consensus – blocking progress

[alanjjohnstone]

I recall a number of party members had reservations about the structure of Occupy and Freeman's pamphlet Tyranny of Structureless was sometimes cited.

I  was unaware of this other pamphlet.  Freeman's which was based on the feminist movement, but this had origins in the anti-nuke. I never realsed just how influential the Quakers have been in the decision maling direction  of protest campaigns.

Well worth a read and useful to quote from

" A democratic process should give the group, not the individual, final say about the way the conflict will be handled,  the compromises to be made, and where the balance will be struck. Movement activists 

need to begin to trust their groups, which means trusting ourselves, to make decisions in  a sensitive and cooperative way. While voting is no panacea and can be abused, as can  any group process, it is at least one essential element in a democratic process and in an effective organization."

 

http://libcom.org/files/consensus.pdf

 

 

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