I want to organize and base it on a protocol created by the late management scientist, Stafford Beer.
There is no preset agenda.
Setting the agenda is the first question for consideration by the participants.
It requires 30 participants chosen to represent as inclusively as possible the vast spectrum of ideas, interests, perspectives and expertise on the question.
It is an intensive, facilitated, 7 day residential experience in a self contained, relaxed environment insulated from the mundane world: ideally, a rural retreat.
The process is totally participatory. An interactive group dialogue without formal speakers or presentations.
Each participant is expected to contribute her/his own idiosyncratic questions and ideas, but not any pre-conceived solutions.
The group will start "from scratch" to collaboratively examine and identify what they consider to be the factors important and relevant to the question and to develop them into as many distinct ideas as they consider necessary and practical: there is no fixed number.
The facilitators and the protocols help the participants themselves merge and consolidate their ideas into 12 proposals or topics for deeper, full consideration.
Committees of 10 participants each are then formed by a process of self selection to undertake consideration for each of the 12 topics and each committee confers separately to formulate proposals and solutions.
Each participant is directly engaged in 4 of the 12 committees and in several plenary meetings held throughout the conference.
The outcome of the conference is a detailed, consolidated statement of proposals and solutions and a plan for their implementation.
The only thing missing, right now, is the necessary funds.
