WORKING AS A COLLECTIVE
There is a need for individuals to take responsibility for their actions, and not to delegate that responsibility elsewhere. It is also about how individuals working in small groups can take responsibility for their actions by deliberately sharing their power and skills. There are infinite ways to work together in a small group. The most important point is that the structure of the group meets the needs of the individuals involved, and is chosen democratically by those involved.
There is a vast disparity in skills and abilities which individuals bring to a group. These are often environmentally and socially determined by sexual identity, race, age, education, gender, or class background. These differences all need to be taken into account.
STRUCTURE (GUIDELINES) FOR A COLLECTIVE
Structures should not be seen as fixed and immutable. They should be flexible and responsive to the needs of the group and individual members. The introduction, use, modification, and discarding of explicit structures should be under the control of the group. Democratic structuring within a collective will include the following basic structures:
Decision Making Process
Meeting Structure
Evaluations and Clearness Meetings
Membership Definition
Commitment & Delegation of Responsibilities
Regular Social Events
Defined Conflict/Disputes Process
Conflict Resolution Policy
DECISION MAKING BY CONSENSUS
This method of decision making encourages the participation of all members in formulating all decisions. The nature of consensus is based on the non-ownership of ideas. All ideas, the truth of each member, contribute to the process of finding a solution. It is a dialectical and creative process for problem solving, in which a new view of truth emerges from the conflict of ideas. In this process individuals grow towards a new view of reality where the original problem is seen in a new perspective, and a new group solution can be formulated. This is a...