Pubdate: Wed, 20 Jun 2012
Source: Nelson Star (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Black Press
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/4kNvY8sy
Website: http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/nelsonstar/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4866
Author: Candace Batycki
Cited: Stop the Violence BC: http://stoptheviolencebc.org/

INHALING THE DISCUSSION

Yes, dear reader, I inhaled. While marijuana is no longer a part of my
life, it has done me little harm, and has been a support for stress
relief and even insight.

When the gavel came down to end last Monday's council meeting, I
exhaled. The debate around the motion to officially support the
campaign of stoptheviolencebc.org was the most intense I have yet
experienced during my short time on council, and I was left with many,
many questions about what had just happened.

Since then, I've been puzzling a lot about process, politics and
prohibition.

How was it that a motion that was clearly supported by four of seven
failed to pass? I believe it was a failure of process. Nelson city
council makes decisions using majority rules, as do all local
governments in BC, and in fact most democracies. Under this system, it
is important that once a decision is made, all members of council,
including the mayor, support the decision whether they personally
voted for it or not.

I have worked all my adult life with another decision-making process,
known as consensus process. Consensus requires all parties to discuss,
debate and persuade until a decision is reached that all can live with
- - not necessarily agree with, but live with, and support. If you can't
personally support a proposal but don't want to stop the group from
moving forward, you can stand aside. (In majority rules, a stand-aside
is counted as an affirmative vote). In consensus process there is also
provision for blocking a decision. This is done only in very rare
instances when one or more members, after sufficient discussion and
consideration, feel that the proposed action would contradict the
group's mission or violate the morals, ethics or safety of the group.
A block prevents the proposed action from moving forward. I have
rarely seen it used.

In consensus the discussion is ideally moderated by an impartial
facilitator who does not participate in the decision, which prevents
them from unduly influencing the outcome. In practice, especially in
small groups, the facilitator may still participate in the decision,
but someone who feels strongly about the issue is generally not given
the facilitator's role. In majority rules, the meeting is chaired by a
voting member who may well feel strongly about the issue under debate.

So, which did we have Monday night? Neither. We had someone ostensibly
chairing a majority rules meeting, but using a consensus tool to block
an outcome, stating repeatedly that no matter the results of the vote,
he would not support it. We had a process failure, which prevented us
from being able to actually have a reasonable discussion.

So, we are now having the discussion on the streets, in the cafes, in
our homes, in the media, everywhere I go. Everywhere. And this is a
good thing.

In fact there are two discussions taking place. The discussion about
marijuana prohibition, its impacts on our society and communities, and
the merits of legalizing and regulating, has taken a back seat to the
discussion about process and politics.

But it's important that we also have the other discussion. Let's hear
from all sides of the long-running debate. Let's hear from law
enforcement, from diverse voices in the medical establishment and
healing communities, from those growers that have the courage to speak
up, and from all those who have been directly affected by
prohibition.

The politics of prohibition are complex and difficult. There are
interests that are heavily invested in the status quo. Years of
prohibition have led to ingrained social stigma. It is deeply human to
fear the unknown, to fear change.

We will never have complete community consensus on this or any issue.
But we can debate and discuss, listen and consider, and then
collectively do what we feel will be the best for the most, the test
of any political decision.

Candace Batycki is a Nelson city councillor who shares this Wednesday
space with her colleagues around the table.
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MAP posted-by: Matt