Who should get a vote/say on the direction of Nest and how it is run
This was a discussion point during the community meeting and I think is the first step to transforming Nest/the-org into whatever it is we want it to be (until we figure out how to make/devolve decisions most of the discussions were having are academic).
Does anyone who purchases a ticket have a vote? Should it go to a select few?
I’m personally of the opinion that a first year sparkle pony should not have the same say as someone who has say been a site lead four years running.
I believe that those who are participants/contributors and not merely spectators should get votes. Did a volunteer shift? Worked as part of the core team? Had an approved art project? Brought a theme camp? Etc... get a vote
Tom Allen Tue 18 Jun 2019 8:04PM
everyone who has bought a ticket for nest ever should get a vote if you want a specific answer to that exact questions. but as i keep saying, voting is a terrible idea and there are better ways to solve issues
Samuel Farleigh Tue 18 Jun 2019 9:30AM
I really like this discussion and I think it is important to have. I agree with Tom but I also don't think that there should be any obstacles from people getting involved. I don't see why the voting decision process isn't getting involved. Perhaps the politics of the event and organisation/community is someone's way of getting involved. I disagree with the notion of someone who has been to many burn events being more important than someone at the first event. This will cause people to feel excluded and leave the community to stagnate like Tom mentioned. I feel we need to take the opposite view. Everyone who wants a vote has a vote open it up as much as possible do everything we can to bring this decision making process out into the open and stop trying to control anything. This is the beauty of the burn community radical inclusion. If the burning principles are not lived by in all parts of the event including organisation then it's not living by its own principles. I also think the question of what are we afraid of is the most important question. To view someone who's been around for a while or who finds it easy to lead as having more of an importance just because they may be more confident or had more opportunities to learn is going down the same road as the unfair society that we currently live. Keep it open stay inclusive support people to get involved.
Bess Tue 25 Jun 2019 12:01PM
I think everyone who has attended one event and intends to attend another should get a vote. I don't think someone who has not yet attended the event is likely to have a good understanding of where a decision is coming from - but there should definitely be a possibility of them expressing concerns or interests to steer a decision, particularly if they represent a minority perspective that faces barriers to attend the event. I think someone who comes to one Nest, hates it, and doesn't want to come again, shouldn't be voting, though they are welcome to share their criticisms to the community.
I'd really like to be able to work on the assumption of 100% contribution - not that 100% contribute in the same way, but that everyone has bought into the idea of an event where all participants contribute in a range of ways, including shifts, including year round organisation, including creating and sharing art and spaces within the event. Of course, in reality, some people have been dealing with the tricky reality of putting on the event for years, and are going to be better informed than others, and I hope that their opinion will be given due weight by others in the community and so will have significant influence on votes (see below).
It would be good to be able to encourage engagement with the issue before voting- to have an executive summary of the current situation, the changes proposed, and arguments for and against - provided for any significant issue to be voted on.
I also support there being an option to stand aside - to simply say that you're not well enough informed to support or disagree - to discourage voting for the sake of voting if someone doesn't have a strong or evidence based opinion.
Daniel Hurley · Mon 17 Jun 2019 5:11PM
Again Tom, I'm enquiring who gets a vote/say, not about the system. Who do you think? Anyone who buys a ticket? Someone who volunteers? Core team only?