Ecological Wisdom
More than stop-gap solutions like recycling, this means
living in harmony with our surroundings. Humanity is not
separate from nature, nor do individuals live in isolation
from each other. Our actions and lifestyles inevitably
have an impact on our human and natural environment. We
seek to minimize our negative impact and maximize our
positive impact on both. We must live as Thoreau did:
deliberately.
Social Justice
The promises of our Constitution and society are meant
for all people, regardless of our superficial differences
(including economic disparity). Everyone deserves the
chance to live a healthy, meaningful life. Greens help
individuals reach for that life. Further, we oppose efforts
by business or government to infringe on the human rights
of citizens of other nations, whether they are in the
United States or at home.
Grassroots Democracy
The legitimacy of government is derived from the voluntary
consent of the governed. The closer the decision-makers
are to those who be affected by the decision, the more
effective, efficient, and accountable government is. This
value is based on Greens' unshakable conviction that people
everywhere have the right to, and capacity for, self-determination.
Nonviolence
Violence is morally wrong and logistically ineffective,
because it treats the symptoms of problems, not the root
causes. Greens acknowledge the need to take desperate
measures in self-defense in life-or-death situations,
but non-violence to us means actively working to build
a world where this is unnecessary. We also categorically
reject the death penalty.
10 Key Values
of the Green Party
Personal and Collective Empowerment
As Greens, we believe that patterns of dominance must
be replaced with a culture of liberation. Dominance and
other forms of oppression are barriers to personal and
collective empowerment. We combat societal prejudices
and inequities based on race, gender, class, age, sexual
orientation, and other social divisions. We seek to develop
societal ethics that nurture the full potential of each
human being. We utilize cooperative decision-making processes.
We try to remain sensitive and receptive to continual
change as both positive and inevitable
Ecological Integrity
The cycles of life and the interconnectedness of all things
must be acknowledged and respected. This means developing
a politics that is based on the assumption that people
are part of nature, not on top of it. We must think and
act in terms of the viability of ecosystems. We work under
the principle that economic justice and ecological integrity
are mutually consistent and achievable. Greens are willing
to take strong action to protect and restore the earth.
Global Responsibility
We seek to establish friendly relations with other nations
in the spirit of mutual respect and assistance. We work
to identify and resist forces in our country that hinder
the democratic self-determination of other peoples. We
respect and encourage indigenous models of development
rather than the imposition of Western industrialization.
We seek to provide genuine assistance to grassroots groups
in the Third World and help them in their efforts towards
self-determination, and liberation.
Participatory Democracy in Economic
and Political Life
We struggle to create a political economy that allows
citizens to control the decisions that affect their lives,
and establishes human and ecological work structures,
appropriate technologies, and equitable distribution of
social resources and jobs for all.
Local and Regional Autonomy
We support efforts of grassroots communities to empower
themselves An equitable distribution of wealth and power
among regions must he insured. We seek to promote and
nourish regionally-based culture, while guaranteeing the
human rights of all ethnic, cultural, and racial minorities.
Nonviolence
Greens promote effective alternatives to the patterns
of violence that afflict families and nations.
Respect for Diversity
Greens welcome and honor cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual,
religious, political, biological, and spiritual diversity
within the context of social and ecological interdependence.
Emotional Awareness and Honesty
We believe that awareness of feeling and unconscious behavior
patterns in ourselves and others-and of their social and
historical roots-act as a foundation for the creation
of a cooperative community, participatory institutions,
social harmony with nature, and self-empowerment. We value
the integration of intuition with intellect in human consciousness.
Human Rights
We believe that every human being is entitled to quality
health care, nutrition, shelter, economic security, relevant
education, meaningful and rewarding work, full reproductive
rights, child care, and a safe and healthy environment.
The opportunity for the fulfillment of creative potential-both
individual and societal-can only be realized through a
fully democratized society, where everyone has equal political
access to decision-making and enjoys complete freedom
from political persecution.
Feminism
We have inherited a social system based on male domination
of politics and economics. Wecall for the replacement
of the cultural ethics of domination and control, with
more cooperative ways of interacting which respect differences
of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity between
the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must
be developed with moral conscience. We should remember
that the process that determines our decisions and actions
is just as important as achieving the outcome we want.
Calendar of Events:
Nov 15 Action Wisconsin Speakers Training,
on AJR66, 6 - 9 pm, First Congregational Church, Oshkosh
Nov 16 Wal-Mart : the High Cost of Low
Price - Oshkosh feature premiere brought to you by the UWO
Campus Greens. 5:30 PM, Reeve Union Theatre, UWOshkosh campus.
Nov. 17 Lake Winnebago Green Party monthly
meeting - Winnebago Peace and Justice Center, 321 Market
St. Oshkosh, WI. 6:30 p.m.
