2. Structure of TP

Tri-denting It Handbook, 3rd Ed (2001) Part 2 Structure of Trident Ploughshares

Contents

2.1 Overall Structure

2.2 Bank Account

2.3 Nonviolence and Safety Guidelines

2.4 Joint Responsibility

2.5 Ploughshares Activists/Individual Pledgers

2.6 Affinity Groups

References and Acknowledgements

Recommended Further Reading

2.1 Overall Structure

Each individual within Trident Ploughshares is both an Individual Pledger (having signed the Pledge to Prevent Nuclear Crime
  see Part 9.1 - and the Nonviolence and Safety Pledge - Part 9.2) and part of a TP Affinity Group. A full list of current Pledgers can be found at the end of this handbook.

Up to 15 Individual Pledgers also help with the administrative and practical work inevitably needed to implement the project. They call themselves the Core Group (see Part 2.1.1). Each TP Affinity Group is encouraged to send one or two representatives to a six-monthly Representatives Meeting where decisions are made and any problems sorted out by consensus. These problems include who should or should not be in the Core Group. There is also an E-mail Discussion that all Pledgers with e-mailing facilities can subscribe to, free of charge. To do this, send an e-mail request to info@tridentploughshares.org. This is to enable discussion of what we are doing and how and when; to flag up decisions that need to be made; to raise any problems; and to allow everyone to exchange information and influence each other.

We now also have a regular news-sheet called ’Pledgers Information Sheet’ that goes out after every Core Group meeting to all Pledgers. It contains the minutes of the Core Group meetings and any other information vital for the open communication of what we are all doing within Trident Ploughshares. An irregular Newsletter called ’Speed the Plough’ is sent to a wide network of over 1500 supporters.

As the project developed the Core Group were asked by various Affinity Groups at the first Representatives’ Meeting to help for the first two-week disarmament camp at Coulport in August 1998. This was to include overall legal and court support and to provide minimum infrastructure for food, first-aid, information and media work. This has continued and there is now a permanent Legal Support Team willing and able to help support all activists going to both Scottish and English courts and to help with legal defence advice. A Cornton Vale Prison Support Group helps women doing time at Cornton Vale Prison. The Press Team is working well in conjunction with the local press work that affinity groups do in their local areas. As new people volunteer their help, more support and work will get done.

Any individual or affinity group that has suggestions and ideas for Trident Ploughshares as a whole, is encouraged to initiate a discussion and build consensus for the idea by contacting other individuals and groups, or calling a meeting. So far the Core Group has inevitably made many of the day-to-day decisions about the campaign as a whole. If any TP Pledger or TP Affinity Group is unhappy with the work of any of the members of the Core Group then this can be raised either with the Core Group, or at the six-monthly Representatives Meetings, or directly with all the Individual Pledgers and Affinity Groups. We are working by consensus as much as possible. If there are any major objections to any suggested actions or decisions then the practice to date has been that the Core Group will postpone implementation until consensus has been built. As the overall framework and non-negotiable ground rules were already in place at the start of the project the main discussion has been on how to implement and develop a fairly coherent project. But there are of course some major decisions that can only be made by consensus by all groups working together. For instance, if there is eventually a meeting between the Dialogue and Negotiation Team and the Government, and some of our requests are implemented, then there may have to be a decision about stopping the actions. This decision would be reached by consensus through consultation and feedback from all Pledgers. Similarly there will have to be discussion about if and when to stop the project. The initial date set for this was January 1st 2000 but the Pledgers at that time decided that TP should continue. A review of the decision is now made every year.

2.1.1 Core Group

The Core Group consisted of six people who were originally self-chosen from the Initial Explanatory Briefing that was sent round the peace network in June 1997. In the initial stages, before the public launch of the campaign in May 1998, this Core Group contained the only publicly accountable Trident Ploughshares activists who were willing and able to take the risk of being charged with ’conspiracy to commit criminal damage’ or any other charge that the ’authorities’ might come up with.

The initial Core Group organised the production of the Handbook, Video, mobilising leaflets, and the setting up of the nonviolence and safety workshops. They worked by consensus and consulted widely with many others in the peace movement. People who subsequently came into Trident Ploughshares were presented with a coherent and fairly well-thought out project Many of the major decisions had already been made and were not negotiable. The initial Handbook set out this overall framework. This new edition shows the development of TP but still within the original framework.

The Core Group now consists of 13 people who feel able to work together on the practical and administrative implementation of the campaign aims. The Core Group makes its decisions by consensus. Any official TP Pledger who is willing to volunteer as a Core Group worker can ask the present group, and they will make a decision on the basis of workability.

Contact TP for an up-to-date list of addresses and phone numbers.

2.1.2 Co-operation at Camps

It was originally planned that each affinity group would be self-sufficient while attending TP camps as regards to food, camp or media equipment etc. There are now centralised structures for these tasks, freeing people up for their disarmament work. However, this is dependent upon everyone contributing to these tasks.

2.2 Bank Account

An account has been opened called ’Trident Ploughshares’ and is administered by the Core Group. No-one is paid for their work. Each activist, including the Core Group workers, is asked to contribute £10 sterling when they become a Pledger. Donations are very welcome. The funds go towards the administration of the campaign and include the cost of printing this Handbook and the Video, as well as telephone and communication costs.

Affinity groups are mainly responsible for their own finances. They need to fund-raise for their own travel and communication costs. For those groups that have difficulty in fund-raising for their own needs we have set up an ’Affinity Group Support Fund’ to which affinity groups can apply. We have also now set up a ’Legal Support Fund’ and a ’Prisoners Support Fund’. Applications should be made through the office or core group workers.

2.3 Nonviolence and Safety Guidelines

We are working with quite large numbers of people in very tense situations and nonviolence training is essential. Some of the blockades have had 400 or 500 people present. Some of the groups planning maximum disarmament action are attempting to disarm a nuclear armed and powered weapon system which is extremely toxic and radioactive. The safety considerations are therefore very serious.

Everyone formally in Trident Ploughshares has to take part in a two-day Nonviolence and Safety Workshop. Ideally each individual who takes part in this workshop will do so with their affinity group, who apply for the workshop as a group. Everyone must be part of an affinity group and have signed the Pledge to Prevent Nuclear Crime whether they define themselves as active supporters or as active disarmers. While the risks are much less for the supporters in an affinity group it is still advisable for everyone to be prepared. It is also a recognition of the essential nature of support work - we all do what we can and are all involved and responsible for each other - no task is more important than another, we need all the jobs done and need to recognise and respect them all.

The workshops are consistent. Every group covers similar material. Where convenient, several affinity groups are able to take part in the same workshop at the same time. They get advice on further work and preparation they need to do and are able to call the facilitators back to help them if necessary. A member of the Core Group liaises with every affinity group. The Core Group member will make a decision based on talking with the facilitators and the group as to whether the group can be registered as a Trident Ploughshares affinity group (Part 2.6). This is a very necessary safety measure in order to prevent infiltration by the State Authorities, terrorists or violent, damaged people.

We must take all precautions necessary to ensure that no damage is done to ourselves or others whilst we are disarming Trident. At the same time, although recognising our serious responsibility we must not be disempowered. We are just as capable of setting up structures to ensure responsible disarmament as the military are capable of ensuring responsible crew management. In fact given the research on drug use and military personnel ’flipping their lids’ with the stress of living on the brink of nuclear war all the time, we can probably do a better job.

Some of our actions and our camps are open to non-pledgers. This allows new people to explore the possibility of joining or forming an affinity group and to take the training. These people are encouraged to do a shorter, half-day nonviolence and safety workshop and to sign the nonviolence and safety pledge which contain our non-negotiable groundrules.

The seven Nonviolence and Safety Guidelines that follow are the ground-rules for Trident Ploughshares and are not negotiable. They are derived from nonviolent thinking and practice across the world. If you cannot accept them then this project is not for you. All activists should study them carefully and decide whether they are able to sign up to them. Only activists who respect them and sign the Individual Nonviolence and Safety Pledge (Part 9.2) will be able to take part. Each Affinity group may wish to add further ground-rules for themselves. The characteristics of the Guidelines are respect and care for the opponent and everyone involved - with an absolute refusal to harm, damage or degrade people. If suffering is inevitable activists are willing to take it on themselves rather than inflict it on others. There is an appeal to the opponent’s humanity and a recognition that no-one has a monopoly of truth. There is an understanding that the means are the ends in the making, so the means have to be consistent with the ends.

I would like to give a few examples of the kinds of actions not consistent with our ground-rules. Under no circumstances would arson be acceptable. The manhandling of anyone, for instance rugby tackling a security guard, would also be unacceptable. The damage of equipment and machinery is part of our action but it must not be done in a way that could endanger anyone. Only equipment that is part of the complex Trident nuclear system should be targeted.

Each activist and affinity group should spend sufficient time exploring the likely consequences of their particular disarmament action to ensure safety for everyone. At least one safety access route in and out of the bases, offices, subs (or wherever you are) should be left open to cope with emergencies. Broken glass or cut surfaces should be marked and labelled to inform people that they should take care and any damaged parts should be stable and not likely to stick out or fall off and hurt anyone.

The overriding principle for all our actions is love. This means at the very least that we should harm no living being and should be peaceful and self-controlled at all times.

1. Every activist shall be a member of an affinity group, have signed the Pledges, be registered with the Core Group and have gone through the Nonviolence and Safety Workshop.

2. Our actions are built upon being open and public.

In the democracy of which we are a part and which we are struggling to improve, everyone has the right to question or criticise other people’s actions. There must therefore be someone around to answer questions and take responsibility for the actions. We therefore do not use masks for hiding our identity, or run away from the police or engage in totally secret actions. The planning and attempt to disarm may be secret. Nevertheless, as soon as an action has taken place, then the activists will remain by the scene of disarmament to take full responsibility for their action.

3. Our attitude will be one of sincerity and respect toward the people we encounter.

We do not wish to create unnecessary divisions by being moralistic or by verbally harassing the police, defence workers and other people we come in contact with. We will respectfully engage them in dialogue when appropriate. Not only are all human beings of infinite value and therefore of worth equal to our own selves but they are also our allies in the disarmament process. If and when complete nuclear disarmament takes place, then the authorities and their agents, whose current policies and actions we are challenging, may well be the very same people who actually take part in the official disarmament process. They may eventually be the ones to complete the disarmament process that we have begun, by actually taking away the nuclear warheads and putting them in safe storage and returning the missiles to the US and decommissioning the submarines.

4. We will not engage in physical violence or verbal abuse toward any individual.

Violence includes both physical and psychological violence and the phrase ’any individual’ also includes ourselves. In tense and pressured situations even the shouting of slogans can appear threatening and aggressive. We must gauge the situation and act accordingly. We will not assume that anyone will use violence against us and will not wear protective equipment. Some people consider destruction of property to be violent, but we do not think that the peaceful and safe destruction and dismantling of inherently violent property is a violent act. Indeed we think it is a peaceful, necessary and responsible act of nonviolence.

5. We will carry no weapons. Any tools we have with us for disarmament work will not be used in way which is threatening to any person. For instance it may be appropriate to lay tools down and show open and empty hands if any security personnel come towards us.

6. I will not bring or use alcohol or drugs (other than for medical purposes) to any Trident Ploughshares camp or action.

This includes the consumption or use of any of the above off-site while sleeping at a TP camp or planning to take any part in an action.

Note: People who attend events away from the camp which involve the use of alcohol or drugs are asked to sign out of the camp and not to return until clear of the effects of these substances.

This is a rule for all Trident Ploughshares gatherings. This is so that all participants can feel totally safe. If the police come to visit us they will also be able to trust us all. Ensuring safety and nonviolence is the sole purpose of this aspect of the Pledge. It is not intended to say anything positive or negative about these substances in general or in reference to people’s lifestyles.

7. We will respect all the various agreements concerning the actions.

These nonviolence and safety guidelines in the Handbook are the non-negotiable ground-rules for the whole project. However, some decisions and agreements will have to be made as we go along, especially at the Representatives Meetings that are held every six months.

2.4 Joint Responsibility

Often in nonviolent resistance work, the State Authorities try to prevent the success of a campaign by ’taking out’ those whom they consider to be leaders or by randomly selecting a few individuals. They may threaten just a few people with very severe legal consequences, which probably will not materialise, although it may take several years before the final outcome is known. In the interim other supporters may be demoralised or scared and this can lead to uncertainty and a loss of morale.

Often in such campaigns information is held by a few individuals. One danger in this is that if certain key people are ’removed’ (by being held on remand awaiting trial for instance) important information necessary for the campaign is lost. Also, when information is held by just a few individuals, the other campaigners are not fully involved or engaged and unhealthy power structures can develop.

To help prevent these problems all relevant information will be given to everyone. In any case this is a fully open Ploughshares action, and information-sharing with all participants and with the police, courts and authorities is to be encouraged. We have absolutely nothing to hide - we are upholding international law and trying to be ethical human beings. This Handbook is an example of the sharing of information about structure and decision-making as well as about technical and legal information. All Pledgers have up-to-date lists of names and addresses of everyone in Trident Ploughshares. TP activists include both active supporters and active disarmers. If the Core Group is held on remand for Conspiracy (this is possible, however unlikely) the other activists will be able to contact each other and decide on a new Core Group and go on from there. We have no leaders, only people willing to co-ordinate various necessary items of work. If anyone wants to have any information that is not in this Handbook then please ask one of the current members of the Core Group (Part 2.1.1). We also have a website that is kept updated on a regular basis.

We shall be trying to experiment with what it means to be fully and jointly responsible for each other as fellow global citizens engaged in peaceful disarmament action together. We will, according to our capacities, try to take responsibility for each other and share any personal and legal consequences that result from our peaceful Ploughshares work. Each affinity group will need to explore the concept of joint responsibility and decide for themselves how to interpret it. We will be able to check in with each other at the various Representatives Meetings that are held roughly every six months. Minutes of these meetings are sent to all Pledgers. The overall decisions for TP are made at these meetings, so each group should send a representative - otherwise only the core group is making the decisions, which is not fair on them or you.

The Authorities know that most people get tired quite quickly and do not have much staying power. They will not be used to activists who can keep up their joint protest, support each other and continually go back to their actions however many times they are arrested. Many protesters will stop once they have been arrested. We will hopefully continue until imprisoned. We are serious about disarmament - this is not just a one-off day demonstration but a concerted group attempt to disarm a nuclear system. Individually we have had to come to terms with the possibility (however unlikely) of maybe some years in prison because of our commitment to do this Ploughshares action. This means that as a group we have the possibility of a very unusual and high level of commitment. The Authorities will have to bear this in mind as they discuss how to respond to our actions. We will know that, whatever their decision, we will be doing our bit towards disarmament. Hopefully the picture of possibly several hundred Ploughshares activists in British jails will help galvanise the general public into the final public pressure needed to achieve complete disarmament.

Joint responsibility does need thinking about. Does joint responsibility mean just being morally responsible or are we responsible for helping each other pay fines and compensation orders? How reasonable is it for all groups to be responsible for paying compensation for damages for millions of pounds worth of damage when perhaps most individual affinity groups opted to do minimum damage of only a few hundred pounds worth? Perhaps the most important contribution every group can make is to continue with as many disarmament actions as possible regardless of how few or many of us end up in prison? If a few people are picked off and charged, should the rest go to court and disrupt it by continually getting up and saying we are also guilty of upholding international law so that we all get done for contempt of court? Should we blockade the courts and prisons or should we rather put our efforts into more disarmament acts? Maybe you can ponder all of these options and discuss them with your group? Remember, your group can make its own autonomous decisions as long as they are within the groundrules.

2.5 Ploughshares Activists/Individual Pledgers

Ploughshares activists are being sought by word of mouth and by the use of leaflets and the Invitation to Join Trident Ploughshares (see Part 9.10). Please feel free to distribute copies wherever you feel appropriate. We will try to place the new Ploughshares activist in an affinity group if they do not have one themselves or cannot form one locally. We are insisting that people work in affinity groups because a small group where people can get to know one another well is much more likely to provide the close support that is needed, we will be less easily infiltrated by agents-provocateurs, and also because each group is autonomous and should be able to adapt easily to sudden changes in circumstances.

Although a certain amount of overall support will be provided by the Core Group (working out the overall structures, producing the materials, facilitating the mass gatherings, doing the national and international press work, monitoring the police cells and court hearings, acting as a focal point for information sharing for instance), nevertheless there is not the funding nor the resources nor the desire to have a centralised, authoritarian structure. Such a structure could be easily broken up by outsiders and could be very disempowering for participants. Each affinity group is independent and can develop its own particular character. All the Core Group is doing is providing the general framework and facilitating the process so that all of our affinity groups can act powerfully together to disarm the Trident system. Our mindful and considered co-operation within our diversity is our strength. It will be as good as each affinity group makes it. We are all responsible together. If any of the more centralised infrastructure breaks down the ’default position’ always remains with the affinity groups who are self-sufficient and autonomous.

The Core Group will have the ultimate responsibility of deciding which individuals and affinity groups may join Trident Ploughshares. They will be advised by each individual, each affinity group and also by the facilitators of the Nonviolence and Safety Workshops who pass on their recommendations to the Core Group after each workshop. At least one Core Group worker will liaise with each affinity group and be their special contact person. This will be an open process with all reasons frankly given and nothing hidden. It is meant as a way of weeding out agent provocateurs and terrorists and of helping affinity groups free themselves of people with whom they feel very uncomfortable. It is not meant to disempower people from taking part but purely as a means of making sure that our action is as responsible and safe as possible.

Individuals and groups will be able to join Trident Ploughshares at any time, but will not be officially recognised and registered as TP activists until all individuals have,

2.6 Affinity Groups

Each affinity group for Trident Ploughshares contains between three and fifteen Ploughshares activists, who have signed the Pledge to Prevent Nuclear Crime and the Nonviolence and Safety Pledge and engage in the disarmament work. The affinity group is small so that discussions, participation and support can flow more easily. Larger groups tend to be dominated by just a few people and those left out of the discussion often do not have a chance to have their needs met or to contribute equally.

The structure of affinity groups also allows a wide diversity of styles, beliefs and cultures to flower. Each individual should think very carefully about the kind of affinity group that they wish to join or create. There could be special religious/spiritually focussed groups from any or all faiths, mixed nationality, or international affinity groups. There could be theatre and music-centred or circus-trained affinity groups. There could be those based on old friendship circles or purely on geographical convenience. There could be special groups for those with physical disabilities, or for grandmothers, or conscientious objectors, or veterans of past wars, pensioners or scientists, if they wish it. Or there could be country-based groups for those outside the UK or based on specific peace or environment or human rights action groups.

The special nature of your affinity group will influence the way in which you do your Ploughshares action and also what you can offer to the whole campaign. For instance those with entertainment skills may entertain us all and only do their disarmament action after most groups have already been arrested. Those with a spiritual focus may want to provide a prayerful atmosphere for everyone before or whilst doing their action. Those with special circus skills may want to help others gain access to the base!

If some people do not fit comfortably into the affinity group to which they have been assigned or which they have joined, they should contact the Core Group to try to find another one. This is not a failure on the part of the individual or the group. Affinity groups are very personal and some combinations do not bring out the best in the personalities involved. It is best to admit this and find another group. Hopefully everyone will be able to find some people to feel comfortable with and establish their particular niche.

Taking nonviolent action with a group needs thorough preparation including discussing what each of you may consider to be violent. It is often useful to do this with an outside facilitator which is one of the reasons we asked Turning the Tide to help facilitate a two-day workshop to explore nonviolence.

Groups that have been in existence for several years are also encouraged to go deeper and call on facilitators for further exploration of nonviolence. The need for continual thought, reflection and development of group skills is stressed.

(GIF, 35.6 kb)

2.6.1 Nonviolence and Safety Workshops

Each affinity group attends a two-day workshop, led by two facilitators who themselves will have undergone training. The purpose of these workshops is to explore the nonviolence and safety issues involved in disarming the Trident system and to enable each individual and group to prepare for their involvement. The intention is for all TP activists to have a similar workshop experience. A variety of techniques are offered, including roleplay, and the workshop includes:

  sharing understandings of Trident Ploughshares
  exploration of what we mean by nonviolence
  personal fears and boundaries
  individual and group commitment
  decision-making in the group and group dynamics
  group maintenance and preparation for involvement in Trident Ploughshares

Nonviolence and Safety Workshops will be arranged on the receipt of a Workshop Request Form. To book your Workshop and to help the facilitators to prepare, please fill in the Form in Part 9.3. Further copies are available from Trident Ploughshares, 42-46 Bethel St, Norwich, NR2 1NR.

Undealt-with feelings create

out-of-proportion reactions

2.6.2 Process of the Group

The process in the affinity groups should be watched carefully as none of us is perfect! It is advisable to meet regularly and get to know each other well. Maybe a week-end meeting every month or an evening meeting every week will be necessary for you to prepare yourselves at first, although when you get to know each other, meetings need not be so frequent. It may be a good idea to make sure that at every meeting you have different people taking on some of the following roles to watch your process and help raise any problems before they become unmanageable. Taking turns at the various roles helps individuals experience different facets of the group’s behaviour and strengthens the group. Roles could include:-

  A meeting facilitator who works out the agenda with the other group members before the meeting and who helps to keep the group focused on the issues in the agenda. A facilitator is different from a chairperson in that s/he actively shares power with the group as a whole - helping the group to find its own will and continually giving control back to the group so that each member shares responsibility for what happens.
  A vibes watcher who observes emotional under-currents and reflects them back to the group (brings them out into the open) if they are affecting the group process. For example, the vibes watcher might pick up on conflict and try to mediate it with the group’s help or they might note when the group becomes tired and suggest a quick break or a game.
  An ’ism’ watcher or oppression watcher who notes and raises with the group any presence of racism, ageism, sexism or other power games. They also note insufficient care given to people with special needs. For instance, noting that a physical exercise suggested could not be done by someone present with a certain physical disability.
  A time-keeper to keep you all on the ball and make sure your agenda is completed. Make sure you always plan in some social time so your meetings are always fun as well as business oriented.
  A note-taker who records your decisions and makes sure everyone has a copy so you all know what decisions you have taken!

2.6.3 Consensus Decision Making

Making decisions is crucial and it would be good if every group worked by consensus. Decision making by voting leaves a minority dissatisfied and feeling it has lost: Compromise can leave everyone dissatisfied, because no one gets what s/he wants. Decision-making by consensus, on the other hand, should encourage a synthesis of everyone’s ideas, incorporating everyone’s best thinking.

All participants need to be committed to consensus if it is to work as it can be easily undermined by either passive or dominating behaviour. Strong but neutral facilitation is necessary in order to clarify and synthesise opinions and test areas of agreement. Consensus decision-making is not a recipe for quick or efficient decision-taking; it can be very time-consuming, and the larger the number of people the worse that becomes. It is not therefore suitable for use on all occasions. Affinity groups need to have agreed other methods to use for those occasions when decisions have to be made very quickly.

A decision made by consensus only goes ahead if everyone is willing to accept it as right for the group and its members. Any one person can block a decision and this sometimes leads to a much better decision being made in the end. People need to take care to use this ’power of veto’ sparingly and responsibly and it is always helpful to try to put forward alternatives when you disagree. Consensus decision-making is especially crucial when individuals in the group are taking the responsibilities and risks involved in a Ploughshares action. No-one should be out-voted on an issue which may lead to them spending years in prison. Everyone in the group must be totally comfortable with the decisions even if it takes a long time. Everyone must also stand by the decisions once they have been made.

’Go-rounds’ and ’talking-sticks’ (Part 2.6.4) are tools that help consensus decision-making. It is essential to formulate the decision or proposal clearly and in simple language so that everyone is clear what the consensus involves. Complex decisions should be broken down into simpler, more manageable decisions so that you can find out where the differences and disagreements are.

Sometimes for larger meetings we use the ’fish-bowl’ technique for making consensus decisions. Representatives from each affinity group, with their group sitting behind them, sit in a circle. The discussion is only carried out by the representatives but everyone can hear it. When necessary the whole affinity group calls back their representative to discuss or make a decision and then the representative returns to the circle. The circle works by consensus, as do the affinity groups. There can be several embedded fish-bowls for really large groups.

The kinds of decisions you will be making by consensus within your affinity group include what kind of disarmament action you will be doing and how, what roles you will each take, who will be your affinity group representative, what your affinity group name is, what your group commitment (Part 2.6.6) will be and when and how you will do your follow-up actions.

When not to use consensus

When there is no group mind

A group thinking process cannot work effectively unless the group is cohesive enough to generate shared attitudes and perceptions. When deep divisions exist within a group, or when members don’t value the group’s bonding over their individual desires, consensus becomes an exercise in frustration.

When there are no good choices.

Consensus process can help a group find the best possible solution to a problem , but it is not an effective way to make an either-or choice between evils, for members will never be able to agree which is worse. If the group has to choose between being shot and hung, flip a coin.

When a group gets bogged down trying to make a decision, stop for a moment and consider: ’Are we blocked because we are given an intolerable situation? Are we being given the illusion, but not the reality, of choice? Might our most empowering act be to refuse to participate in this farce?’

When they can see the whites of your eyes.

In emergencies, in situations where urgent and immediate action is necessary, appointing a temporary leader may be the wisest course of action.

When the issue is trivial.

I have known groups to devote half an hour to decide by consensus whether to spend forty minutes or a full hour at lunch. Remember, consensus is a thinking process - where there is nothing to think about, flip a coin.

When the group has insufficient information.

When you’re lost in the hills, and no-one knows the way home, you cannot figure out how to get there by consensus. Send out scouts, ask: ’Do we have the information we need to solve this problem? Can we get it?’ From Starhawk’s Truth or Dare

Alternatives to the veto/block

Vetoing/blocking a proposal that has enjoyed a lot of discussion and synthesis is a serious act. It should be done thoughtfully, and on the basis of principled argument - about ethics, facts, likely consequences, relevant strong emotions - rather than on the basis of minor preferences or egotistical impulses. When the decision-making process has looped a couple of times, taking different opinions into account, creating modifications, and still you disagree with what’s on offer, you might consider other forms of objection which don’t hold up the group’s process:

  Non-support: - ’I don’t see the need for this but I’ll go along with it.’
  Reservations (recorded in the minutes if so desired):- ’I think this may be a mistake but I can live with it.’
  Standing aside:- ’I personally can’t do this, but I won’t stop others from doing it.’
  Withdrawing from the group.

A process for consensus decision-making

(GIF, 5.4 kb)

From workshops based on the work of the Philadelphia Life Center and Resource manual for a Living Revolution (Coover, Deacon, Esser and Moore.)

2.6.4 Small Group Work

Games, breaks and good food are always useful tools for groups!

  Agenda. It is a good idea to prepare and distribute an agenda in advance so that people can prepare their presentations and think through their opinions. Items should be prioritised and each session timed so that everything important does get done It is important to vary the pace and mood by moving from serious to light, long to short, practical to theoretical. It is also helpful to leave some ’overflow time’ between items. If you are seriously over-running, the facilitator will need to negotiate how best to proceed. The following tools are for encouraging positive participation and discussion.
  Presentations. It can help having a person who prepares an introduction to a particular topic and who then presents it to the group. This person can also try to sum up at the end or help the group formulate any proposals or decisions that have to be made relating to the topic. It is a good idea if each topic on the agenda is presented by a different person so that the responsibility is shared.
  Brainstorm. This is a tool for generating lots of creative and imaginative ideas on a given subject within a tight time-limit of 5-10 minutes. Everyone is invited to make specific suggestions about a chosen subject but as briefly as possible, not going into too much detail. Contributions are written down on a big piece of paper. Then at the end when everyone has run out of ideas, these are read back to the group and discussed in more detail. The rules of a brainstorm are: no comments on other people’s contributions during the brainstorm and no censoring by the note-taker. The idea is to get one’s creativity going and to get lots of ideas down in a short time. Even a bad idea can trigger a good one by someone else. The good ideas can then later be used in lots of different ways.
  Go-round. This is where each person in turn has the opportunity to say something on a given subject. If you do not want to say anything then, just pass onto the person next to you. A variation on this is the Feelings Go-round where everyone says how they are feeling.
  Talkingstick.Astick, feather or some other object is used by whoeveris speaking and whilst they are holding it no-one can interrupt. When they have finished they place it in a central spot and whoever feels they want to speak next takes it and soon.
  Silence. Don’t forget to say how long the silence is for, unless the group can feel how long is needed.
  Pair-work. After discussing things in pairs, everyone comes back together again to summarise what they have been talking about.
  Readings. If it is longer than a few sentences bring along photocopies so that everyone can follow it.
   Free-discussion. Hopefully a time when everyone is given a fairly equal opportunity to contribute.
   Videos. Can be useful as discussion stimulators or for sharing information.
   Evaluations. To give feed-back to the facilitator. Evaluations are also a way to develop democracy in the group and encourage continual improvements. You can use many tools to evaluate. One suggestion is a go-round saying one good thing and one bad thing about the meeting or session or asking for suggested improvements.
  Role-plays. Several people enact a particular situation. They take on roles as a preparation for encountering a similar situation or evaluating a past one (eg. police violence on an action, or crawling through razor wire and a police dog being let loose, or being interviewed by the security after arrest). It is important to make the scenarios and the roles involved quite specific and clear. Give people a bit of time to prepare and get into role and tell them how long the role-play will run. When you finish the role-play or interrupt it to allow people to change roles. The participants will need time to get out of role, perhaps by saying goodbye to their role-play character or by introducing themselves to the group again with their own name. You can try the scenario several times, trying out different reactions. Then everyone, including the ’actors’ and ’spectators’, discusses the role-play and reflects on what they have observed, felt or thought. There should be plenty of time for the discussion after the role-play - at least twice as long as the running time of the role-play itself. Be careful when role-playing stressful situations, as people can get carried away and deep emotions can surface. Check out the advice on role-play in some of the manuals listed at the end of the section if you are serious about using this powerful technique well.

2.6.5 Outline Programme for Affinity Groups

Taking nonviolent action can be difficult because we are challenging our own obedience which constrains our beliefs about what is possible. Get to know each other. Talk about how you got involved, the steps which led you this far, your hopes and fears, best and worst case scenarios. Use your time to build up trust and friendship within the group. Discuss your concerns and worries - of doing the action, of possibly getting arrested, being injuncted, being in the media limelight. Talk about how to cope with the responsibility that comes with becoming more powerful. Start making practical preparations where possible. Establish how much time each person has to contribute. It is important to be realistic and honest about what you can offer so that the group can look for more people if necessary. Be aware that your commitment may be needed for quite some time before, during and after the action with varying levels of intensity.

Each affinity group will work out its own plan of study and preparation, but may well wish to include some of the following topics in their preparations:

Working through the video and Handbook;

Getting to know each other and building your group:

  sharing life-histories and personal backgrounds
  naming your affinity group
  deciding on a particular focus or role for your group
  exploring long-term availability of each member
  exploring limits to each person’s involvement
  deciding on the group pledge of commitment and how to sustain action over several years
  exploring your fears about prison and working out strategies for coping
  sharing experience of arrest and imprisonment
  role-playing possibilities;

Planning the group’s disarmament action(s):

  deciding what actions you wish to do and what actions you do not
  deciding the when, where and how of your actions
  deciding whether you will work together or as several smaller groups
  working out your action/access equipment needs
  role-playing various action scenarios
  working through the legal briefings;

Practicalities:

  choosing a liaison person who will communicate with the Core Group and will represent you at the Representatives meeting
  applying for the two-day nonviolence and safety ’empowering’ workshop and arranging it
  deciding if you want further help or support from the facilitators or Core Group
  finding other local people willing to act in support roles
  fund-raising
  deciding who will be the e-mail contact for the group and contribute to the discussion forum
  finding a local solicitor who will give free legal advice
  getting in contact with the legal support group and getting the legal updates;

Practice:

  writing letters to your Head of State
  trying out negotiation and dialogue by lobbying your local MP
  local press work to explain your group’s actions.
  do lots of disarmament actions

2.6.6 Affinity Group Commitment

Ideally we would like every TP Pledger to:

  come to every three monthly open disarmament gathering which may be at Faslane/Coulport or Aldermaston, and make continual disarmament attempts;
  do a secret maximum damage disarmament action at Faslane or Coulport;
  do secret and open disarmament actions at another Trident related site.

However, you will be glad to know that we appreciate that this is too much to ask of most of you! Therefore we would like you realistically to assess your commitments and convey them to the Core Group who will then have a good idea of what will be happening and be in a position to advise and deal with press and contingency plans.

References and Acknowledgements

2.3 Nonviolence and Safety Guidelines

Advice from the Swedish Ploughshares movement was useful here.

Turning The Tide - a Quaker programme on nonviolent social change - various briefing sheets - Quaker Peace and Service.

Safe in Our Hands, Royal Navy Ammunition Depot Coulport
  Faslane Peace Camp and Scottish CND, July 1993.

2.5 Ploughshares Activists/Individual Pledgers

Turning The Tide - a Quaker programme on nonviolent social change - various briefing sheets - Quaker Peace and Service.

Hope and Resistance Handbook, May 1997, Volzendorf, Germany - Stephen Hancock.

Resource Manual for a Living Revolution - Cooper, Deacon, Esser and Moore. New Society Publishers (USA), 1981.

Recommended Further Reading

A Resource Manual For a Living Revolution - Virginia Coover, Charles Esser, Ellen Deacon and Christopher Moore, New Society Publishers, Philadelphia, USA, 1981.

Co-operative and Community Group Dynamics or your meetings needn’t be so appalling - Rosemary Rendell and John Southgate. Barefoot Books (London), 1981.

Defence in the Nuclear Age - Stephen King-Hall, Gollanz, London, 1958.

Despair and Personal Power in the Nuclear Age - Joanna Macy, New Society Publishers (USA) 1983.

Manual for Action - Martin Jelfs (revised by Sandy Merritt), Action Resources Group, 1982.

The Tyranny of Structurelessness - Jo Freeman, 1984, in Untying the Knot, Dark Star Press and Rebel Press, London.

War Resisters League and Organisers Manual - Ed Hedeman, War Resisters League, New York, 1981.

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Part 2

2001-00-00

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