Los Angeles Eco Village Conflict Prevention and Resolution Policy
(There is also language in the USTU bylaws to supplement this)
Passed by consensus December 5, 2005
Build a dynamic community through diversity &
cooperation.
Inspire compassionate, nurturing, & respectful
relationships.
Contents
Preface:
Joining an intentional community means greater interaction with others and thus a greater likelihood of conflict. Responsible handling of conflicts cultivates empathy among neighbors leading to greater group cohesion and harmony, while ignoring them results in alienation and risk of community dissolution. In order to facilitate the former and avert the latter, an effective conflict policy needs to be in place, one that addresses both conflict prevention and conflict resolution. All such measures are intended to ensure clarity, understanding and trust through respecting privacy and initiative for the individual and safeguarding respect for the will (i.e., rules and agreements) of the community by each individual. Our community values diversity and is committed to working through differences. To accomplish this goal and to preserve the vitality of the community, we believe it is essential that all members learn and practice respectful and clear communication. A community’s role is to foster and support the expansion of each member’s capacity to communicate effectively. A history of unwillingness or inability of a member to practice clear and respectful communication with other members of the community is recognized as sufficient grounds for expulsion.
Conflict prevention
Reducing conflict in a community requires personal commitment from every member. Conflict prevention starts with the understanding and acknowledgement that living in community is fundamentally different from living alone. As members of an intentional community, we need to make genuine efforts to learn about, respect and follow all community agreements and to utilize the consensus process when we want to create new or modify existing agreements. The community expects members not to violate existing agreements because doing so would betray the trust the community places in a new member at the time of admission.
We consider creating and maintaining the following measures to be essential for enlisting a full commitment by all residents to the principles of conflict prevention as stated above.
Therefore, we as community members commit to:
- Keep the LAEV Web site updated to avoid misunderstandings and false expectations.
- Make sure we have a sufficiently long and informative engagement period as part of our residency process.
- Articulate and periodically review our written vision and mission/purpose statements.
- Maintain a file of all existing and future agreements easily accessible with utilities like a subject index.
- Articulate and periodically review written decision-making criteria (i.e., statements of rights and responsibilities) – “How do members earn the privilege of becoming a decision maker?”
- Provide ‘New Member Orientation’ to prospective residents
Conflict resolution
The Community expects its members to:
1. Act responsibly by addressing and resolving a conflict with a neighbor, by inquiring about the other person’s point of view and informing the person of your point of view one-to-one or with the help of a mediator.
2. Encourage a member expressing dissatisfaction with another person to speak with that person directly.
3. Be willing to mediate communication between members in conflict and/or to find an appropriate member to mediate their conflict, when approached by a member who has been unsuccessful communicating with someone directly or feels the need for help.
If the above actions do not resolve a conflict then
the following steps are to be taken:
1. Either one of those in conflict or someone who knows about a conflict should request conflict resolution in writing from the Conflict Resolution Support Group(CRSG). A copy of the confidential written request for conflict resolution will be given to the other party (or parties) in the conflict. (Confidentiality of the details of the conflict will be guarded.)
2. The CRSG will take responsibility to work with the parties of the conflict to identify an appropriate mediator or mediators from within the community and will document the efforts of the parties to reach resolution.
3. If the CRSG has exhausted all internal resources at mediation, the parties of the conflict may agree to a mediation with an outside unpaid mediator. If the conflict is still unresolved after the unpaid mediation, the CRSG will inform the Community Meeting (CM) of the nature of the impasse. CRSG is not expected to share the details of the conflict at the CM. However, it may inform the CM of its opinion whether the conflict is due to the shortcomings of an existing policy, need for a new policy, or violation of this policy as stated below under “Violation of the policy” by one or both parties to the conflict.
The Community Meeting will address unresolved
conflicts referred by the Conflict Resolution Support
Group. Among the options the CM could implement are:
1. The CM will decide whether to authorize paid mediation by someone outside the community.
2. The CM will set a time limit for resolving the conflict.
3. The CM will decide if the conflict involves an issue that needs to be clarified by the CM.
4. The CM will determine if one or both of the parties are not fulfilling the expected commitment to conflict resolution or are otherwise in clear violation of this policy. The CM will take appropriate steps including, but not limited to, exiting from the community.
Violation of the policy
A pattern of engaging in gossip, slander, and campaigning against members of LAEV regardless of the medium used (e.g., in writing via the Listserv or verbally by phone or in person) violates this policy. A refusal to cooperate with efforts to address conflict through clear and respectful communication is also considered a violation of this policy. Clear and respectful communication is any form of communication (written or oral) not hampered by yelling (raised voice), sarcasm, profanity, and interruption. Clear and respectful communication requires “I” statements to avoid accusation and double guessing.
Reporting requirements
On a quarterly basis, CRSG is expected to report to the CM on the number of conflicts it has handled. To insure privacy of all parties, CRSG is not required to disclose names of the parties involved in conflicts brought to its attention for mediation. CRSG may report on the degree of success and problems it has encountered resolving conflicts. Additionally, parties to successful mediation have the option of sharing their experience at the CM for greater dissemination of the culture of mediation.
Public Conflict Resolution Exception
All conflicts need to be addressed with greatest care and respect for the parties’ privacy and reputation in accordance to the steps outlined in this policy. However, in order to avoid misconceptions or misunderstandings regarding a conflict observed by a number of members, at the request of both parties, the mediation process may be conducted using the fishbowl format. Objection of one party to the use of the fishbowl format shall not place that party at a disadvantage in the mediation process or out of compliance with this policy.
RSGs process for mediation
CRSG uses the standard mediation process through which it strives to provide a safe and confidential environment in which two (or more) conflicting parties may engage in clear and respectful communication to help the mediator:
1) Find facts and isolate issues
2) Help parties understand one anothers point of view
and create alternatives
3) Guide negotiation and decision-making, and
4) Clarify and write an agreement or plan of action
In the case of impasse, the CRSG mediator will make recommendations in accordance with acceptable norms of the community to further facilitate the mediation processes. Either party can choose another mediator, at any point of the mediation process, if not satisfied with the performance of the CRSG mediator. The resolution of the conflict, nevertheless, remains the responsibility of the conflicting parties and should be pursued until satisfactory results are reached. Our goal is to prevent personal conflicts from leading to tension in the community at large. The mediation process gives the conflicting parties an opportunity to hear the unbiased recommendations of their mediating neighbors and make adjustment to their priorities and preferences according to the existing culture of the community.
Term of Policy and review timetable
The policy will remain in effect until revised or repealed by consensus at a later time. To keep the policy current, it will be reviewed every six months for possible improvements.
conflict Pronunciation: ‘kän-“flikt Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin conflictus act of striking together
1 a : competitive or opposing action of incompatibles : antagonistic state or action (as of divergent ideas,
interests, or persons)
b : mental struggle resulting
from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes,
or external or internal demands
2 : to show
antagonism or irreconcilability
synonyms: discord
a : lack of agreement or harmony
(as between persons, things, or ideas)
b : active quarreling or conflict resulting from discord among persons or factions. Discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism. strife: emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity
or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.
Los Angeles Eco Village Member Exit Policy and Procedure
Proposal to be discussed at the CM
Preface: Joining the LAEV intentional community is a
voluntary action. In doing so the new member
voluntarily commits to complying with all existing and
future agreements. Therefore, willful violation of any
agreement of LAEV is deemed by the community as the
voluntary withdrawal of the member from LAEV. All
decisions made by consensus at the CM are community
agreements (also known as rule or policy). While all
community agreements are subject to review, revision,
and amendment through the proposal and consensus
decision making process, any willful violation of the
existing agreements will invoke the Exit policy.
Should the CM determine that a members conduct is in
willful violation of a community agreement, a
Declaration of Non-membership is issued. Declaration
of Non-membership is in essence the communitys
acknowledgment of the members voluntary withdrawal
from the community. To insure fairness, the decision
for the issuance of the Declaration is made through
consensus at the CM. The violating member may not
block his or her own Declaration of Non-membership.
Those members wishing to block the consensus in
connection with the Declaration of Non-membership for
another member are required to personally take action
to obtain assurances from the violating member for
future compliance with all community agreements. The
timetable for any remedial action needed to correct
past violations must be approved by consensus at the
CM. Once the Declaration is issued, the member no
longer qualifies for housing in the community. CRSP
(or Prospective Owners Group / POG) will be notified
to issue termination of tenancy.
- Policy effective immediately and in force until
revised or amended.
- To be reviewed and revised upon the final
formulation of grounds for exit based on community
participation requirements.