Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Report on Survey of Cohousing Communities 2011. Just released. A must read!

[S. Kashdan (skashdan]

I have participated in a variety of groups that use consensus for many 
years. I have been living in a cohousing community that uses consensus for 
ten years, and I haven't experienced many blocks either in the other groups 
or in my cohousing community. But, in the groups that I have been involved 
with, including my cohousing community, there has been previous agreement 
that a block needs to be explained as based on the dissenter's belief that 
it is important for the good of the life of the group and/or the good of the 
stated goals of the group.  Then, the reasons for the block need to be 
considered in negotiations with the person either in the meeting where it 
occurs or in additional smaller meetings or later main group meetings, and 
if no solution that is satisfactory for everyone can be reached, the group 
agrees to go forward with the understanding that the person who has blocked 
is not satisfied, but, issues she or he considers important have been heard 
and considered, and the group process must continue.



It has not always been a full resolution, but, things have been discussed 
more deeply than they would have been with majority rule voting, and blocks 
haven't stopped everything.



Sylvie Kashdan



 Jackson Place Cohousing
800 Hiawatha Place South
Seattle, WA 98144
www.seattlecohousing.org
info [at] jacksonplacecohousing.org


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dane Laverty" <danelaverty [at] gmail.com>
To: "Cohousing-L" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2011 10:44 AM
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Report on Survey of Cohousing Communities 2011. Just 
released. A must read!



This is a wonderful read. I'm about halfway through it right now, and I'm
surprised to learn that 0% of the communities make decisions by simple
majority vote. I'm new to the cohousing concept and have no direct
experience with any cohousing community, but it sounds like the
consensus-based decision making process is the cause of a lot of frustration
in communities. While I understand that a simple majority approach might
result in less satisfaction with any given decision, I wonder if that would
be balanced out by requiring less personal investment from each member in
the decision making process.

On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 10:51 AM, Neil Planchon CPCC 
<neil [at] cohousing.org>wrote:

>
> Greetings all
>
> Report on Survey of Cohousing Communities 2011: Created
> collaboratively by Cohousers all over the country. Yay! A herculean
> effort of great value which will help us better understand who we are
> and which will complement the McCamant and Durrett Cohousing books for
> many years to come.
>
> Blog entry: http://www.cohousing.org/node/4181
> Direct to survey (13 pages PDF):
> http://www.cohousing.org/docs/2011/survey_of_cohousing_communities_2011.pdf
>
> McCamant and Durrett Cohousing Books:
> http://www.mccamant-durrett.com/books.cfm
> Cohousing Association or the United States: http://www.cohousing.org
>
> Simply outstanding.
> Thank you so much Diane, David, Lisa, Laura, the Cohousing Association
> and all the volunteers!
>
>
>
>
> May you be well...
> Neil Planchon CPCC
> Certified Life and Business Coach, Website Design and Technology
> Solutions - www.neilplanchon.com
> Founding Resident and Webmaster - Swan's Market Cohousing - Oakland CA
> - www.swansway.com
>
> 'Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed citizens
> to change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.'
> Margaret Mead
>
> _________________________________________________________________
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>
>
>
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