One Community is committed to a 100% consensus-trained team moving onto the property to phase in consensus over the first few months (see this page for phase-in details). Decision making through consensus is, in our opinion, no small task and something we desire to share as part of our open source contribution to world change that demonstrates people exercising conscious and conscientious living for The Highest Good of All. In support of this, we use the consensus model that was created by One Community consultants Dr. Connie Stomper and Jack Reed, author of The Next Evolution. It is a unique and growth-focused training that combines learning the techniques of consensus with demonstrating one’s ability to hold the consciousness to work the techniques successfully.
PHASING IN CONSENSUS | CONSENSUS & LARGE GROUPS | WHERE WE ARE NOW
In order to become part of the on-property decision-making body of One Community, people are required to take a 4-5 day consensus training with two purposes:
The first phase in accomplishing these goals begins with an introduction to the foundations of how to conduct consensus meetings. From there the class participants move on to facilitated exercises in team building, communication skills and listening skills, feedback skills, and consensus specific leadership skills. During the second phase, under the guidance of the class facilitators, two full days are devoted to class participants undertaking the task and challenge of ranking who the class participants consider among themselves to be the most ready to participate in One Community’s consensus decisions.
More specifically, if there are 10 people in the class, the tasks would be for the participants to reach consensus on a list ranking who is most ready to who is least ready, and to identify the individual growth steps that are most beneficial for all participants to continue to improve in their ability to participate effectively in the consensus decision making process. Because the decision being made is a consensus decision, all participants (including, in this example, the persons occupying the 9th and 10th “readiness positions”) need to agree on the final ranking and growth steps.
This consensus process of class participants ranking themselves intentionally involves a high level of safety, risk taking, ability to receive feedback, honesty, integrity, leadership, courage, and communication skills. It calls on the group to maturely access the consciousness of The Highest Good of All and to make paramount in the decision-making process the needs and requirements of being involved with One Community.
Q: How much does the training cost?
Jae has thus far covered the cost of the training, some of the food, and the training venue. Travel expenses (the last two classes have been held in Los Angeles) are the responsibility of individual participants, and provisions for additional food and other expenses are organized by participants who plan to attend.
Q: When is the next training?
Trainings are organized by us as a group when we have enough people to merit scheduling a new training.
Q: How many participants gather at the trainings?
Trainings are limited to no more than 12 students.
Q: What if I’ve already been trained in consensus decision making?
Because the format of One Community’s consensus training is unique, we require that each Pioneer attend one of our trainings even if you’ve had other training in consensus decision making.
Q: My schedule is very busy, what if I can’t make a training right now?
We will host a training just before moving onto the property for those not able to make an earlier one.
Q: Is the training really required before moving onto the property? What if I prefer to just opt out of decision making?
The training remains mandatory because we value consensus concepts and skills in all aspects of communicating and relating to one another.
Q: I understand consensus is one of your core values, where can I learn more about your other values and how you use each of them in your organization?
Click the icons below to be taken to a complete page for each value:
Q: Where can I get more information about your philosophies for world change?
Please take a look at each of these additional pages: (click icons)
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