Our Principles:
We agree that Old Grace Housing Cooperative strives to achieve the ideal of consensus in decision making.
Consensus will be based on the following principles:
- We work together for the good of all of the OGHC members.
- We cooperate to share knowledge and resources openly with the group.
- We trust that each member keeps the best interest of the OGHC in mind.
- We value and consider differences in a respectful way.
- We acknowledge that in a diverse community, members come to decision-making from unique perspectives.
Making Decisions
Making decisions by consensus does not necessarily mean that everyone is in complete agreement – but rather that a solution is found that all participants can live with, or are at least willing to try. The membership of OGHC has agreed to make decisions as follows:
- We will use 4 levels of consensus in decision making, namely:
| Level 1 | Yes | I fully support this decision
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| Level 2 | Yes, and | I support this decision, and we need to address X (document this qualification)
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| Level 3 | Yes, but | I will support this decision but am concerned about X (document this qualification). However, I don’t want to block the process.
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| Level 4 | No | I can’t support this decision (provide reasons – why it is not good for me, or why it is not good for the co-operative
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2. We will approve a decision on the first vote if there are no Level 4 votes, and 75% of votes fall in Levels 1 & 2.
3. If consensus cannot be reached after extensive discussion, we will use majority vote to make decisions. We agree that, on the final vote, 65% agreement at Levels 1 & 2 is sufficient for an action to be approved.
4. We appreciate that not all decisions warrant this formal process. We agree that the decision-making process can be changed from formal to informal (or vice versa) if 35% of members present at a meeting are in favour.
Member Responsibility
In working together to make decisions, members of OGHC agree we will:
- attend meetings,
- gather, circulate and process information in advance,
- encourage full participation of everyone in discussion,
- listen to all viewpoints with openness and respect,
- recognize the need for compromise and clarity in communication,
- give full support to the decisions once they are made by the group.