{news} [usgp-media] Join the Green Party Nominating Convention in Chicago - July 10-13

Tue Jul 1 23:05:44 EDT 2008



            July 2008

           
            News Headlines
           

      Join us in Chicago to nominate the Green Party Presidential Candidate


      The Green Party's presence has never been more significant. We invite you to be an active part of the Green political movement.


      The Green Party Convention this year will be held from July10th to 13th in Chicago, Illinois, a beautiful city with an active, vibrant Green movement and rich history of progressive activism. The main attraction this year is the nomination of the Green Party Presidential Candidate. On Saturday, the party will choose a candidate from four recognized contenders; Jesse Johnson, Cynthia McKinney, Kent Mesplay and Kat Swift.


      The Convention will host an impressive array of speakers, including peace activist Kathy Kelly, community activist Malik Rahim and drug policy activist Cliff Thornton, as well as more than 60 inspirational and fascinating workshops and caucuses.


            Kathy Kelly 
            Kathy Kelly, co-founder of the Voices in Wilderness, is a dedicated leader for peace. A determined war tax resister, Kathy's courage to take direct action up for peace led to arrest for her protest against the School of the Americas (SOA). Kathy embodies the spirit of civil disobedience and continues to inspire those struggling for peace. 

           
            Malik Rahim, from New Orleans, founder of Common Ground Collective, an organization that provides relief for hurricane survivors. The collective continues to give long-term support for rebuilding communities neglected by the government and corporations, as well as providing legal defense against eviction from public housing. Malik has been instrumental in empowering people of New Orleans to resist the government's right-wing economic agenda.  
            Malik Rahim
            Photo by Glynn Wilson
            http://locustfork.net/<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?key=166915727&url_num=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Flocustfork.net%2F>  

            Cliff Thornton
           
            Cliff Thornton is dedicated to making our drug policies sane. He is at the forefront of the struggle against so-called "war on drugs", which he has brilliantly exposed as a tool to control us with fear and a covert war against the poor and communities of color. Active in the Green politics as Steering Committee Co-Chair and Gubernatorial Candidate for Connecticut in 2006, he persuasively advocates for Legalization, decriminalization and medicalization of controlled substances as a way to make the society more just and humane. 
           

      Workshops are interactive and participatory for all attendees, empowering you to build a better world. A wide range of Green issues are covered in the workshops, such as ecology, local economy, voting system reform, and dismantling the military-industrial complex, as well as practical sides of Green campaigning. . 


      Discounted registration is available until July 1st. The application form is available online at http://www.greenparty2008.org/<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?key=166915727&url_num=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.greenparty2008.org%2F>. See you in Chicago!


      More States in struggle to achieve ballot access - need your help.


      The perennial issue of securing ballot access for Green candidates remains a challenge as Greens continue working to place representatives in elected office. This indispensable step in winning elections and growing the party is not simple: efforts to obtain a ballot line must meet various state requirements, usually consisting of gathering large numbers of signatures on nominating petitions. The Green Party is currently on ballots in 22 states. Efforts are underway to assist states with ballot status.


      Greens are rightly optimistic about gaining ballot access in the states of Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, each of which require 2,000 signatures or fewer on petitions to place statewide candidates on the ballot, a target that volunteers are likely to meet over the summer months.


      Other states face higher thresholds for securing ballot access, but local Greens in these areas are already well on their way. The Green Party of Connecticut has assigned a full-time activist to gathering the required 7,500 signatures and was one-third of the way there by June 16. Virginia is poised to reach the requisite 10,000 total signatures, including at least 400 from each congressional district, by August 22, while New York Outside assistance could make the difference in states like Pennsylvania, where volunteers must gather 24,666 valid signatures by the end of July, and New Hampshire, where the lack of a state party leaves the organizing up to neighboring states. plans to hire a coordinator and begin gathering the 15,000 required signatures upon returning from the national convention.


      The likelihood of potential challenges and invalidations effectively raises the number of signatures by at least fifty percent making the requirements even more daunting.


      If you live in a state that is currently working to secure ballot access, please consider contacting your local coordinator to see how you can lend a hand. Regardless of your state's current status there are always others seeking help! Visit http://www.gp.org/committees/ballot/<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?key=166915727&url_num=3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gp.org%2Fcommittees%2Fballot%2F> to find out how to contribute to these vital efforts.


      GreenLine Interview with Eugene Platt - First Elected Green in South Carolina


            GL: Congratulations on being the first Green elected official in South Carolina. As a former Democrat, what attracted you to the Green Party?


            EP: I have been leaning toward the Green Party for a while now. My son, Paul became very involved with the party when he moved to San Francisco about 10 years ago. He's been sharing the Green philosophy with me ever since, and he was recently nominated for a seat on the council. Paul has been an inspiration to me to join the Green's, but it has also been a natural progression in my own political career. When I lost the Democratic Primary in South Carolina earlier this year, it was a sort of blessing in disguise. This event opened the door for me to make the switch. I had always thought of myself as a "Green Democrat," but now I think of myself as a "Pure Green." I found that my personal political philosophy is more in tune with the Green Party's philosophy, and I feel that the Green Party is where I need to be. 
           
            Eugene Platt 


      GL: What issues are you currently working on?

      EP: Last Thursday I made my first official appearance as the Low Country Coordinator of the Green Party of South Carolina. The event was a public hearing in Johns Island, S.C. about the plan to build a toll road across the island where workers often travel to their jobs on affluent Kiawah and Seabrook Islands. However, this toll road would be disastrous for Johns Island residents because it would encourage development and separate communities. Johns Island has been able to retain its rural character, which is distinctive of few remaining small southern towns. But, this rural flavor would be destroyed by a toll road being financed by those who could least afford it. 

      GL: What excites you most about this next political phase in your life?

      EP: I am encouraged because there seems to be an awakening to the merit of Green Party values in this country. This shift in ideals is happening nationwide, and it is particularly apparent in the move toward environmental values which the Green's have always supported. I give a lot of credit to former Vice President Al Gore for his well-recognized work making people aware of global warming's impact, and I think we will continue to see a shift in consciousness. It can be difficult to be an idealist in our society; in fact I often imagine the song, "The Impossible Dream," would be a fitting theme song for the Green Party as we continue to move toward the values we believe in. But, we can have plenty of hope, and I am the quintessential example of how one's values can lean further to the "left," or to a more socially just ideal. I am 69 years old, and I am still leaning! 

      More information, as well as some poetry by Mr. Platt, can be found at www.voteplatt.com<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?key=166915727&url_num=4&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.voteplatt.com%2F>. 


            The Green Party's Next Top Model?


            Guess who's in our online store<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?key=166915727&url_num=5&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsecure.democracyinaction.com%2Fdia%2Forganizations%2FGreens%2Fshop%2Fshop.jsp%3Fstorefront_KEY%3D4>.

            Brian (GP Staff), Alyssa (GP Intern), 

            Shannon (GP Intern), Steven (GP Volunteer),

            and introducing.

            Baby Neil (GP Volunteer) 

            They're modeling the best in Green fashion! 

            Photographed "on location" 
            (outside GP Headquarters in the fabulous Washington, D.C.), 

            These hot styles<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?key=166915727&url_num=6&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsecure.democracyinaction.com%2Fdia%2Forganizations%2FGreens%2Fshop%2Fshop.jsp%3Fstorefront_KEY%3D4> are sure to satisfy the Green and fashionista alike!
           

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                  Register Green. Vote Green. Give Green.
                  The Green Party does not accept corporate donations. We depend entirely on donations from people who are committed to building a powerful and progressive alternative to the two corporate parties. 

                  We ask you to challenge corporate influence in politics by supporting the Green Party of the United States! Show your resistance to the status quo by enabling us to continue organizing and mobilizing for real change. Please help us get out our positive, progressive values to new communities, and to deepen our involvement where we're already anchored.

                  Support us today<http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?key=166915727&url_num=8&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.democracyinaction.com%2Fdia%2Ftrack.jsp%3Fkey%3D-1%26amp%3Burl_num%3D11%26amp%3Burl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.democracyinaction.com%252Fdia%252Ftrack.jsp%253Fkey%253D-1%2526amp%253Burl_num%253D15%2526amp%253Burl%253Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fsecure.democracyinaction.com%25252Fdia%25252Forganizations%25252FGreens%25252Fshop%25252Fcustom.jsp%25253Fdona%2525250A%2525250Ate_page_KEY%25253D64> and please consider becoming a sustainer (look for the recurring donation option).

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                        Americans are ready for Change

                       
                        America is ready for the Green Party's message. But we need your help in bringing the message to the American people!

                        Donate now to the Green Party 

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                        Make your friends GREEN with envy. Become a card-carrying Green today!


                              Buy Your Green Party Card Online
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                        The latest, coolest item in the wallets of progressives is the personalized Green Party Card. For $36.00 a year* you can be a card-carrying Green. When you become an active supporter of the Green Party of the United States, you'll receive our spanking-new card, which shows the world that you stand committed to time-honored progressive values like liberty, equality, democracy, social justice, personal responsibility and focus on the future. In addition, you will receive a Green Party button and bumper sticker, a one-year subscription to Green Pages, plus all of the information you need to get involved and active as a Green. Half of your contribution will be shared with your state's Green Party. The Future is Green!

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                        *$36.00 is roughly equivalent to the $1.00 paid for a one-year membership in the Populist Party of the 1890s. The Populist Party was a multiracial, progressive, grassroots third party of working people which agitated for many popular progressive reforms. The Green Party of the 21st century continues the Populist's fight for citizen empowerment and progressive reforms at all levels today.
                       

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