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Reference:
The Green Party's "Ten Key Values" Platform
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. FEMINISM AND 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 and economic justice.
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.
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This story was published on July 31, 2003.
