Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Re: Consensus in cohousing

[Peg Blum (pegb]

Mac Thomson wrote:

> I think to conclude that older communities that haven't responded to your
> question have abandoned consensus will lead you to a false conclusion.
>
Hi Becky!
And I agree with Mac.  Some of us older communities (like Cambridge
Cohousing-5 years old) are too busy living in cohousing to pay a lot of
attention to email, I'm sad to say.

At Cambridge Cohousing we still use consensus for all of our decisions.  For
the larger general meeting, we use the "color cards" as a guide on occasion.
The facilitator usually makes the decision about the cards.  Many decisions
are made by committees or task forces, by consensus, with notice going to
the community about the decisions and allowing for feedback from the
community via our "decision board;" if people voice concerns about the
decision made by a committee, then the committee further explores the issue
and on occasion the issue will need to come before the general meeting,
sometimes for reframing or refocussing the issue.

In general, the process has worked well.  Except when deciding what colors
to paint the dining room and some other spaces in our common house.  (And I
dread the day when our exterior HardeePlank will need repainting....)

Peg Blum

(Your room-mate at the national coho conference...what fun!)

pegb [at] cambridgecohousing.org
http://www.cambridgecohousing.org


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