----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul" <webmaster at globalcircle.net> To: <wcgreens at ispchannel.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2001 3:15 PM Subject: [greenfreespeech] Clarification on the Green Party Split
>
>
> Paul,
> If you would like, you may distribute this.
> Lisa Thurman
>
>
> Dear Greens:
> I am reading a lot of misinformation coming out of both the
> Illinois and California Green Party gatherings. I am taking the time to
> clarify some things because I am quite appalled with some of the reports
> that have come from antagonists.
> I have been in the Greens since February of 2000. I formed a local
> and affiliated with GPUSA because that is who we could affiliate with on
> a grassroots level. I received much help with grassroots organizing. I
> contacted people in ASGP for help, but I could not get any for
> grassroots organizing around local issues.
> I can not believe the misinformation that is coming out of the
> Greens gatherings. I do not want to site individuals, although there
> have been certain individual obstructionists and people who have placed
> misinformation on the internet and apparently to the press to further
> their political goals..
> First, the Greens/GPUSA in Carbondale, Illinois spent four full
> days going through a very democratic credentialling and parliamentary
> process. The credentialing alone took a day and a half to get it right.
> Intentions of some on the credentialing committee where questionable and
> appeared to slow down and obstruct this process.
> The same people continued to obstruct the parliamentary process the
> first day of Congress to the point that the Credentially Committee's
> Report was not even approved and nothing substantive was accomplished.
> By the second day of parliament, "pro-genuine unity" Greens started
> speaking up about the stalling and much was accomplished the second and
> third day of Congress.
> The Greens/GPUSA is a consensus organization. Any substantive
> proposals need to have a supermajority. Many activists prefer a
> consensus organization for various reasons. Several proposals were
> submitted in an attempt to dissolve the Greens/GPUSA as a political
> party. The truth is, the numbers just weren't there to do it. Through a
> rigorous and often difficult democratic process it was shown that the
> majority of Greens/GPUSA members want genuine unity with the alternative
> Green organization, but they do not want to dissolve the Greens/GPUSA
> without renegotiation and working on collaborative efforts to
> demonstrate that there is a sincere desire for a fair unity
> agreement.
> The reality is that there are still two Green political
> organizations. The two organizations have not merged just because
> someone says it has on the internet or in a newspaper article. The
> Greens/GPUSA are real people with real locals, state caucuses and state
> parties. Many of these real people are witnesses to the misinformation
> that has been put out by a few individuals.
> If some of the GPUSA members choose to disaffiliate with the GPUSA
> and work with the ASGP it is their choice. There are major differences
> between the two organizations in membership, structure, grassroots
> organizing, publications, representation and philosophy. Greens who care
> about grassroots democracy should be educated about these differences
> and should be able to work in the organization that they feel most
> comfortable with.
> Time will tell whether the Association of State Green Parties will
> be willing to do further work with the Greens/GPUSA. Members of GPUSA
> have continued to work toward unity by recently passing the Genuine
> Unity Proposal in Carbondale, Illinois. All this can be confirmed by the
> minutes of the Greens/GPUSA Gathering.
> I hope Green activists and Green political organizers will realize
> that the members of the Greens/GPUSA have been through a rigorous
> democratic process and have chosen to seek genuine unity with the
> Association of State Green Parties. Much misinformation has been put out
> by a few individuals, but Greens still have a choice as to what
> political organization they wish to affiliate. I will be staying with
> the Greens/GPUSA to organize around local issues, educate, and help with
> well-timed ballot initiatives. Greens can be in one, or both
> organizations. But most Greens, affiliated or unaffiliated, can agree,
> that with or with out these organizations, we need to move forward and
> work together for the common cause of global sustainability.
> This is a personal comment and not an official statement from the
> Coordinating Committee of the Greens/GPUSA.
>
> Lisa Thurman
> Coordinating Committee Alternate
> Greens/GPUSA
> Mountain Greens Local
> Hendersonville, NC
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