History
The Third Siders Group was created by Well-Being members who wanted more skill to support neighbors in the midst of conflict or misunderstanding. After the initial workshop, including local Co-Housing communities, a group was formed with the intention of learning more, building skills, and offering support to any community in need. Since the group was comprised of mostly Nylanders, in time the focus narrowed to just supporting issues at Nyland. A sub-group of Well-Being was formed and the Third Siders name adopted from William Ury’s book and approach to working with conflict.
The first task of the new CAG was bringing old agreements up to date to reflect what was current in the Nyland culture and experience. The first and most important community agreement to come out of this was the Conflict Resolution Process passed in 2013, which is still being used. For several years this community agreement became the focus of the CAG’s work in order to develop the skills and culture needed to make the agreement viable. To broaden the possibilities of support, a website was created and a group of Coaches gathered to give Nylanders more diversity and options when they needed support.
Third Siders as a CAG, as coaches, as a community, continue to support each other, groups and the community as a whole in sorting out situations and issues where the normal flow of community life has been disrupted.
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Mission of the Third Sides CAG
To support all community members living our community values when respect for agreements decline and differences have turned into conflict.
WHAT WE DO
Support Community Members in Conflict
Third Siders Goal
Maintain connection to the wisdom within ourselves in a way that supports and empowers Nylanders to, in the spirit of our community values (2005), use the Conflict Resolution Process (2013) in working with differences of opinion and conflicts that support individuals, relationships and the community.
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Third Siders Objectives
1. To maintain a Third Siders CAG, to carry out its mission and to be the oversight for all that is done.
2.To support Nylanders in all roles they play in carrying out the Conflict Resolution Process.
3. To provide educational opportunities to learn and develop skills and knowledge that support Nylanders to consider and use the Conflict Resolution Process in the spirit of our community values.
4. Maintain a group of Nylanders that support the Third Siders CAG and the Nyland community in their work related to our mission and agreements.
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5. To offer support as volunteers with varied skills and with cohousing experience to keep the Nyland culture one that works toward healthier relationships amongst neighbors and as a community.
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6. To support and work with Nyland as a whole or with groups of Nylanders within the community to accomplish the following:
- to support specific situations that arise,
- to build a stronger, healthier community,
- to take preventative action when the potential exists for discord,
- and to educate and develop skills and understandings that support the community as it evolves and works with new situations that arise.