Program Process

The aim of the process is not only to prepare the logistics of the meeting, but to shape its content and form. The aim is to arrive at the May 2006 meetings to discuss projects which will have been pre-discussed over the previous months by email, discussion forums, wikis, VoIP, or any other electronic media. This ensures that the physical meetings will be places for decision-making, and not simply a meeting-place for perfect strangers loosely connected to various projects.

Each stage will depend on the active participation of volunteers interested in giving a hand in the meeting-building process. The program of events will be the natural outcome of the work that will have been done in the previous months. This project is a year-long effort which will culminate in a well-documented process, and not a one-off two-day costly jamboree with no past or future.

Organization of the Program

 Stage 1 : consultation process (brainstorming)
— Duration : 3 months
— Period : May-August
— Aim : to gather as many proposals as possible so as to have a good overview of the issues that need to be addressed, the projects that exist and that need to be implemented, or the new projects that need to be developed. Process : broad web-based multilingual consultation.

 Stage 2 : elaboration of thematic working groups (networking)
— Duration : 3 months
— Period : September-November
— Aim : to try to create synergies between the different issues/projects by putting people in contact with each other. Process : An open group of people will try to determine possible synergies and put the different groups/projects in contact with each other. The people willing to undertake this work will need to be proactive so as to achieve notable progress in the time allotted for this task.

 Stage 3 : creation of a program of events (planning)
— Duration : 3 months
— Period : December-February
— Aim : to propose a coherent and manageable program of events for the physical meeting in May. Process : An open group of people will try to work with the other working groups to strike a balance between thoroughness and manageability. Apart from having to make difficult choices, one of the aims will be to create inter-linking workshops so that different projects/issues of an apparently different nature have an opportunity to meet.

 Stage 4 : gathering and sharing of information (documenting)
— Duration : 3 months
— Period : March-May
— Aim : to prepare the agenda of the different workshops proposed for the physical meeting in May so as to guarantee maximum participation and understanding from all the participants.
— Process : Each proposed workshop can try to explain the ins and outs of the issues/projects it will try to address, as well as to propose a working agenda of points to discuss during the physical meeting. The point of this process is to allow other participants to understand what has been discussed during the previous months, and in turn to participate during the physical meetings. Ultimately, this has to do with the sharing of information in the true spirit of open-source and transparency.