2025-2023 Minutes of the International Sociocracy Certification Board

Vision: A world where every voice matters in the decisions that affect them.

Mission: To support good quality implementations of sociocracy as a method of ensuring that every voice matters.

Aims:

  1. Creating and sustaining an International Sociocracy Certification Board and its website presence.
  2. Creating and sustaining an internationally recognized process with shared standards for publicly certifying consultants qualified to assist the implementation of sociocracy in organizations.
  3. Creating and sustaining an internationally recognized process for publicly identifying agencies qualified to assist the preparation of candidates for certification as sociocracy consultants.
  4. Supporting knowledge exchange and networking among consultants.

Domain

  1. Policies regarding certification of sociocracy consultants
  2. Policies regarding recognition of certifying agencies
  3. Serving as appeal Board for disputes regarding certification
  4. Website presence

Values

Links April

Zoom:https://zoom.us/j/745249345

Passcode 545804

Website:iscb.earth

iscb google drive folder (for Board members only)

Consultant Registration Responses 

Certified Consultant Registration form

Email to all currently certified consultants: consultants@iscb.earth

Bylaws and constitutions

ISCB Sociocratic Universe

Board Member Registration 

ISCB Finances

File

Emails

Index of Meetings

24 Sept 2025

1 July 2025

2025 Mar 26

2025 Jan 8

2024 Sept 30

2024 August 7

2024 May 30

2024 April 10

2024 February 12

2023 December 18

2023 October 20

2023 August 24

Jul 11, 2023

2023 May 10

2023 March 29

2023 Feb 15

2023 January 31

Key Dates

____________________________________________________

Backlog

Send messages out to certified people about every 6 months

John

2026-05

Review of management contract

Jerry

2024-?

Certifying trainers? Henny Freitas example

John

ISCB Sociocratic Universe 

Proposal (by John): explore this idea (that I’ve proposed for the SoFA conference in May - might or might not be accepted) and ask ourselves if we want to be a sponsor - perhaps even focus the next consultant’s conference on organizing it?

“A murmuration is a beautiful emergent formation of flocking birds. See http://tinyurl.com/murrm . There are now enough people around the world using sociocracy that it seems time to have a sociocracy murmuration - not just people teaching sociocracy but also individuals, businesses, associations, communities using it. Because sociocracy is a framework that invites many egalitarian cooperative methods: NVC, agile, permaculture, constellation work, Theory U, transformative learning, Imago, Steiner, restorative circles, etc, etc., let's invite them, too. The aim of this session is to kick around this murmuration idea some but mostly focus on how to organize such a global, emergent flocking event.”

description of implementing. Is that OK? Some do follow 9-step pattern. (John)

  • 4 phases are more detailed and understandable than the 9-steps, says Barbara. Phases 3 & 4 were aimed at supporting the sustainability of sociocracy implementation because many implementations were failing. The 4 phases were written in 2006. There is a copy in the Zentrum’s agency certification. Follow up next meeting.

______________________________________________________________________

Agenda/Minutes

Facilitation rotation: John, Jerry, Barbara

Consultant gathering planners rotation: SC, SoFA, GA

2025-11-17

Present: Barbara, Jerry, John, Nate, Ted, Florian

Opening round

Admin

Agenda

Closing

2025-09-24

At 8 am eastern / 14:00 CEST

Present: Barbara, Jerry, John, Nate, Ted

Opening round

Admin

Agenda

content

SoZe

SoFA

Initial training

Module 1 (15h) - overview of Soc & deeper focus on structure of mtg and consent decisions. Practice how to facilitate decision & and election. Proposal generation - a bit.

Overview of sociocracy (practitioner level)

In addition

  • Overview operational roles
  • Connection and listening
  • Interpersonal feedback

Write their own summary of what sociocracy is

Operating as a team & gaining experience

Module 2 (21h) - team, learn process, circle roles, doing project with an aim, eg cooking something, present something, etc, as a soc team.

Follow on - get experience with facilitating 10 meetings that include elections, peer learning - 4 times have a supervised peer learning group.  (½ day groups)

Then a development/certification talk.

Meeting structure

Module 1

Experience 10 times a meeting structure and report

  • Having facilitated sociocratic meeting structure 2x

Consent DM, including proposal cocreation

No focus on proposal cocreation

  • Having facilitated consent
  • Integrated an objection

Selection process

Module 1 teaching and training

  • Having facilitated 2 selection processes

Circle Structure

Module 2 experience with several teams and a general circle

  • VMA define
  • Circle structure basics 2x with aims/domains table

practice

10 meetings - reporting/evaluation/refelct

  • Serving as leader or delegate (ca. 5 sessions)
  • Serving as facilitator or secretary (ca. 5 sessions)

  • Facilitate a performance review 1x
  • Design/explain a minutes template
  • Facilitate proposal generation 2x
  • Reflection on sociocracy and equity

reflection

Subject of performance review for facilitator certification

Peer learning / community of practice

4x 4h with small groups plus a Cert. Consultant

2x 6 sessions in small groups

Development talk - cert meeting

Report with learning and self development

Subject of performance review for facilitator certification

Context

Practitioner certification before facilitator cert. Trainer cert before consultant. Badge system.

35 hours + peer learning

Academy: 24x2 = 48h plus prep, including peer learning

Follow on - periodic equivalent of COSE?

GA - occasional - eg around teaching/learning Circle Weaver

 

Closing & next steps

1 July 2025

At 11 eastern / 17,00 CEST

Present: Barbara, Jerry, John (facilitator)

Opening round

Admin

Agenda

Closing

Je: good meeting. Started with things we didnt understand and wrestled until we do understand. Wish we had more capacity

Jo: feel some emotion of gratitude. Amazed to find out that I missed something from Gerard. Grateful that you got it, Barbara, & can share it.

B: happy we are going deeper with our exchange. Thanks john for insisting in the meeting next week. Happy about the board game. Thanks for our collaboration

2025 Mar 26

At 8 eastern / 13,00 CET

Present: Barbara, Jerry, John (& a double link?)

Opening round

Admin

Agenda

These were the suggested topics. Those in bold are the ones we talked about.

What went well?

Better?

Closing

Text of Barbara’s email regarding Coordination Council  (remove after our meeting - as no need to retain it here)

Dear Father Edwin and all of you!

Thank you, John, for inviting me to the Coordination Council meeting. This allowed me to learn about the vision and goals of this group.

Unfortunately, this group is not what I thought it would be. I searched for "Connecting PWCP appearance for European public". Both in my personal conversation with Gnanasekar (before I was invited to join the Coordination Council) and in my conversation with John (before he invited me here), I didn't learn that this Coordination Council doesn't unite genuine neighborhood-based and sociocracy-based organizations, but rather all kinds of NGOs that implement various approaches to establishing children's parliaments of all kinds.

For me, it is not enough if the selection of criteria for participation in this Council allows for the dispensing with both consent decisions and/or the neighborhood basis. In your Vision-Mission-Aim document I found (p. 2 "Values" 2. paragraph):

"Committing to and adhering to, at a minimum, one or all of the foundational principles of the Children’s Parliament movement, which encompass consent-based decision-making, the flexibility of both top-down and bottom-up federation models, and the empowerment of children to make decisions with minimal interference from adults."

It's far from my intention to change the purpose of this group. I understand very well that you've expanded this group to infect other organizations with other Children's Parliament approaches with the Neighborcracy approach.

We have many such "other" children's and youth parliaments in Europe, which come together through majority voting or self-appointed representatives from schools, NGOs, or political parties, and they are organized together in vast networks (without knowing anything about Sociocracy or Neighborocracy).

To influence these european networks I wanted to see the genuine neighborhood-based and sociocracy-based children's parliament movement united when I asked you, Edwin, for help. I thought Swarralakshmi and Gnanasekar were working toward the same goal: "Neighborhood-based sociocratic children's parliaments". When you, Swarna, in this last meeting wanted to found a group where people could learn exactly that, now I know, this is not. The learning materials will be very different if all participating NGOs bring there own. This will not focus only on the original Neighborocracy concept.

However, since this Coordinating Council unfortunately doesn't unite the sociocratic, neighborhood-based children's parliaments only, but rather all other concepts are gathered here, this Coordinating Council is not helpful in promoting the genuine Children's and Neigbourhood Parliament movement, which we in Europe called SONEC - Sociocratic Neighborhood Circles.

I'm sorry I was wrong when I thought the Coordinating Council was concerned with the CP movement as I learned it from you, Fr. Edwin, and continuously from Joseph Rathinam. Anna Kersting's film also showed this neighborhood-based approach. The terms "Neighborhoodcracy" and "PNP" (Provisional Neighborhood Parliaments) used here, also led me to believe that this approach was being promoted through your Coordination Council.

Now I've read the vision and goals and realized that this is about something different. All the different approaches of CPs should be united here.

I'm naturally disappointed, but I will still attend the next meeting of your Coordination Council on April 21st.

There, I'll be happy to inform the participants about an alternative that we will implement on our SONEC.org website. With the help of networking with Joseph Rathinam and Nathaniel Whitestone, SoZeAT will create a page linking all NGOs worldwide that implement truly neighborhood-based, sociocratic neighborhood and children's parliaments. Only such organizations, through their (if possible networked) activities, can help us create true inclusion in Europe as well. Only sociocratically organized circles with consent and open election, based on neighborhoods, lead to inclusive participation by truly all residents, as well as genuine participation by all children and young people in a country. The other approaches already exist in abundance and in great diversity in Europe. Only a genuine Neighborcracy and Sociocracy approach will help us develop true inclusion.

I am glad that I now know the real purpose of the Coordination Council and will continue to explore ways in which India's sociocratic, neighborhood-based children's and youth parliaments can serve as a model for us in Europe.

Nevertheless I count on your all support going on working for this aim!

Warm regards,

Barbara

2025 Jan 8

At 8 eastern

Present: Barbara, Jerry, John

Opening round

Admin

Closing

B - looking forward to March consultant gathering.  Miss having agency progress reports.

Jo - like these meetings. Agenda was prepared by me at the last minute - could have been better prepared

Je - was confused about who was to be the facilitator. - appreciate that John prrepared the agenda. Godd we covered a lot of territory

2024 Sept 30

at 8 eastern 90 minutes

Present: Barbara, Jerry, John, last 20 minutes: Kathy Sipple

Opening round

Admin:

Agenda

Closing

2024 August 7

at 8 eastern 2 hours

Present: Barbara (F), Jerry, John

Opening round

Admin:

Agenda

Closing

2024 May 30

at 8 eastern 2 hours

Present: Barbara, Jerry (F), John

Opening round

Admin:

Agenda

Closing

2024 April 10

at 8 eastern 90 minutes

Present: Barbara, Jerry, Gyuri Barany (double link rep) John (F)

Opening round

Admin:

Agenda

Closing

Next facilitator is Jerry

B - exciting that we used sociocracy to find a solution to Gyuri’s objection

Je - good meeting. We do need more time to get past business and talk strategy about how things are developing

Jo - ditto - feels good to be with you. Bringing in reps will change the dynamics - but its a change that must be made at some point.

2024 February 12

at 8 eastern 90 minutes

Present: Barbara (F), Jerry, John

Opening round

Admin:

Agenda

Closing

Je - need to have re-read my own changes to be more ready. What took us so long?

Jo - will send email on my item.

B - satisfied. Did a new policy with process of certifying new agencies. Looking forward to grants from EU. looking forward to meeting again

2023 December 18

at 8 eastern 90 minutes

Present: Barbara, Jerry (F), John

Opening round

Admin:

Agenda

Closing

2023 October 20

Present: Barbara, Jerry, John(F)

Opening round

Admin:

Agenda

Closing

2023 August 24

7 am eastern

Present: Barbara, Jerry, John

Opening round

Admin:

Agenda

Jul 11, 2023

Agenda

Next meeting:

Review the conference

        Jerry: I liked the longer conversations. Don't remember it know, I like to have some impact.

        Barbara: Do not remember what happened but it was great. Took some written notes and sent it out. It was good to connect. I find my notes of “Theory of change”.

        John: I remember enjoying it.

Address # of basic principles

        John did find 3 principles in the first books of Gerard Endenburg.

        2002 when John was certified, Endenburg had 3 principles only. Open election had been included into the 1st principle “concent”. The second was “circles” and the third “double link”.

We the People published in 2007 had 3 principles; TSG norms has 4

SOFA has three principles

  1. Decision making by consent (includes selections by consent)
  2. Organization structure by linked circles (includes double link)
  3. Continuous evolution through feedback

Barbara: of organization creates delegate from bottom down do not need leader top down. But if you have a leader top down then need a delegate bottom up.

Florian has bylaws for associations and cooperatives and others.

Barbara says aim is to have governments recognize sociocracy as a legal form. Christian Ruether and Florian are woking on this. Want to bring this to an ISCB level. We now have a folder in iscb.earth for Bylaws and Constitutions

Jerry creates a folder for our statutes sample, bylaws, constitution, we all bring in our sociocratically bylaws.

Agency check-in

Next conference

        12 Jan 8am Eastern time (14:00 CET) … GA is hosting

Next meeting

        August 24 7-9 am eastern  John will facilitate

        

2023 May 10

8 am eastern

Present: Barbara, Jerry, John

Opening round

Admin:

Agenda

X. ISCB management 

  1. The fiscal agent for ISCB will be the Institute for Peaceable Communities, the charitable nonprofit that is the parent organization of Sociocracy For All (SoFA).
  2. The ISCB’s management agent will be Sociocracy For All (SoFA). Management activities to include:
  1. ISCB website development and maintenance
  2. Google Drive ISCB dedicated folder
  3. Establish and maintain a bank account for receipt/payment of funds and provide bookkeeping services.
  4. Producing certificates for approved consultants
  5. Respond to communication received at admin@iscb.earth
  6. Send recertification reminders to consultants certified as individuals
  1. SoFA will receive payment for its agent services as determined by the ISCB.
  2. The above agent agreements will be in writing and set for a three year period ending 31 December 2022.
  3. No later than 31 December 2022, the ISCB will review the roles of fiscal agent and management agent, adjust as needed, and renew the arrangements for another period or reassign the roles to another entity.
  4. There is a workflow document that records what Jerry is doing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RvaPECoQdmehf27zrUvI3Yw1SGf-FG9_yX3J5X_rGWc/edit

The pluses:

Things are going very well. Barbara and John feel secure and grateful.

To improve:

Things are going well.

Conclusion: continue for three more years

2023 March 29

8 am eastern

Present: Barbara, Jerry, John

Opening round

Admin:

Agenda

three topics simultaneously, 3 people to each take one:

ACTION: Jerry prepare a collective document. Otter? ChatAI?

Action: SoFA will send invite

  1. What students/clients tend to misunderstand (e.g. too much focus on policy not on operations)
  2. Implementation challenges - our experiences
  3. What's our theory of change in this work? (clarify) How do we imagine the process of sociocracy growing and changing the society? SoFA will include framing of what is meant by theory of change.

Schedule (tentative)

Barbara: invited by upper Austria consultant org. - spent two years how to do self-organization. They invited their clients to learn self-organization. Now an evangelical church after a year of thinking has started first pilots. Founded a team of 6 people that is running the program. Big event once with 90 people. There are now two implementation circles - one for senior care & the other for people with disease care. This will influence upper Austria bec they have many clients. (not yet in the highest mngt. level?)

John: children parliaments work in Belize to deal wth gang problem. Copllective impact approach with a tem including Circle Forward members. Meeting with Prime Minister of Belize this week.

Jerry: just continuing the work. 50 people in the Academy going towards facilitation certification. Ted is writing another book - stories from implementation. Working on translations of Many Voices One Song. Ted is making speeches at conferences. Jerry traveling again - in chicago client is christian community - income sharing - 130 people. Run a homeless shelter.

Closing

Link to May 4 SoFA conference

2023 Feb 15

Present: Barbara, Jerry, John

Opening round

Admin:

Agenda

5 Closing round

Jo: next ISCB board meeting, discuss aim.

2023 January 31

Present Barbara, Jerry, John

Opening round

Admin:

Agenda

Closing round

JB: wish these meegings were longer because topics so interesting. LIke the number of principles.

J glad we touched base and we have similar reflections on the last consultants gathering. Re-energized.

B - Happy too