2003 International Committee Report

JULY 2002 – JULY 2003

MISSION

Foster collaboration and exchange with Green parties around the world.

Network with organizations and movements working for global peace, social justice, human rights, and environmentally sustainable communities.

Develop international and global aspects of Green Party policy for the platform and official position statements.

Serve as the official international voice of the Green Party of the United States and coordinate representation to the Federation of Green Parties of the Americas, the Global Green Network, and international meetings and events.

Inform U.S. Greens about international issues.

MEMBERS
Co-Chairs: Anne Goeke (2002-04) and Tod Sloan (2001-03)

State representatives: Annie Goeke, MD, Kent Smith – CA, Pamela Meidell –CA, Robyn Oetinger – CA, Amy Vas Nunes – CT, Justine McCabe – CT, Anne Anderson – DC, David Schwartzman – DC, Alan Kobrin – FL, Brigitte Roussel – KS, Gretchen Klotz – MA, Bahram Zandi – MD, John Rensenbrink – ME, Peter Schermerhorn – MI, Alan Kaufman – MI, Julia Willebrand – NY, Tod Sloan –OK, Vivek Ananthan PA, Marnie Glickman-OR, Bill Stone – TN, Faisal Nasr – TX and Ukraine, Jack W. Borninski – TX, Tony Affigne – RI, Jim Polk – VA, Trisha Novak – VT, Patrick Mazza – WA, Brian Lutenegger – WI, Bill Hensley – WI, Jill Bussiere – WI, Steve Herrick – MI and Nicaragua, Richard Walton – RI, Dean Murville – DC, Chris Orzal – , Jonathan Oriole- NJ, Ryan Reyes- NJ, Beresford Jone – NJ,  Gérard P. Giblin- MD

Advisors and Observers: Dean Murville – DC, Mike-Frank Epitropoulos PA, Nazeer Chaudhry – PA, Sam Smith – DC, Scott McClarty – DC, Thomas Sevigny CT, Jim Barton – CA, Mike Feinstein – CA, Jo Chamberlain – CA

DELEGATES TO INTERNATIONAL BODIES
Federation of Green Parties of the Americas: Tony Affigne (RI) and Julia Willebrand (NY)
Global Green Coordination: Anne Goeke (MD)
Global Green Network: John Rensenbrink (ME) and Marnie Glickman (OR)

PROCEDURES AND POLICIES
During 2003-2004, the IC formalized its procedures and policies and submitted them to the BRPP. The IC recently developed and adopted a policy on committee advisors and observers.

RESOLUTIONS
Greens urge Brazil’s President to intervene on behalf of captive Greens in Colombia
Global Greens Statement in Opposition to War with Iraq
Green Party Call for Action and Appeal to the United Nations to invoke “Uniting for Peace” Resolution UN 377
Green Party endorseD the ‘Uniting for Peace’ Resolution on Postwar Iraq – petition
Demands for Johannesburg Eight Key Steps to Global Renewal

PRESS RELEASES
Greens oppose UN resolution legitimizing occupation of Iraq — May 29, 2003.
Greens endorse uniting for peace resolution on post-war Iraq
Greens call for sustained effort to ensure peace — April 17, 2003.
Greens protest war taxes on April 15th — April 14, 2003.
Pentagon makes Iraqi civilian lives expendable in their own liberation — April 08, 2003. Greens urge the UN General Assembly to invoke ‘Uniting for Peace .
Greens call Bush indictable for war crimes – Mar 20, 2003.
Status of women in ‘rescued’ countries fails to improve — Mar 19, 2003.
Greens call on Congress and Americans to resist Bush’s war — Mar 17, 2003.
European MEPs visit Washington with an appeal for peace — Mar 07, 2003.
European Greens legislators visit U.S. in hope of preventing U.S. war with Iraq – Mar 05, 2003.
Greens demand action on Betancourt kidnapping — Feb 27, 2003.
— Also: Letter to Brazil’s President Lula.
US oil interests are driving the invasion of Iraq — Feb 24, 2003.
Millions attend peace rallies — Feb 19, 2003.
Greens call on U.N. to avert Bush’s war with Iraq — Feb 14, 2003.
Video: Green Party press conference VHS tapes are available for this event — Feb 14, 2003.
Greens encourage other nations to resist Bush’s war plans — Feb 13, 2003.
Greens call on U.N. to invoke charter against preemptive war — Feb 12, 2003.
Greens challenge Powell’s speech at UN — Feb 10, 2003.
U.S. Greens attend World Social Forum — Feb 03, 2003.
Greens join antiwar protests — Jan 15, 2003.
Mass detention of Muslims is illegal — Jan 06, 2003.
Greens protest Bush’s war plans — Oct 25, 2002.
Don’t buy ExxonMobil — October 22, 2002.
Greens see hope in Palestinian nonviolent protests — October 07, 2002.
Greens warn of Bush policy for dominating the world — September 27, 2002.
Greens opposed to Bush’s plans to invade Iraq — September 24, 2002.
Green Party statement in opposition to plans to invade Iraq — September 20, 2002. Greens challenge international trade authority at Earth Summit — August 29, 2002.
Greens head to Johannesburg — August 26, 2002. .
Israeli forces target nonviolent peace workers — August 14, 2002.
Green Party calls Senate hearings on Iraq a sham — August 07, 2002.
FORMAL LETTERS
Letter President Bush to urging the United States to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Congratulations to Swedish Green Party, German Green Party, Wangari Maathi Kenyan GP Deputy Minister of Environment, Brazilian Green Party, and others
Farewell to Natalia Escudero, PVEM
Letter of Support for the World Social Forum

INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS
3rd EFGP Congress, Berlin – Germany
World Summit, Johannesburg – South Africa
EFGP 10th Council Meeting, Brussels – Belgium
Federation of Green Parties of the Americas Meeting – Dominican Republic
World Social Forum, Porto Alegre – Brazil
(no representatives but worked on Africa- P7 Summit in Nairobi)

VISITORS AND HOSTING
Jose Alberto Prieto – Cuban Interest Group
Marianne Saenen – Ecolo, Belgium Green Party
Dramane Nable Toure- Ivory Coast Green Party
Toussaint Hinvi – Green Party of Benin
Lotta Nordstrom – Green Party of Sweden
Lode Vanoost – Agalev, Belgium Green Party
Miguel Angel Pimentel– Dominican Republic Green Party
European Parliament Delegation to Oppose the War (19 MEP)
Ulla Anttila – Finland Green Party
Katrin Göring-Eckardt – Caucus Leader of Alliance 90/The Greens
Helga Flores – New Director DC office of theHenrich Boell Foundation
Belarusian Social Democratic Party delegation
Chinese Delegation from the State Department
Jean Mark Nollet – GP Belgian Minister
Mexican delegation
Korean Delegation

FOREIGN POLICY WORKING GROUP
The IC launched the Foreign Policy Working Group (FPWG) to support the GPUS foreign policy development in connection with the party platform and responses to current events. The FPWG is a subcommittee of the IC. A current project is a “Foreign Policy Discussion Initiative” to encourage deep reflection on global issues among Greens in their local chapters. Delegates are encouraged to disseminate this initiative as widely as possible. The results of these discussions are to be fed to the IC and the on-line Platform Forum during the summer and fall of 2003. The committee is also working on ‘white papers’ on various key Green foreign policy positions.

PROJECTS
Stop the War on Cuba
Nuclear Free
Israel/Palestine Issue
Green Youth Exchange
WTO (developed a monthly newsletter)
FTAA
Annan Plan – UN for the resolution of the Cyprus
Somalian International Resolution
Ballistic Missile Defense
European Green Youth Group
Iran/Iraq area
Human Rights – DC Statehood
Development of a United States Greens Abroad (USGA)
Free Ingrid Betancourt (web site)
Translation Committee – Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Greek
MOX
Restructuring of the Federation of Green Parties of the Americas (FPVA)
And others