously a working conference and a leadership training event. It was opened by local government officials and covered by local and national media. The rest of the conference was informed by and actively demonstrated the "four Ds" of Appreciative Inquiry and the mechanisms of Open Space Technology. In this way, participants had real, direct and valuable experience with both practices AND received formal training in both, as they simultaneously completed their conference work.

Applying these two powerful approaches, participating representatives convened more than 60 working sessions to address the most important issues now facing Nepali communities. They Discovered current assets and life forces, Dreamed best possible futures, Designed practical ways to work toward these goals, and identified some immediate next steps for Delivery. The Space was Opened four times, for eleven breakout sessions, and three full days of Open Space and Appreciative Inquiry. All of their work was documented and published for ongoing reference as their work proceeds. Here is a sampling of the issues addressed:

Youth Development, Key Sectors Mapping of Resources, Health and Envirnoment, Tourism Development, HR Development, Health and Nutrtition, Conflict transformation, Cooperation in Every Sector, Natural Resource Management, Communication, Organization Development, Human Rights, Agricultural Transformation, Imagine Nepal, Technology and Development, Education, Creative Society, Good Governance, Village Tourism, Rural Urban Linkages, Children's Rights, New Democratic Party, Democratic Reform, Community Development, Women's Empowerment.

As a result of this introduction to Open Space Technology, participants expected to use the approach in their research areas, for mass mobilization on various issues, for environmental work, planning and review processes, dialogue and creativity, and community development projects -- in the cities as well as in the villages.

The Summit announced and welcomed the publication of the first-ever Nepali text on Appreciative Inquiry, authored by conference facilitator Buddhi Tamang. It also featured a visit by Dr. Chandi Prasad Chapagain, just back from the international conference on Appreciative Inquiry and from the successful defense of his doctoral dissertation.

The Summit was formally closed with a series of passionate speeches by conference leaders and a round of heartfelt and grateful acknowledgements. All of the notes from the Summit were typed and summarized in a formal declaration statement. This was reported in the national and local media and delivered to a number of important government offices and officials.

In that declaration, participants committed to...

* Initiating support to concerned stakeholders for conflict transformation and peace building, to protect and to muliply the past achievements and present life energies of Nepal, as identified in the Discovery phase of the conference.

* Protecting and multiplying the district-level Imagine Initiatives in all 75 districts of Nepal, as a movement for peaceful development.

* Developing an organizational structure for Imagine Initiatives and regional and national networks that supports egalitarian and autonomous functioning, on the ground and on the internet.

* Adopting Appreciative Inquiry and Open Space Technology as theoretical guides and grounding principles of all AI Networks and Imagine Initiatives in Nepal.

* Organizing regional AI network summits in all five development regions and a Second National Summit of Imagine Initiatives of Nepal, in Palpa, West Nepal, in the Fall of 2005.

* Inviting, respecting and appreciating the contribution made by each citizen, private organization, and government institution as our primary vehicle for peace and peacemaking, community and development.

Already, it is decided that a Second National Summit should be convened next year in western Nepal. Organizing for that will begin shortly, even as participants give primary attention to applying the learning and delivering on the commitments made at this year's Summit.

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Training Summary

On the afternoon of the first day, Michael Herman Opened the Space for working and learning together: "Welcome to Open Space. The best way to learn about Open Space is to DO it. The best way to love our future, is to create it for ourselves. And the best way to create the future, is with good friends. Look around the circle, follow me as I walk around, notice who's here, old friends and new… everyone passionate about the future of Nepal…" This was the first of four different Openings, for Discovering, Dreaming, Designing and Delivering the best possible future for Nepal.

In the course of the program, Open Space Technology was explained as the skillful and integrated practice of these techniques:

* Passion and Responsibility - what do you want and what are you willing to do about it?

* Invitation - one or more important issues, wrapped in a short story that says "Please join us... come help us... let us create something together... let us move together..."

* Circle - the structure of equality, equal position, equal voice, equal view. Even when resources and experience and official power is different, circle gives everyone equal security and Open Space gives everyone the same job: learn and contribute as much as you can.

* Bulletin Board - the fastest, simplest, and most open way to move information

* Marketplace - means we can have differences, and do different things, without being divided. It allows movement and self-direction, shopping and choosing. And it is the place of offering and contribution, bringing out our gifts, skills and resources.

* Breathing - the pulsation from big circle to breakouts, and back again. And then from meetings to everyday work and back again. This breathing is how the tools and techniques listed above become together a natural, ongoing practice.

* News - the results, documented in whatever language, report, song, skit, or other form that participants recognize as "real" and "results." Today's news becomes tomorrow's invitation, and the cycle continues.

* Life Force - we live in Open Space and fun, confusion, order, laughter, learning, conflict, healing, birthing and dying are all natural, allowed and acknowledged within it. Open Space is the invitation and cultivation of Life energies, rather than an imposition and attempt to control Life.

Appreciative Inquiry was presented as the positive cycle of four important stages of consideration:

* Discovery - means we can have differences, and do different things, without being divided. It allows movement and self-direction, shopping and choosing. And it is the place of offering and contribution, bringing out our gifts, skills and resources.

* Dream - the pulsation from big circle to breakouts, and back again. And then from meetings to everyday work and back again. This breathing is how the tools and techniques listed above become together a natural, ongoing practice.

* Design - the results, documented in whatever language, report, song, skit, or other form that participants recognize as "real" and "results." Today's news becomes tomorrow's invitation, and the cycle continues.

* Delivery - we live in Open Space and fun, confusion, order, laughter, learning, conflict, healing, birthing and dying are all natural, allowed and acknowledged within it. Open Space is the invitation and cultivation of Life, rather than an imposition and attempt to control Life.

Several ways to combine the two processes were explained, and the Four Principles and One Law of Open Space were humorously modified to reflect the practical union of the two methods.

The first four principles say: Whoever comes is the right people, whenever it starts is the right time, whatever happens is the only thing that could have and when it's over, it's over. In general, these add up to a generous acknowledgement of all the uncertainty and chaos that we live with all of the time. They are a welcome for spirit and surprise to show up on their own terms. And so to these we added: Whatever D you are doing is the right D.

Then, to the Law of Two Feet, which gives participants both the right and the responsibility to learn and contribute as much as they can, was extended: The Law of Two Feet and Four Ds. This new version invites and reminds everyone to use their two feet AND to make sure that they do all four Ds in the course of our four days -- to make sure they look for the good, think big beyond current limits and customary time frames, get practical about plans and designs, and leave here with individual immediate next step actions (no matter how small) that they can do and deliver.

In the end, it was recognized by everyone that these to approaches for positive participation and transformation work perfectly together. The Opening Invitation, Bulletin Board, Marketplace and News dimensions of Open Space perfectly align with the 4Ds of Appreciative Inquiry. Similarly, the Discovery and Dream stages are about Passion; the Design and Delivery stages about Responsibility. In this view, it is not possible to practice one approach without respecting the other.

For more information about AI and OST, please visit:

http://appreciativeinquiry.cwru.edu (AI Commons)
http://www.openspaceworld.org (Worldwide Open Space)
http://www.globalchicago.net/ost (Michael Herman's OST Resources)