People’s Mic
The People’s Mic is a effective and simple amplification method to allow a large group to hear anyone without the need of any devices. When called for, the speaker will say “Mic check”, the people around the speaker will then repeat it in sync. The speaker will then break up what they want to say into short 3 or 4 word phrases which are repeated in sync by the group. This technique takes practice, but is extremely effective and has the advantage that it can be used by any member at any time, unlike a microphone which must be passed.
Proposals
During open floor of a General Assembly meeting, anyone may make a proposal. That person is the facilitator for the following discussion unless they request that someone else fill that role. Proposals must be completed by being voted for, voted against or being withdrawn before another proposal can be made. The must be phrased clearly and repeated with any amendments before going to a final vote.
Hand Signals
To keep meetings as quiet and efficient as possible, please refrain from audible feedback. Too many people clapping, talking, or yelling is unpleasant and unproductive. Instead, we will use the following hand signals.
- Agreement: Put hands up and wiggle fingers. This may seem strange, but helps differentiate between a casual agreement and a comment to be added to the stack.
- Disagreement: Hands down and wiggled.
- Direct Response: Either a pointed finger waved forward and back, or two hands in a slicing motion. This is used only when the response being made completely solves the topic of the person being responded to. This can be either to answer a question, or bring up information which makes that topic irrelevant.
Consensus Voting:
- Upwards thumb is a “yes”
- Sideways thumb is a disagree and continues the discussion. Each sideways thumb is addressed. The person who made the proposal may amend it to satisfy any sideways vote.
- A downward thumb is a harsh disagreement with the intention of rejecting the proposal. Such a vote effectively stops the current proposal and is usually used because the idea is offensive
Guidelines for Decision Making and Consensus at Occupy Davis,
Consensus is a democratic decision making process that works to give everyone in the group a direct voice. In short consensus takes into account and validates each participant. The decision making process detailed below is a modified consensus process, which means it strives for full consensus (100% agreement) by allowing ample time to discuss everyone’s questions and concerns and make amendments, but will accept less than 100% consensus if after addressing questions and concerns, consensus cannot be reached.
Step by step modified consensus process:
- The proposal is presented in as much detail as possible. If you are planning to make a proposal, please take the time to flesh it out before presenting it to the General Assembly. If possible discuss the idea informally with others at the occupation and take multiple opinions into account when drafting a proposal. The more comprehensive and detailed the proposal, the less time we will have to spend discussing and debating the specifics of each proposal at the General Assembly.
- Small group discussions. After a proposal is made, we will spend ____ minutes discussing the idea in small groups. These short break out sessions are meant to get ideas flowing and allow time for processing the proposals before we discuss them as a group.
- Discussion of pros and cons. Individuals can voice support or concerns about the proposal to allow for a fuller discussion of pros and cons before voting.
- Vote. The first round of voting will attempt to reach a full consensus – 100% passes the proposal.
*If full consensus is not achieved steps 2 and 3 will be repeated to allow for further discussion and debate. A second vote will then be conducted, this time testing for modified consensus – 90% passes the proposal.
**If the proposal is not passed by the second vote, the person who introduced it has the option of revising the proposal to include the concerns expressed at the GA and presenting the modified proposal at a future meeting.
If a proposal fails to pass and is tabled for a future meeting, we collectively agree not to take action on the issue that is up for debate until a decision is made by passing a modified proposal. We also recognize that urgent issues may require an immediate decision. In these special cases we may decide as a group to continue to repeat steps 2 and 3 until a decision is reached at whatever level of consensus we collectively agree is appropriate.
