Cohousing-L Mailing List: Community Governance & Disruption prevention

[Marc Gauthier (coachmarc108]

Hi all,

A friend is writing a book which includes a part on community governance.
As part of his research, he is asking where he can find a succinct list of
typical challenges that either a forming or existing community will likely
experience.

He is also asking where he can find a list of approaches or methods to
prevent such challenges.

He is specifically interested in methods of preventing disruption from
infiltrators. Are any of you aware of where I may be able to find that info
for him?

For example, in his book "On Conflicts and Consensus", C.T. Butler writes...
Formal Consensus cannot be secretly disrupted.
This may not be an issue for some groups, but many people know that the
state actively surveilles, infiltrates, and disrupts nonviolent domestic
political and religious groups. To counteract anti-democratic tactics by
the state, a group would need to develop and encourage a decisionmaking
process which could not be covertly controlled or manipulated. Formal
Consensus, if practiced as described in this book, is just such a process.
Since the assumption is one of cooperation and good will, it is always
appropriate to ask for an explanation of how and why someone’s actions are
in the best interest of the group. Disruptive behavior must not be
tolerated. While it is true this process cannot prevent openly disruptive
behavior, the point is to prevent covert disruption, hidden agenda, and
malicious manipulation of the process. Any group for which infiltration is
a threat ought to consider the process outlined in this book if it wishes
to remain open, democratic, and productive.

Thank you !

Mukunda
352-871-1153