Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Revisiting Consensus

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Sep 16, 2007, at 12:16 PM, NetiPotLady [at] aol.com wrote:

> At Stone Curves Cohousing, we have agreed to revisit previous   
> community
> decisions only when there is a group of 5 households who decide   
> that it needs to
> be done.

The reason sociocracy does not base decisions on rules like this is  
that good decisions are based on good information. Even if only one  
person is presenting an argument, if it is a good argument based on  
good information, the group should want to listen to it. That person  
may be the only person who has the relevant information.

On the other hand, "agreed to revisit" is vague. Does that mean  
"won't allow the topic to be discussed unless 5 households petition  
the Board"? Or does it mean "put it on the agenda for a full group  
meeting"?

As long as the person who wants to revisit the decision has a forum  
to present his/her argument, then a number of other households should  
be persuaded if it is a good argument. With email lists, there is a  
another forum in which arguments can be addressed.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Sociocracy, a Deeper Democracy
http://www.sociocracy.info