Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Consensus, Majority Vote, "Blocks"

[R Philip Dowds (rpdowds]

I've come to see that "blocking" is an extraordinary right and responsibility 
that should be exercised only in the most grave and extreme circumstance.    
Not "liking" a proposal isn't even marginally close to a good reason for 
blocking.  Having thought about this a lot in my Cornerstone Cohousing context, 
I can foresee only three contexts in which I would block the intent or trend of 
preference of my co-members:

IT'S ILLEGAL:  I happen to know things about civll rights, federal ADA. real 
estate law, building codes, and so on.  If my community were seeking to propose 
something which violated my understanding of local, State, or federal law, I 
would block it.
IT'S ABOUT ME:  I own a 2005 Subaru Outback.  If Cornerstone proposed a rule or 
policy amendment that 2005 Outbacks were excluded from our communal parking 
lots, I would block it.  Because I would see such a rule as arbitrarily 
discriminatory against me, personally.
IT COMPROMISES MY ABILITY TO DO MY JOB:  Cornerstone has made me Secretary of 
Managing Board.   Fine by me, happy to do it. But if Cornerstone proposed that 
all my records be kept only in PC-format, never in Mac-format, then I would 
have to say, Hey! I can't do my job in the way you propose.  I block!

And that's about it.  Otherwise, I will be blocking nothing, no time.

I think the "privilege" of blocking is grossly misunderstood and abused 
everywhere.

R Philip Dowds AIA
Cornerstone Cohousing
175 Harvey Street, Unit 5
Cambridge, MA 02140
617.354.6094


On Sep 24, 2011, at 9:26 PM, Sharon Villines wrote:

> 
> I think the word "block" is destructive in fundamentally important ways and I 
> hope it will be stomped into oblivion soon. 
> 
> I know it feels like a block when a person(s) will not consent — I find 
> myself thinking it too. After hours of discussion, we are still in the same 
> place and I am sick of listening to that person.  But "block" is what _I_ 
> feel. It's my label. I create the block.
> 
> The image of a block is something fixed and hard. A cement block. A 
> blockhead. It's used in economics, medicine, game theory, sports, sailing, 
> politics, etc., to mean an obstruction. Even when admired for its success as 
> blocking a move in cricket or bridge, a block evokes preparation for war. 
> Winning and losing. A block has to be destroyed or it will destroy you.
> 
> Although we've had people walk out because they were upset, I've never heard 
> person with objections say, "I'm blocking so forget it" or "I'm a blocker." 
> Or wear a T-shirt that says "World Record 2011. Blocked 12 Decisions." 
> 
> "Block" is often used an epithet and however suppressed, slathered with 
> emotion.
> 
> In dynamic governance/sociocracy, what people experience as a "block" would 
> be considered a veto. Vetoes don't have to be explained and are absolute. 
> They are done. No discussion. Someone who vetoes an action is acting as an 
> outsider, not as part of the group. They are taking all power for themselves. 
> Everyone else is powerless. So they aren't allowed at any level. The 
> organization would move forward working around and excluding the objector. 
> (They do fire people.)
> 
> Unresolved objections are simply objections for which no one has found a 
> resolution. 
> 
> An objection must be based on one's personal ability to work enthusiastically 
> and energetically toward the aim of the group. An objector is saying "if you 
> make this decision, it will negatively affect my ability to be fully 
> committed the community."
> 
> Any person who has an objection must explain it so it can be addressed and 
> must participate in the process of resolving it. What will fix this? 
> Participation in that process is what distinguishes an objection from a veto. 
> And the aim of everyone is to resolve it if it can be resolved.  If there is 
> no shared aim, however, it is unlikely that it will be resolved in any 
> meaningful or lasting way.
> 
> Sharon
> ----
> Sharon Villines, Washington DC
> Coauthor with John Buck of
> "We the People: Consenting to a Deeper Democracy"
> ISBN: 9780979282706
> 
> 
> 
> 
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