greenpolitics.ca

Canadians have voted in this election not to give the Conservative Party an overall majority, which means that two-thirds of the voting public do not want Stephen Harper to continue as prime minister. I have sent this letter to the Governor General requesting her not to agree to another minority government. Feel free to copy and circulate it. You send one, too — it’s time for action!

For the opposition parties to form a coalition government, a formal letter stating their intent and ability to do so must sent to the Governor General as soon as the election results are announced. The leaders of the four opposition parties must immediately begin negotiations to thrash out a working agreement for the next parliament. To delay would be to open the door for a second and perhaps even more repressive Stephen Harper minority régime that 64% of Canadians do not want.

This is the second of a two-part series on restructuring Green political parties in accordance with Green values. The first part of this series considered the democratic deficiencies present in centralised Green parties. This second part presents a non-hierarchical structural model that offers many advantages to revitalise Green parties as dynamic centres of citizen activism.

Despite the intent to create a more democratic political process, many Green parties from the start adopted the same ‘top-down’ hierarchical structure as mainstream political parties. Their leadership progressively sealed themselves off from the party’s grass roots, and in many cases membership and fundraising declined precipitously. This analysis looks at why.

Country Report — Italy

Mainstream Italian politicians claim to pursue the sustainable path, but their real aim is continued economic growth, explains Italian correspondent Guido Dalla Casa. Unfortunately, the Italian Green Party also has nothing ‘deep green’ about it, so no help for the planet will come out of Italy.

Country Report — UK Part 1

Despite increasing rhetoric about the necessity for ‘going green’ to combat climate change, anti-environmental thinking and prosperity have prevented the UK Green Party from capitalising on the precipitous decline in support for New Labour under the leadership of prime minister Gordon Brown, writes UK correspondent Sandy Irvine.

Conventional party politics offers limited opportunity to achieve the depth of cultural change necessary to safeguard life on this planet. Although there is a need for political activism, even Green political parties are neither far-sighted nor bold enough to put forward a clear vision of an eco-centric society. So I’m announcing a change of focus for this site.

Seeking to end two decades on the fringes of politics, BC Greens took their first tentative steps on the slippery slope to power. Whether it leads towards the Green ideals of world peace, ecological and social justice, and grassroots democracy depends on whether the party sells its soul in its quest for influence.