The Ten Key Values of the Green Party
1. GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY
Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives
and should 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, 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.
Ten
Key Values from other state and local Greens.
There is no authoritative version of the Ten Key Values of the
Greens. The Ten Key Values are guiding principles that are adapted
and defined to fit each state and local chapter.
