Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: principle vs preference / Formal Consensus

[Ann Zabaldo (zabaldo]

Racheli -- thank you for clarifying this -- your info is what I  
learned directly from CT Butler.  The misinterpretation may come from  
some language frequently used to describe this process wherein CT  
says:  "Individuals w/hold consent. Only the group can decide if it's  
blocked."

Best --

Ann Zabaldo
Takoma Village Cohousing
Washington, DC



On Mar 29, 2007, at 10:00 AM, Racheli Gai wrote:

> Tree wrote (in part):
>
> > Butler & Rothstein's Formal Consensus method, as Cinnie mentioned in
> > her
> > message, requires a block to be validated by the full group in order
> > to hold.
>
> This isn't actually accurate.  It's true that Butler sees the power to
> block as
> belonging to the group (while what an individual does is withholding
> her/his
> consent).  But the way it get carried out isn't by the whole group
> agreeing
> that the block is valid: Rather, the group decides (preferably  
> ahead of
> time!)
> how many people it takes to find the withholding of consent as valid,
> and if
> sufficient number does so, then it's a block.
> The number can be a fixed one, or a certain percentage of the people
> present at the
> meeting.
> Butler also says that as the number grows, the process becomes more
> like voting,
> and less like consensus.
> (BTW - I asked him directly about Tree's interpretation, and he says
> that it wasn't
> right).
>
> Racheli.
>
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