Green Party of Philadelphia Supports Student Walkout and Calls for Action on Gun Control The Green Party of Philadelphia supports students participating in today’s National School Walkout to protest Congress’s inaction on gun control legislation. A vast majority of Americans support more gun control and our government's years of inaction is yet another example of how we do not have a functioning democracy. Today we stand with the students and call for action on gun control in the Pennsylvania legislature. The recent gun control legislation passed in Florida marks a major victory for student and family activists from Parkland. "We salute the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for turning this tragedy into a call to action. It's thrilling to see young people stepping so powerfully and fearlessly into the role of activist to create the change they want, need, andeserve," said Michael Georgeson, GPOP City Committee Recording Secretary. Read more here.

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The Green Party of New York Stands With Student Walkout for Gun Control

From GPNY Co-Chair Gloria Mattera: Today my sadness for those who continue to lose loved ones to preventable gun violence is accompanied by the pride I feel for my son Peter Sweeney and his fellow students at Brooklyn Tech High School for participating in today's historic, nationwide walkout for serious action on gun control.

They are now taking to the streets after a 17 minute walk around their school! Some people questioned whether it was a safe idea for the students to continue on to Brooklyn Borough Hall (or, in the case of Manhattan students, Wall Street) but the reason they're out there is because they don't feel safe in their own schools. GPNY and progressive allies stand with their demand for real change!

Check out the Green Party of New York's statement on the need for action on gun control. Photo Credit: Peter Sweeney of Brooklyn Tech High School

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Central Florida Green Party Co-Chair, Robin Denise Harris, traveled to Washington D.C. and spoke at the Off Fossil Fuels Act Conference with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Robin Denise Harris is the co-chair for the Central Florida Green Party and the Green Party National Black Caucus. Robin is also a social justice activist for LGBTQIA rights. Harris was among the “Rubio 10,” protesters arrested for trespassing in 2016 while holding a sit-in demonstration in the office building of  Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio to challenge his positions on gun law reforms following the Pulse nightclub massacre. Robin Denise Harris is running for County Commissioner of District 6. Learn more about Robin Harris’s campaign!

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Jacqui Deveneau, of the Maine Green Independent Party, receives the 2017 Peace Action Maine Peace Worker Award.

"I am very moved to receive this award. When I moved back to Maine in 2002 the first organization I signed up with was the Green Party which is no surprise to you all. But right after that I was walking down by Monument Square and ran into a group of peace activists collecting signatures for Nuclear Disarmament that was a nation wide petition. I hung out with these folks the rest of their time there and at the end when it was time to leave, Greg Field, who I grew to know and admire greatly as the director of PAM at that point, turned to me and asked if I would be the one to take this on! And that is how I got involved with PAM. So many wonderful people, many are in this room worked with me back then." You can watch the video of the ceremony here. 

The Green Party of Idaho is moving forward with a petition drive to have the Green Party recognized as a political party in the State of Idaho. Allowing Idahoans to register and run for office as Green. 13,809 valid signatures will need to be collected from registered voters by August, 2018 for the Green Party to achieve ballot access. Leadership at Green Party of Idaho says there has been an uptick on interest in the Green Party since the Presidential election and thinks now is the perfect time to establish the party in Idaho. Their platforms and policies are based in math, science, and logic, following four basic pillars; Ecology, Peace, Democracy, and Social Justice. With the current GOP administration making rapid policy changes and disheartened Democrats feeling displaced, voters are curious about other options. Read more here.

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Harris County Green Party members participate in the Houston Women’s March on January 20, 2018.

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"Working Americans Need Independent Politics" by Scott McLarty, Green Party Media Director (counterpunch and Medium.com). Do working people have any reliable friends on the political field? We're long past the point where Democrats can claim to be the party of workers. Republicans have never been sympathetic, except in their most mendacious flights of campaign rhetoric. The spectacular victory of the public school teachers' strike in West Virginia, in which they won all their demands, occurred without major-party support. The West Virginia Mountain Party, affiliated with the Green Party, endorsed it on February 18. Read more here. 

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Report on the School of the America's Watch November 10-12, the Green Party of the United States attended the School of the Americas Watch yearly gathering, now called the SOAW Encuentro. This event, once held at Ft Benning GA, has been held for the last two years in the Tucson-Nogales-Sonora border area to raise awareness about the direct connection between failed US foreign and domestic policies and border militarization, economic injustice and the violation of democratic processes and human rights in Latin America, and the daily plight of undocumented workers.

This event attracts thousands of human rights, and peace and justice activists from across the country. As such, it was identified as a “must attend” event by the Outreach Committee, the International Committee, the Young Greens, and several members of the Steering Committee. The National Political Organizer coordinated  the collective participation of these diverse party bodies.

Additionally, the National Party collaborated and coordinated with various members of the Pima County and Maricopa County Arizona Greens on some of the necessary local logistics. Green Party members in attendance received direct and real-time remote strategic support from Outreach Committee chair, Joy Davis, Young Greens of Texas organizer, Natalia Schuurman, and National Political Organizer, Adrian Boutureira.  

Read the Young Greens Report on SOAW

Stop the Wars at Home and Abroad! National Days of Action! Under threats from expanding wars, the threat of nuclear war on the Korean peninsula, the recently bipartisan obscene military budget and increasing attacks on the living standards of the American people, the American anti-war movement is experiencing a massive revival and resurgence. A previously divided movement has united on a call for marches and rallies in Oakland CA, Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, New York City and Atlanta among other local actions for two weekends in April.

The national Outreach Committee of the Green Party encourages all the chapters to relate to their nearest action, build the demonstrations and organize contingents of Greens carrying banners and wearing our T-shirts to make a visible presence at all these events. Many chapters are producing leaflets relating Green issues to the local areas on militarization and we want to be seen as the best builders of the anti war movement as the only national party that is for peace and against endless war. Go to springaction2018.org for more information and have your state and local parties endorse the actions.

3/1/2018: Green Party leaders said that the Trump administration's economic sanctions and threats of military intervention in Venezuela, along with belligerent policies targeting other countries, have made the U.S. an increasing obstacle to global security and stability. The Green Party declared its solidarity with the people of Venezuela and support for their well-being and right to govern their own affairs without U.S. meddling. Greens called Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's warning of a military coup a patent threat in light of the Venezuelan election in April, which might give President Nicolas Maduro another six-year term. 
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2/25/2018: The Green Party of the U.S. National Women's Caucus calls on Greens to support the March 24th "March for Our Lives" and other student walk-outs in protest of gun violence in their schools in the wake of the horrific mass murders at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, where 17 people were killed and 14 more people were wounded. It is long past the time to listen to our children.
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2/16/2018: The Green Party of the United States has joined Green Parties throughout the world in demanding the immediate release of Eylem Tuncaelli and Naci Sönmez (pictured above), co-chairs of the Turkish Green Left Party (Yeşil Sol Parti), after special forces raided their homes in Istanbul on Feb. 9. U.S. Greens are calling on the U.S. State Department to press President Erdoğan's government to end the arbitrary detention of Ms. Tuncaelli and Mr. Sönmez, who were taken into custody without formal charges.
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2/14/2018: The Green Party of the United States, following the lead of the party's Black Caucus, has endorsed U.S. House Resolution 40 -- Commission to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals. The text of the Green Party resolution follows below. The resolution was passed by the party's National Committee, in which all accredited state Green Parties and Green Caucuses are represented.
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2/12/18: The Green Party of Pennsylvania is praising a Federal Court Order, issued Thursday February 1, 2018 by Chief Judge, Lawrence Stengel. The Order brings an end to six years of litigation, regarding Pennsylvania’s restrictive ballot access requirements for third party and independent candidates, resulting in major reform of those requirements. The party considers it a major win for democracy, and it extends congratulations and appreciation to their attorney, Oliver Hall with the Center of Competitive Democracy, Washington, DC. In addition, the Green Party thanks its co-plaintiffs, the Libertarian and Constitution Parties of Pennsylvania.
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2/9/18: Green Party leaders reacted with shock and grief to the news that Muhiyyidin d'Baha, a Black Lives Matter activist, was gunned down in New Orleans on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Mr. d'Baha was co-chair of the Charleston Green Party in South Carolina. The Green Party of the United States expressed deep sympathy and condolences for Mr. d'Baha's family and friends.
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1/31/2018: Green Party leaders responded to President Trump's 2018 State of the Union address on Tuesday, Jan. 30, with sharp criticism of his statements on energy in light of the climate crisis, plans for more nuclear weapons, health care, immigration, and other administration policies. Green rebuttals to Mr. Trump's speech and to reactions from both Democratic and Republican parties can be read below. The rebuttals advocate alternative ideas like the Green New Deal, Single-Payer health care, and global nuclear disarmament.
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