Get Involved
We welcome all levels of involvement, whether you want to just help out for the afternoon or would like to commit long term.
Members of ŌPCo are also owners, not each owning a share of the organisation but collectively owning everything. Members can also be extended access to all accounts and information associated with the coop. This means membership comes not only with opportunity but with responsibility.
How to Join
- Come hang out for a few days, see how we do things and where you might fit.
- Find a Member who is willing to take you on as their inductee. They will be responsible for inducting you and be your point of contact for any queries about the kaupapa.
How We Work
Our central decision making principle is: Decisions are made by those affected.
For us this usually means decisions are made by those doing the work. It means the cook chooses what dish to make and the painter chooses the colour of the window frame.
To this end we use a decision making method called consensus. Rather than majority rule or unanimous decision making, which can expose those affected to the whims of those uninvolved, consensus seeks permission to take action where there is no reasoned objection. This allows for informed risk-taking, adaptability and accountability at every level.
The other side of this coin is a need for self-direction if you wish to action something that no one else is excited about but doesn't object to - there is no machinery that will do it for you. You have access to the cooperative's resources and people will tend to help if something is being actioned and they think it is viable and important.
ŌPCo is divided into Syndicates, each engaged in an activity. The current active syndicates are:
- Farming
- Events
- Kitchen
- Bakery
- Media
The creation of a Syndicate just requires a Member wanting an activity to have its own space for discussion, decisions and action. Just as individuals decide for themselves about things that affect them, Syndicates can make decisions about things that affect their activities.
All decisions, whether made by Members, Syndicates or the group at large, must be governed by the kaupapa: best incapsulated in the Manifesto, the Constitution, and the Safer Spaces policy (please read these). Syndicates may prepare additional documents that govern them, such as the Kitchen Syndicate's "Food for a Post-capitalist Future." All of these documents can and should be amended to fit the aims, values and actions of the cooperative.
