• extended vocabulary

last modified May 17, 2011 by facilitfsm

some vocabulary  for extended social forum events- this input can be commented , questionned , enriched 

see earlier discussion

 

1 - Here is a short sentence giving some main definitions

A social forum “event” is an open space, described by charter of principles,  welcoming many “activities” ( dialogic nature meeting workshops conferences marches parties plays etc..)  taking place at the same time and in the same venue-  all those activities  make up the “event program”  - So for the sake of clarity , the term activity should be used for all that is organized by people acting in the name of one or more organizations ) inside an “event” - 

an event website is usually set up to allow people to register their organizations as participating in the event and to register the activities they are proposing – this website can display activities descriptions immediately after they are registered by their organizers, and can allow other participants to contact those organizers to join their activity or propose merging it with another existing activity – this is called “ self organized agglutination”

In a non extended event all activities are taking place in one same place and in presential mode  - these can be called centric activities , all taking place in the event center venue

 

2 - ORGANIZING COMMITTEE COMMUNICATION : early announcement of extension and extended event vocabulary

If we assume that the event is "extended" by its organizing committee , this means that the committee “spreads the  extension word in the following way , throughout the mobilizing process " :

We invite to Come or send delegates to where the event center will be, .. if you cannot come, you have three main  possibilities of participation that you can mix , three types of “extended activities”you can participate in from where you live and act for another possible word

1/ Make contact with people that will come to the event center and organize or participate in centric activities , and arrange with them that they “enlarge their centric activity” through internet  so you can participate from distance  -   we as organizing committee will invite them to enlarge their centric activities to their networks  and beyond  and we will support them in preparing this in advance  ( enlarged centric activities inside the event venue)

2/ also  organize “local activities” where you live and act for another possible world  - we as organizing committee will consider those local activities as part of the event and you will be able to register and display them in our event site and be contacted by other participants in the same way as centric activities -  you can enlarge those local activities on internet too! ( local activities outside the centrice event venue)

3/ propose “distance encounters activities ” through internet with groups in the event center or in other local areas -- we as organizing committee will consider those distance encounter activities as part of the event and you will be able to register and display them in our eventsite  - and we pledge to set up the necesary logistics equipped room with internet in the event center to accommodate all those encounters involving the event center – which will be scheduled and located as full fledged activities  and presented in the vent program to participants in the event can come to “encounter” your group ( “distance encounter activities” between local venue and centric venue) - the encounter activity can also be complemented by a walking talk in the center venue intercommunicating with participants at random and having a feeling of the center venue atmosphere

The extension team

We as organizing committee have set up a extended event facilitation team ( extension team)  , working in cooperation with the sfex facilitation team from extended social forum initiative . Anyone willing to facilitate extension of our forum process  (on a few connected hours a week basis ) is welcome to contact this team

  • the team will make sure that the event site is friendly to extension from the very start so people participating from distance are actually included and can interact with those coming to the centric event  and those in other places where local activities are happening
  • It will promote enlargement of activities among centric activities organizers  and help them enlarge , mainly through technical training  of organizers and stimulation for communication in due time , and making sure proper internet is available somehow in the enlarged activities rooms
  • It will stimulate distance participation along the three formulas exposed above ( and other formulas to be explored ) , and registration in chat rooms for enlarged activities registration of local activities,  registration distance encounters activities and stimulate finding partners in the  event venue,  and will  make sure the program of distance encounter activities is visible during the event and  those activities are given equipped rooms  in a visible place
  • It will stimulate early preparation and self organized preliminary encounters before the event takes place and  also after it Is finished ….

 

“extended programme”

the extended programme for this extended event  is the set of all “extended activities” ( three kinds   - local  - enlarged centric– distance encounters

Extended program + the non connected centric activiities  makes up the full event program

Proportion of extended program to global program can be significant depending the communication during the mobilization process and the extension friendliness of the website

mobilization toward the event center and mobilization locally are feeding each other : a successful center event dynamics stimulate local participation which in turn raises desire from some locally involved people  to go and participate in the centric event  in order to network presentially and guarantee intercommunication with their local group