The Common Ground Network for Life and Choice Manual

people carry too much work for too long of a time. Rotating jobs is typically a method used.
This is especially true for organizing events like dialogues and workshops. Each effort should be
documented in a way that makes it easy for a different person/s to do the job the next time.
Group Decision Making
Dialogue is not a decision-making process. Groups need to have an
understanding about how they will arrive at decisions, when they want and need to do
that. There are various approaches for this ranging from using Robert’s Rules of Order
and majority vote, to requiring full consensus. We recommend some form of consensus
or modified consensus approach given the need for a common ground group to speak
with one voice. The facilitation manual published by the Mennonite Conciliation Service
has good designs for a number of different decision-making approaches of this type.
Chapter Nine has contact information for obtaining this resource. NAFCM is also a
place to get guidance.
It is important that whatever the decision-making method, participants remain
committed to their core ground rules about respect, language, and seeking understanding.
Experience has shown that it is easy to become careless about these when the group goes
into a decision-making or planning mode.
Adding Members
Having people interested in joining an existing group is a good problem. To change the
dynamics of the abortion conflict, the number of people who experience dialogue and search for
common ground has to increase.
However, there is a challenge in incorporating new members. How do they gain skills
for dialogue and a commitment to the process? How does trust get built, particularly with
longer-time members? There is more than one way to answer these questions. The key is to
create some intentional way for these things to happen. Approaches we have seen include:
• In a start-up group, reaching a decision after the first few meetings to close off any new
members so that the group can come together and build trust and a common purpose.