FridaysforFuture Understanding, Advice & Objections: SOS processes



'Everyone is welcome! Everyone is needed!'



  1. Proposal submission to moving forward

Our goal is to act with autonomy and within the bounds of the Vision proposal, Declaration of Understanding and NDC statement, FFF uses Self Organising Systems.


Method Goal:
We try to be less binary than Yes/No, less factional than For/Against. Voting if used is for detailed minor points. And if and only if the Understanding, Advice and Objection process has been used and documented.


1.1 Proposal drawn up by one or two individuals.
1.1.1 Proposal discussed in the local work group, using the Understanding, Advice and Objection process

1.2 Wider work group and Impacted work groups are asked to also use the Understanding, Advice and Objection process.  


1.3 Meeting to move forward, ‘good enough for now, to try’:
1.3.1 Meeting called
1.3.2 Facilitator appointed
1.3.2.1 Understanding - a facilitator guides the process of checking everyone understands the proposal and its implications — particularly for them and their mandates.
1.3.2.1 Advice - Then the facilitator invites reactions to the proposal.

1.3.2.3 Finally they ask for any objections. We avoid majority rule — voting — or minority rule — veto. Objections are only valid if they convincingly show that harm would arise from the proposal (for example: if a group would no longer be able to exercise its mandate, that would be harm). “I don’t think that’s going to work” is a reaction that the proposer may or may not take on when implementing the proposal, but it is not a valid objection.

Also, as consensus gathering and meetings about objections can become more than one and then the process of compromise complex, it is good practice to limit further discussions to only outstanding objections.

1.3,3 When there are only minor objections outstanding then this is documented in the minutes and the meeting can be closed and the proposal moves forward.



  1. Build a Mandate for a role or circle

Process to build Mandates for each workgroup

https://cryptpad.fr/pad/#/2/pad/edit/yA+7R6uwJs37FZYBXZixefQR/

a. Facilitator checks for understanding - relative to their mandate.

b. Advice round

c. Respond to Advice

d. objection round

e. Is it 'good enough for now, safe enough to try'?

Many people often try to be helpful and give feedback which is general in nature.  

If a feedback is not stated to be either Advise or an Objection, and it is related to a specific reason then just thank them for there input and treat it as a comment and there is no real need to say more.


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Fridays For Future Contact Information, References, and Version Information

Contact Information
email: map@fridaysforfuture.org

Admin:These pages are open and free, printing and sharing of them is uninhibited, with reference to the page and credit to Fridays for future and the authors. Requests to edit, change or correct any contents may be emailed to map@fridaysforfuture.org


Fridays for Future is a growing and learning movement, therefore the pages above might still be under development or be proposals or suggestions

References Home of FridayforFuture Workgroups, Manuals and Documents
https://extinctionrebellion.uk/act-now/resources/sos/
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12FXgfE8ImakjJzAPdbR4nWdauOQi4ukxF9fLzXnH5_A/edit?tab=t.0

Add Advice and Objections Here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16UOZPQhGG4CGsWAc53yxUnc9vxV8sZ_us8JG9MFiC2E/edit?tab=t.0


Version Information
Draft: Janine O'Keeffe 2025, August
Proposal 1: Janine O'Keeffe after:

  1. Open for objections and advice before moving forward proposal 1 until 10/11/2025

  2. Answers for objections and advice for Proposal 1 available on 20/11/2025

  3. Proposal 2 2026 quarter 1 close for objections and advice.

Dates and plans may change: please see slack for details about these plans.
To join the slack please accept the FridaysforFuture Joint Signature Proposal