Editing Consensus decision-making (section)

==Blocking and other forms of dissent==
To ensure the agreement or consent of all participants is valued, many groups choose unanimity or near-unanimity as their decision rule. Groups that require unanimity allow individual participants the option of blocking a group decision. This provision motivates a group to make sure that all group members consent to any new proposal before it is adopted. When there is potential for a block to a group decision, both the group and dissenters in the group are encouraged to collaborate until agreement can be reached. Simply [[vetoing]] a decision is not considered a responsible use of consensus blocking. Some common guidelines for the use of consensus blocking include:<ref name="CODM book" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Christian |first=Diana Leafe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xYjrCkmCOagC&q=consensus|title=Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities|year=2003|publisher=New Society Publishers|isbn=978-0-86571-471-7|language=en}}</ref>

*Providing an option for those who do not support a proposal to "stand aside" rather than block.
*Requiring a block from two or more people to put a proposal aside.
*Requiring the blocking party to supply an alternative proposal or a process for generating one.<ref name="Canadian Cohousing Network">{{cite web|url=http://www.cohousing.ca/consensus.htm |title=The Consensus Decision Process in Cohousing |access-date=28 January 2007 |publisher=Canadian Cohousing Network |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070226135255/http://www.cohousing.ca/consensus.htm |archive-date=26 February 2007 }}</ref>
*Limiting each person's option to block consensus to a handful of times in one's life.
*Limiting the option of blocking to decisions that are substantial to the mission or operation of the group and not allowing blocking on routine decisions.
*Limiting the allowable rationale for blocking to issues that are fundamental to the group's mission or potentially disastrous to the group.

===Dissent options===
A participant who does not support a proposal may have alternatives to simply blocking it. Some common options may include the ability to:<!--What about *abstention* as a (mild) form of dissent?  (Which is not just a means of stepping aside in matters of conflict of interest and/or being inadequately informed on a matter to vote on it.)  It is often used to non-controversially prevent a unanimous decision, or simply reflect a participant's unwillingness to affirm (or be associated with) the decision's outcome.-->
*''Declare reservations'': Group members who are willing to let a motion pass but desire to register their concerns with the group may choose "declare reservations." If there are significant reservations about a motion, the decision-making body may choose to modify or re-word the proposal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.augustana.ca/rdx/bruneau/documents/PDM%20in%20an%20Intercultural%20context.doc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927025409/http://www.augustana.ca/rdx/bruneau/documents/PDM%20in%20an%20Intercultural%20context.doc |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 September 2007 |title=If Agreement Cannot Be Reached |access-date=17 January 2007 |author=Richard Bruneau |year=2003 |format=DOC |page=37 |work=Participatory Decision-Making in a Cross-Cultural Context |publisher=Canada World Youth }}</ref>
*''Stand aside'': A "stand aside" may be registered by a group member who has a "serious personal disagreement" with a proposal, but is willing to let the motion pass. Although stand asides do not halt a motion, it is often regarded as a strong "nay vote" and the concerns of group members standing aside are usually addressed by modifications to the proposal. Stand asides may also be registered by users who feel they are incapable of adequately understanding or participating in the proposal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frontierus.org/documents/consensus.htm |title=FRONTIER: A New Definition |access-date=17 January 2007 |author=Consensus Development Project |year=1998 |publisher=Frontier Education Center |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061212140902/http://www.frontierus.org/documents/consensus.htm |archive-date=12 December 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwcdc.coop/Resources/CSS/CSS08Intro2Consensus.pdf |title=Consensus Decision-Making |access-date=9 December 2012 |author=Rachel Williams |author2=Andrew McLeod |year=2008 |work=Cooperative Starter Series |publisher=Northwest Cooperative Development Center |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314211654/http://www.nwcdc.coop/Resources/CSS/CSS08Intro2Consensus.pdf |archive-date=14 March 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.webofoz.org/consensus.shtml | title = Amazing Graces' Guide to Consensus Process | access-date = 17 January 2007 | author = Dorcas |author2=Ellyntari | year = 2004 }}</ref>
*''Object'': Any group member may "object" to a proposal. In groups with a unanimity decision rule, a single block is sufficient to stop a proposal. Other decision rules may require more than one objection for a proposal to be blocked or not pass (see previous section, {{slink||Decision rules}}).