A book by
Starhawk. Full title:
Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery.
Truth or Dare presents Starhawk's theories on the nature of power and practical exercises for groups who want to challenge the traditional patriarchical life-denying power-over models of leadership and decision-making, and implement empowering, life-affirming, power-from-within and power-with models.
Starhawk is a ecofeminist witch (part of the pagan faith constellation) and makes use of magic, myth, and ritual in her explanations and exercises.
An understanding of power-from-within is the foundation of true consensus decision making. If it is understood that each person has the right to direct their own affairs and make decisions for themselves, then most leadership models become problematic. Even democracy, that Holy Grail of political systems, is based on one group of people making decisions for another group of people.
Truth or Dare provides two things: 1) ways to work within groups to deconstruct patriarchical thinking patterns 2) alternative ways of thinking about authority and legitimacy and coming to decisions as a group. So basically, how to truly throw out that which doesn't work and figure out what does, in creating non-hierarchical, empowering, life-affirming communities for living and for political action. This is revolutionary stuff.