How will the think tanks work?

On Friday, May 1st up to 100 000 people will come together in sites all over Estonia for a day of cooperative thinking and problem-solving. The discussion sessions will be based on the Open Space method, designed to create a space and time for people to gather around "issues" that matter to them - immediate concerns that may need a simple or creative solution.  Open Space has been used in diverse cultures and circumstances around the world, to facilitate productive meetings for 5 to 2000+ people, and to encourage people to organise themselves and take responsiblity for solving problems.

Centers for Think Tanks, Facilitators, and Local Coordinators (Community Discussion Leaders)

Brainstorming Centers  will open at 10 a.m.  Each think tank will involve a coordinator, facilitator, and the brain trust.

The coordinator is the local person whose job it is to ensure that the think tank is organized and run successfully.

The facilitator is a trained leader who will invite people into a thought-provoking atmosphere, introduce the open space process, turn the discussion over to the participants, lead the closing circle, and put together a summary of ideas collected.

The brain trust is you: residents of Estonia who want to do something to improve life in the country, who come with concerns and ideas, then think, talk and work together for ways to implement them.

Each think tank will explore 3 general social issues and one topic of local concern, drawing people with shared interests together to discuss them. (Suggested topics are listed on the Topics page.)

The brain trust - that's you  - will begin to start posing questions. The person who suggests a question will be dubbed the torchbearer (or host) of the issue.

Questions, discussion and results

The torchbearer asks a question starting with "How...." For example: "How can we motivate people to get more involved in business?"  Any participant can host a question, and when all questions have been posed, the participants choose the one that matters the most to them and joins the torchbearer/host for a Conversation Circle. 

When groups have formed, the discussion is initiated by the torchbearer. Then people work together to come up with specific ideas and solutions. For example, perhaps your question is, "How can parents who move get a place for their children at another kindergarten?"  A possible solution would be "Kadri will create a workable website for exchanging kindergarten locastions, with her friend's help."  

The think thanks will work on the "you've got legs" principle (aka: The Law of Two Feet): if you notice that you aren't learning or contributing to the discussion you have joined, you can do one of three things:

• get up and join another discussion group;
• get up and spontaneously start your own discussion group, or
• get up, walk around and "have a bit of a think".

The think tanks will also operate on two other principles: those who are there are the people who are meant  to be there; and, whatever happens is what's meant to happen.

Closing Circle

When the conversations are over, the participants come together again as a single group and each member nominates what they found to be the most important idea or proposed action that they have discussed or heard.

Finally, the facilitator posts the summaries of the discussions on the idea bank on our website, where they will be available for all interested persons to view.

The centers will close their doors about 4 p.m.