Consensus is an egalitarian process of decision-making that seeks the consent of all those impacted by the decisions that are made. Consensus decision-making is an alternative to commonly practiced adversarial models, such as those espoused by Robert’s Rules of Order – in which the majority rules, and the minority loses. By contrast, consensus aims toward a careful and caring consideration of the concerns of all participants; a higher level of emotional and creative investment in the implementation of decisions; and an interpersonal climate marked by cohesion, cooperation and interconnectedness. While the process itself can take longer, require more patience and flexibility on the part of participants, the result of the consensus process is generally better decisions with a higher level of group support. When it works, consensus brings out the best in people and fosters the pooling of resources for the greatest good of the whole community.
At Yggdrasil, we practice consensus decision-making, based on a simple model in which all proposals are considered, everyone is given space to speak their deepest truth to the proposal while others listen, any one person has the power to block any proposal under his or her concerns are adequately met, and only those proposals with the full support of the group move forward. Currently, we practice this form of consensus in our Talking Council meetings whenever there is something to decide. Eventually, we will adapt and refine our practice to accommodate the additional issues that will inevitably arise in the context of living community. As with all our practices, we will make an attempt to include those who cannot speak for themselves – at least in human language – in our decision-making circles, considering the impact of our decisions on the more-than-human community in which we live, and the land that we share as our home.
