Sociocracy
Sociocracy combines consent decision-making, a decentralized system of authority and intentional processes to improve our decisions and processes over time into a governance system that supports effective and efficient process while increasing connection, listening and co-creation among members.
The Rewild Project are striving to create a land-based community of skilled craftspeople and land-workers who do not need to rely on a centralised decision making structure. Our goal is to set up a sister project - a workers co-op where we will fundraise via a community share offer to acquire funds to purchase land and set up a community land trust - a true shared ownership.
Each person who donates £100 or £10,000 each receives 1 vote regardless of how much they invest. Further to this - voting power of the collective of investors will be limited to 30%. The people in the co-operative, living and working together will have 70% of the voting power.
People will not need to invest to be part of the collective - nor will people in the CIC ecosystem have to join the workers co-op or live on the land - but they will support each other nonetheless.
This is the best way we have found so far of having a true shared ownership model. Many communities get bogged down in long drawn out meetings and power struggles where everyone has to agree in a consensus, In this model the ideas that people are excited to bring to the table get watered down to make everyone happy, and excitement becomes stagnant.
Sociocracy offers a way forwards from this - where people are free to take action in absence of causing harm - but it will take some work whilst we learn the processes and distribute the decision making and the power.
We are a CIC at the moment - a Community Interest Company - this means that directors have certain legal responsibilities and a moral responsibility to the community we serve. We are striving to create semi-autonomous self-managing teams.
Sociocracy is not without a hierarchy - there will always be people who are more experienced, or do more hours - but we are moving away from a traditional pyramid style hierarchy to become more of an evolving ecosystem of inter-connected bubbles who support one and other whilst working towards a shared vision.
We recognise that this model is not for everyone - it requires commitment to the shared goals, self development and stepping out of ones comfort zone.
We are absolute committed to finding a new and effective governance system and we are investing ion training and coaching with Sociocracy For All.
Read more of their introductory resources here - over the next few months all of our new crew and volunteers will go through this training as part of their induction into The Rewild Project.
For opportunities to join us you can come along to one of our open access sessions and begin learning how to Rewild yourself with heritage crafts and land based skills Tuesday to Friday - see what sessions are being run and fill our a self-referral form HERE
And if you would like to join us in a paid or volunteer capacity check our our current vacancies HERE