What Exactly Is Consensus?
Consensus is a decision making process which equalizes power over a group of people. Instead of simply voting for an item, and having the majority of the group get their way, the group has to sit down and get a solution to a problem that EVERYONE is ok with. People take different ideas and we see how we feel about them. The solution that the group thinks is the most positive gets chosen, unless a member of the group finds the solution totally unacceptable. Consensus is based o comporomise, and the ability to find common ground. Why Would We Want to Use Consensus? Consensus is a system that promotes participation because each person has the power to make changes in the system, and to prevent changes that they find unacceptable. People are often inactive because they feel that they have no power in the system and their voice won’t be listened to. (Isn’t that why so few people vote in most industrial democracies?). Imagine if corporations has to have consensus from a community to build a
