Consensus vs Consent

A common misconception is that Consent and Concensus are the same. I have been given this some thought for a while, and just as I had more or less let the topic wander off the fringe of my attention, I received a few emails directly relating to it, so I decided to post a summary of what has come my way.

First, I will copy a few definitions of Concensus (and attempt to cite as accurately as possible):

1. Consensus/ is a group decision (which some members may not feel is the best decision, but which they can all live with, support and commit themselves to not undermine), arrived at without voting, through a process whereby the issues are fully aired, all members feel they have been adequately heard, in which everyone has equal power and responsibility, and different degrees of influence by virtue of individual stubbornness or charisma are avoided so that all are satisfied with the process. The process requires the members to be emotionally present and engaged, frank in a loving, mutually respectful manner, sensitive to each other; to be selfless, dispassionate, and capable of emptying themselves and possessing a paradoxical awareness of precariousness of both people and time (including knowing when the solution is satisfactory, and that it is time to stop and not reopen the discussion until such time as the group determines a need for revision.)

From A World Waiting To Be Born_ by M. Scott Peck, pg. 291. Copyrighted. / This definition was written by a group, Valley Diagnostic and Surgical Clinic of Harlingen Texas, as part of a community.

My initial reaction to this is: WOW! Sounds great, but how many groups can achieve this? Let me relate a translated version of Gilles Charest's comment in relation to this definition. His words coin the issues related to concensus:

1. Concensus requires too many conditions related to the quality of the people or their intentions.
2. Concensus is not operational. The process for arriving at a consensus decision is unclear.
3. Concensus is based on a more or less idyllic democracy where ultimately the individual must convince the majority of the validity of his arguments, otherwise he must have the generosity to join.

In my next post, I will go over the definition of Consent, and the process to reach it. It is well-defined, very well-structured, and very, very efficient.

Back Online, and So Much More...

Well, after one month on the road vacationing and attending leadership and Sociocratic training, I am glad to be back to work. My mind is full of fresh thoughts and ideas, and I am eager to get working on the implementation at the College and the International Conference for next June.

During my travels, I attended my third 3-day sociocracy training session (out of six). It was a wonderful experience, with many thought provoking concepts and activities. The course was held in Très-Saint-Rédempteur, a small village an hour out of Montreal.



The course was held there due to the fact that the municipality is amazingly progressive and constantly looking at new ways of doing things. One of their great achievements has been to launch an internet Coop a few years ago. That Coop was born as a direct result of the major Internet Providers' refusal to provide high-speed internet to the small 700-resident community (not enough profits to be generated). This was a serious issue for the town, as many residents are young entrepreneurs who cannot do their work without the internet access. The municipality is drawing young people from Montreal who seek life-balance, combining nature with modern-day work. Without internet, many such young entrepreneurs would either not move to Très-Saint-Rédempteur, or worse, some would have to leave.

With that prospect in mind, a small group of people, some part of the city council, others volunteers, got together and founded a Coop, CSUR, with the goal of providing high-speed internet access to all residents of the area. Four years later, with multiple hundred customers, the Coop has been identified by the Québec governement as a potential internet solution model for all of rural municipalities in the province.

Refusing to sit on such praise, the Coop board has taken on to further its development and take on a more active role withing the municipality. There are projects for a green affordable-housing complex, an equestrian centre, a network of trails, and so much more. But with such a major endeavour, there are issues of governance. How should the municipality and the Coop work together? How should decisions that affect many, if not most, residents be made? Is it at all possible to avoid power struggles, personality conflicts, and "small town" politics?

Exploring possibilities, the Coop has decided to attempt an implementation of sociocracy. They have obtained government support for this, and will work with Sociogest, a Quebec consulting firm that specializes in Sociocracy.

It was wonderful to meet these pioneers while on location for the course. These people are dedicated, high-spirited, and have given themselves a life mission of making things better for themselves, their community, and the future. I will keep an eye wide open to see how things develop over the years. I have no doubt they will become a model for the world!