WG/Facilitation/C.T. Butler Workshop Notes

majority voting as the source of minority problems in america

 

it inherently creates winners and losers; as small as 51%

ALL minorities exists because a majority "wins" and establishes power

ideas don't have to be good, only the advocates have to be good at it

 

current system rewards dominator's behavior, neglects cooperators

 

 

so the system was practical once up on a time, but doesn't work anymore!

SO HERE COMES CONSENSUS, c. 1987

 

 

 

 

goal: listen to every voice and determine what is the largest common denominator of their voices, then build upon that!

 

consensus is not ht eLCD, that's just where you start; you notice commonality

use that camaraderies to build understanding and communication and empathy

then through the process ppl will stop trying to "win," realize that we're in this together and have things in common, and then will seek to understand one another's motives and ideas

disc ideas causes one to move

 

it's about cooperating with one another to find the best possible answer, NOT to find the most powerful answer with the largest majority

 

in order to hear every voice you have to be cooperative. it's habitual to shut down disagreeing voices, must shift behavior and overcome that to achieve consensus.

 

when you act cooperatively, the system should support you; when you act competitively, the system should discourage that.

 

before you make a decision in consensus there must be some amount of buy-in / agreement by everyone. block/objection = we will NOT move forward if someone has a strong objection and would be excluded if we were to do so.

 

CT suggests that block does not = strong concern; you should absolutely hear and encourage minority concerns and reservations. individuals should not BLOCK the process, though they should have the option to withhold consent. if individuals withhold consent, the group must then decide if their objections are based upon their core values. if so, then block and the group should not move forward; if it's an individual preference, then the group should acknowledge that consent is withheld.

 

remember the whole goal of consensus is to discover what is best for the group. the only way to now is to hear from everybody and to encourage everybody to think what is best for the group…not what I want.

(note how this is counter to American individualism)

 

• CT discusses examples of blocks, Tulsa Symph Orch consensus process*

 

Handout: Blocking in Value-based Consensus

 

Q: what about large-scale consensus and does it conflict with representational structure?

 

A: not in practice, there are techniques that exist. but it in purist terms, consensus demands direct (not representative) democracy. see "Consensus for Cities;" a large group can function via direct democracy and consensus if structured properly. need to learn how to work in small groups (~8) or affinity groups to make decisions. they choose someone to be their "spokesperson;" that person does not have the power to make decisions unless their affinity group says so. they really act as a liaison, not a representative. requires some finessing to make sure the AG gets their consensus heard.

side note, representative democracy is an oxymoron! our represent, one of the big reason why occupy have that is that the president said he was going to do that he didn't.

 

here to advise you on how to deal w/ problems that arise in consensus. so; 1. consensus is possible, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. 2. i t takes intentional organizinghin, training ,and teaching in order for it to work .

 

Q: does consensus exist in nature?

A: yes! darwinian theory is flawed. cooperation is generally more sustainable than domination / survival of the fittest. scientists are aware it's possible; my research shows that the human brain works by cooperation, by consensus not voting.

 

Q: training? what if we are illiterate, scientifically or actually?

A: I have taught this to my 5 year old son, by age 6 he could facilitate meetings. but most of us are taught from an early age to embrace competition, we have to overcome this. you have to practice it 24/7 to understand it. this model has the structure to interrupt privilege and prevent oppression from occurring like it normally would. of course, ideally, we would consciously learn how to overcome our socialization in order be more cooperative.

 

Q: how can this model interrupt privilege?

A: I don't have time to teach you this model, just the philosophy and values behind it. the basic idea is that we as individuals get a stimulus and give a response (stimulus-response). in decision-making groups, someone will raise a point; the first person to raise their hand gets called on and voice their usually confrontational response. structurally, if one person speaks their mind and the following speakers attacks them verbally, the first person will be shut down and pushed out. even if the following speaker offers constructive criticism, the first person will have their mistakes pointed out and will be disinclined to speak again.

so, what if the structures was instead (stimulus-…pause…-discuss)? we need to create an environment for all voices to be heard. whenever ANYone says anything, the immediate next response should be someone else saying what they want to say, then the next person, then the next, etc. There is a time in the model for back-and-forth, but it should be at the very end after voices are heard.

ideas should not "belong" to people. break that over-culture concept of domination and property. in this model, you put your ideas into the circle and they become the group's idea. so instead of a debate, you have a creative interplay of ideas, that's how you find the best possible idea. this is a GROUP decision making process, not a voting model; we should be trying to hear people, not which way they vote.

 

Q: isn't education the underlying theme here? not just in the background, but in literacy in general?

A: yes, I'm in favor of education, but in terms of hearing all voices…I believe consensus is the great equalizer. no matter how uneducated, uninformed, broken, w/e, it's still a voice and they still have a right to say it.

(CT tells a story about handling an inebriated interloper in Baltimore)

(moral: all who respect/participate in the process should have their voice heard)

so we need to develop a system that not only allows for all voices, but educates all voices in how to be heard.

 

Q: what about the voices that cannot or will not speak up?

A: (CT tells another story)

when you're asking for diversity; keep in mind that people who look alike (age, gender, skin color) rarely have the same monolithic viewpoint. the real problem w/ a lack of diversity is that it's imperative to create a safe space. the people who are already privileged in society will be the first to feel safe. but if we are able to create a truly safe space where everyone's voices can be heard, THEN we'll be able to have real diversity. the people who are safe and involved and active will need to invite "outsiders" in order to achieve diversity and openness.

look, if you have a purpose (we sorta do) and values (glue that holds us together), then all you do is compare every single proposal against these P&V, regardless of how much or how many people like it. conversely even if everyone likes it but it's against the P&V, then don't.

 

(CT suggests there be two separate GAs)

ideally, any decision should pass as long as it's in accordance with the P&V and there aren't any strong objections to it. it shouldn't matter how popular an idea is.

 

Q: but who decides if it's in accordance?

A: good question, too hard for me to say right now. it may look impossible, but if you follow my method (see the flowchart), it should be clear whether or not it is. all you have to do is consent to the values first. the group should do this.

 

Q: what about the schism between 24/7 campers and the rest?

A: (acknowledges that it exists, returns to an earlier Q)

 

Q: (comment on hand signals serving as a voice in place of voting; some Q buried in there.)

A: goes on to Affinity Groups, on the importance of everyone being involved at the smallest level in order to make decisions. there is a model for a way to retain voices and have small group discussion within a larger (General) Assembly.

if you have a a proposal for Occupy Boston, and you bring it to a small working group…you probably have no chance of reaching it at the GA. so obviously it helps the whole process if you try it out at a small level! this is efficient!

of course, there is the pushback that individuals want to claim and put ownership on their ideas; we have to overcome those old ways of thinking. the lineage and the power of ideas shouldn't matter anymore, because we're in this together.

remember that it's not necessarily a good thing to have a single charismatic leader with good ideas; decentralizing is important, avoid tyranny and concentration of power.

 

Q: why do you ask Q before having small group disc at a GA?

A: conceptually it's important to have a baseline so that we can all work together to discuss proposals.

 

 

concludes with: I am a long time activist, and I think what you're doing is awesome and that I want to make it better. I am an anarchist! I want no power over anything of yours. Plug for his cause, the importance of grassroots fundraising, etc. Be back at 3p!