 |
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
|
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
|
 |
Statements
The Green Party advocates making decisions based upon our Key
Values.
The Southwest Ohio Green Party (SWOHGP) is a founding member of the Green Party of Ohio (GPO) and has been active as a local since the year 2000, (meeting monthly, establishing its own Political Action Committee and maintaining its own web page and list serve.) The SWOHGP advertised on its web page (WWW.SWOHGP.ORG) its interest in helping to establish groups within its local jurisdiction, such as campus Greens. The GPO-CC supports the SWOHGP in its efforts to resolve the issues involved with the creation of a single-city Green Party in a location already being served by the SWOHGP. The GPO has defined the geographical jurisdiction of the SWOHGP which is displayed on the SWOHGP web site in the “About Us” section and therefore considers the SWOHGP as the recognized local covering the Cincinnati area.
The Southwest Ohio Green Party supports the instant runoff voting (IRV) form of choice voting for mayoral elections and other single-seat elections. IRV is a more democratic system than Cincinnati's mayoral primary system because IRV allows voters to choose from the entire field of candidates at the general election. IRV allows each voter to fully express his or her preferences by ranking their choice of candidates. Guided by the Green Party's core value of grassroots democracy, we believe that the ballot should accommodate as many candidates as wish to run to give voters as much of a choice as possible. Some of IRV's other benefits are: - It selects a winner supported by a majority of the voters from a field of multiple candidates in a single election. - It would allow Cincinnati to eliminate its costly and undemocratic Mayoral primary. The September primary costs the city over $200,000 and artificially narrows the field to two candidates based on the choices of a much smaller group of voters. If the primary vote is sufficiently divided among more than four candidates, the top two candidates may win with a combined total of less than half the votes. - It encourages higher voter turnout in November, because more voters will be able to vote for candidates they support. (The September mayoral primary will eliminate all but two choices for the November ballot.) - It encourages more positive campaigns because candidates will want to be considered for second-choice rankings by their opponents' supporters. Less mudslinging will alleviate some of the stigma associated with politics and give voters a better chance to evaluate the candidates on the strength of their positions. - It solves the "spoiler" problem inherent in plurality elections. Each voter can rank the candidate he or she truly supports first without inadvertently helping to elect a candidate he or she doesn't support. Minor-party and independent candidates can organize their campaigns around issues without the distraction of the "spoiler" label, and the first-choice vote totals will accurately reflect how much support they have.
SW OH Green Party Coordinating Committee Policy Regarding Locally Endorsed Candidates For all candidates that we endorse, we would expect them to organize their own campaign and get their own campaign treasurer and plan to obtain their own petition signatures. They should expect that we would announce their candidacy and contact information so that Greens who are interested could help support their campaign. When possible the SWOHGP would pay the filing fee for the candidate. We would also make a point of organizing at least one SWOHGP Fund Raiser for the candidate. Party can help with Platform Development and Campaign Strategy.
1st choice:
2nd choice:
Southwest Ohio Green Party's March 17, 2001, Statement regarding the "Coalition for a Just Cincinnati's" Boycott Demands dated September 2001
The "Coalition for a Just Cincinnati's" grievances, that led to their call for a boycott of downtown businesses, are based on their goal of achieving results that are in keeping with the Green Party's 10 Key Values. The Coalition is calling for social and economic justice as well as equitable treatment of all citizens of Cincinnati, regardless of neighborhood. The goal of the boycott is to strengthen the community by holding city and county government accountable for promised changes in the wake of the April 2001 civil unrest.
"The SWOHGP neither supported nor opposed the 'Coalition
for a Just Cincinnati's' call for a boycott of Cincinnati business,
but does agree that the city needs to make changes suggested
on the Coalition's web page to improve the quality of life for everyone in our region without exception."
Green Party of Ohio's September 24, 2002, Statement Denouncing War Policy Regarding Iraq and Calls for Efforts to Provide Humanitarian Aid and Protect Human Rights Columbus, 8/24/02: Leadership of the Green Party of Ohio, meeting at the first-ever State Convention of the Party, denounced the Bush Administration policy of expanded war and violence against Iraq. The misguided Bush policy risks unnecessary loss of human life and even greater misery than has already been delivered to a long-suffering populace. We refer to the December 19, 2001, Green Party of the United States Coordinating Committee statement regarding the war in Afghanistan, and believe this has relevance to the current situation: Non-violence is one of the ten key values of the Green Party of the United States. To sustain non-violence in the face of terrorist acts, justice must be ensured by following and enforcing international law. By contrast, abandoning international law in favor of war leads to more violence and terrorism. Terrorism is best prevented by policies which further social and economic justice, disarmament, human rights, and humanitarian aid. Non-violent international relations are best achieved and sustained by a consistent commitment to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international law. We do not accept the Bush Administration's assertions that Iraq poses a major military threat to this country. The U.S. military role in the Middle East has too often served to hinder the prospects for peace or prop up undemocratic regimes. The ongoing conflict in Iraq has taken a heavy toll both on the citizens of Iraq and its neighbors and on U.S. service people who have faced undue emotional and physical hardships. We recognize the long term damage this country has caused in Iraq through sanctions and military campaigns and we do not feel a military escalation will do anything to reduce the suffering of the Iraqi people who presently face critical shortages of food and medicine and whose access to water and sanitation U.S. warplanes deliberately destroyed in the bombing campaign of a decade ago. We call for an immediate shift in resources to humanitarian aid and support of human rights. We note these key facts: If pre-war trends in child mortality had continued through the 1990s, Iraq would have had 500,000 fewer deaths of children under 5 during the period from 1991 to 1998. [UNICEF August 1999] Sanctions have been a primary factor in increased child mortality & Infant mortality rates in Iraq today are among the highest in the world; [Humanitarian Report to the UN Security Council March 30, 1999] The sanctions, which deny access to basic health care, clean water and electricity, are a systematic violation of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits the "starvation of civilians as a method of warfare." Access to potable water, relative to 1990 levels, is only 50% in urban areas and 33% in rural areas. The overall deterioration in the quality and quantity of drinking water has contributed to the rapid spread of infectious disease. [World Food Program] In 1998, there were 104,000 Iraqi refugees and one million documented; displaced persons in Iraq. Over three million Iraqis now live abroad. In recent years, tens of thousands have fled Iraq, including many professionals, due to the deteriorating economic and political situation. [U.S. Committee for Refugees] In conclusion, we emphasize this excerpt from the Green Party National Platform, adopted at the Denver Green Party National Convention,2000:
The GREEN Party's 10 KEY VALUES 1. GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process. 2. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law. 3. ECOLOGICAL WISDOM Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems. 4. NON-VIOLENCE It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society's current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace. 5. DECENTRALIZATION Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens. 6. COMMUNITY-BASED ECONOMICS AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE We recognize it is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance. A successful economic system will offer meaningful work with dignity, while paying a "living wage" which reflects the real value of a person's work. Local communities must look to economic development that assures protection of the environment and workers' rights; broad citizen participation in planning; and enhancement of our "quality of life." We support independently owned and operated companies which are socially responsible, as well as co-operatives and public enterprises that distribute resources and control to more people through democratic participation. 7. GENDER EQUITY We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that 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. 8. RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines. We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity. 9. PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet. 10. FUTURE FOCUS AND SUSTAINABILITY Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or "unmaking" all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions. 
The GREEN PLATFORM is an evolving document, a living work-in-progress that expresses our commitment to creating meaningful and enduring change in the political process. Our Party's first priority is to value-based politics, in contrast to a system extolling exploitation, consumption, and non-sustainable competition. We believe in an alternative, independent politics and active, responsible government. We believe in empowering citizens and communities. We offer hope and a call to action. In this platform we make our case to change the way our government operates - to change the quality of our everyday lives - to build a vision that brings new and lasting opportunities. PLATFORM PREAMBLE As the new century dawns, we look back with somber reflection at how we have been as a people and as a nation. Realizing our actions will be judged by future generations, we ask how with foresight and wisdom, we can renew the best of our past, calling forth a spirit of change and participation that speaks for a free and democratic society. We submit a bold vision of our future, a PLATFORM on which we stand:
What we are proposing is a vision of our common good that goes beyond special interests and the business of politics. What we are proposing is an INDEPENDENT POLITICS, a democratic vision that empowers and reaches beyond background and political loyalty to bring together our combined strengths as a people. We, the GREEN PARTY, see our political and economic progress, and our individual lives, within the context of an evolving, challenging world. As in nature, where adaptation and diversity provide key strategies of survival, a successful political strategy is one that is diverse, adaptable to changing needs, and strong and resilient in its core values: * DEMOCRACY, practiced most effectively at the grassroots level and in local communities. * SOCIAL JUSTICE and EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, emphasizing personal and social responsibility, accountability, and non-violence. * ENVIRONMENTAL and ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY, balancing the interests of market- and value-driven business, of the community and land, of living and future generations. To view the full platform go to www.gp.org 
Endorsements &/or Support Statements made by the Ohio Green Party Coordinating Committee which are also supported by the SWOHGP Coordinating Committee:
Southwest Ohio Green Party
|
|
|