May 2025 Greenstar
Green Party has “Hands On” Indigenous Rights
Following the massive "Hands Off" demonstration on April 5, the Green Party of Pennsylvania asked its leaders to describe what the Green Party had its "Hands On."
By Mumtahanah Williams-Ansari, Dauphin County
Delegate to Green Party of Pennsylvania State Committee
My family is Afro-Indigenous. My son, Muriyd "Two Clouds" Williams, was an extremely successful water protector and land defender, instrumental in halting a 150-plus-mile oil pipeline which threatened water sources and the environment, and in winning back dozens of acres of stolen land for his people through litigation. Due to his superb leadership, he was targeted, kidnapped, and murdered, and I immediately started two organizations to continue and expand his work.
The Green Party's platform on honoring Native American lives, rights, and treaties pulled me in. Frankly, Jill and Butch had me at "sovereignty." I was fighting tooth and nail to convince as many people as possible that this was the party to roll with, because they were promising to act for all citizens and immigrants, too.
Unfortunately, the 2024 election went to a usual suspect, and as we all know, it has all been downhill from there. One would hope that we would learn from this as a nation and finally try another route which would benefit all the people, not just some. Yet sadly we have not. It is politics as usual, with millionaire Democrats ramping up fear tactics through anti-Trump verbiage and a bogus "hands off" campaign.
In the interim, we all are suffering, and none as much as Indigenous people. Therefore, we proclaim:
- Hands ON regarding all Indigenous people and Nations as sovereign entities!
- Hands ON honoring all treaty rights and the return of stolen Indigenous lands!
- Hands ON establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the United States!
- Hands ON working toward an absolute end to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis!
- Hands ON expanding funding for health/mental health clinics and Tribal Compact Schools!
- Hands ON ensuring assistance, safety, and justice to all Indigenous people regardless of government recognition status!
PA Green News
Edited by Chris Robinson
Who Elected Elon Musk?
By Jay Sweeney
Who is Elon Musk? Who is Musk to lecture us on elections and mandates? Who elected Elon Musk? They were Trump voters, and it was a slim victory. There is no mandate!
Who is Musk to opine that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme? I think he has an Elon scheme. If the payroll tax wasn’t capped and the wealthy -- including Musk (worth $400 billion) -- paid their fair share, there would be plenty. But taxes are for the little people. Right, Elon?
Who is Musk to think he deserves to sit in on a Pentagon meeting? In fact, it is a conflict of interest since he has military contracts. His corruption knows no limits.
Musk is a heartless, soulless, greedy individual and nothing more. The world’s wealthiest man is far from the smartest. He is part of a cruel cabal working to destroy government functions in order to find money for tax breaks for himself, corporations and other wealthy individuals.
Jay Sweeney has held elected office as Falls Township Auditor since 2009 -- longer than any other Green Party official in PA. Sweeney was chair of GPPA (2015 – 2018). STORY HERE
Green Party Welcomes Immigrants
The Green Party of Philadelphia membership meeting on March 27 established a Migration is a Human Right Working Group. This new collective of Green Party volunteers will change the narrative around immigration in Philadelphia.
Evan Lyons, a Green Party member from Manayunk, said, “The formation of the Green Party of Philadelphia's Migration Working Group comes at a time of profound crisis. The Trump administration, using tools built by successive Republican and Democrat administrations, is deliberately pursuing a politics of cruelty to support his racist and undemocratic goals. We have seen in the past month the lengths that ICE has used to surveil and abduct students guilty only of exercising their first amendment rights. We have seen the consistent violation of due process rights of detainees. Our new Working Group will be able to organize with the well-established network of community organizations that protect immigrant rights and mobilize the working class around these very critical issues.”
Green Party Condemns ICE Terrorizing Mexican-Americans
Something like 14,000 Mexican-Americans were looking forward to celebrating Cinco de Mayo in Philadelphia, but fear of raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has forced them to cancel. The Green Party’s Migration is a Human Right Working Group condemns this terrorism by federal agents.
Officially known as El Carnaval de Puebla en Philadelphia -- aka Cinco de Mayo -- the celebration commemorates the victory of Mexico’s army over invading French forces in 1862. It had become a jubilee of Mexican culture, cuisine and music, until federal forces began this year to threaten Mexican-American workers with deportation.
Jon Lessner, a Green Party member from Manayunk, said, “The cancellation of South Philly's Carnaval de Puebla is disheartening. Due to the community's fear of ICE attacks, the organizers cancelled it to protect them. I agree with the decision as it could have caused harm to many families, but we should not be in this situation. Mexicans deserve to celebrate their heritage. To lose a cultural celebration, not just in Philly but also in Chicago, is unjust. It was to be a day of celebration which everyone could participate in. So it's a loss for the city as a whole. I am making it a personal goal to help the immigrant community wherever possible . . . .”
Joe James, a Green Party member from West Philadelphia, said, “Immigrants give so much richness to the fabric of our society. We are a patchwork of people bound by our humanity and love that connects us all. I will not lose my connection with them -- not for ICE, nor for any unethical laws this country imposes."
Campaign Updates
Edited by Chris Robinson
One Green Party candidate has been approved to run for local office this year. Other Green Party candidates who plan to run in 2025 or 2026 are welcome to contact GREEN STAR at [email protected].
Alex Noyle for Election to Auditor of East Norriton Township Montgomery County
Alex Noyle told GREEN STAR, “The Norriton for Noyle campaign is looking for supporters to cover polling places across East Norriton Township on May 20 to gather nomination petition signatures. We need 73 signatures to make the ballot, but we are aiming for 150 to shut down any challenge before it starts. Any signatures we don't gather on Primary Day will need to be collected via door-to-door canvassing.
In the meanwhile, we are working to formalize our campaign committee and to build a coalition with multiple minor parties which share our values. We've received a donation from Montco Greens to get us started. After Primary Day, we will begin weekly campaign meetings to plan our next steps. Onward and upward!”
Volunteers for Primary Day, May 20, may email [email protected] or send a message on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alex4Auditor
National Green News
Edited by David Ochmanowicz Jr.
For Earth Day, Green Party Denounces Trump’s Attacks on the Planet and People
For Earth Day, the Green Party of the United States condemned the Trump administration’s ongoing assault on the environment, saying that it threatened humanity’s future on the planet. The Greens said it was critical that Governors, state and local legislators, Attorney Generals, law firms, and civil society commit to actively resist Trump’s denial of climate change and his efforts to enact authoritarian rule...
The Green Party over the last decade has stressed that comprehensive system change is needed. Both the Pope and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have recognized that we cannot solve the climate crisis under a capitalist system that prioritizes profits over the common good and sustainability. True grassroots democracy is needed, as the problems of global warming, economic inequality, militarism, racism, and attacks on immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community are interconnected. To highlight the interconnection of these issues, the party has promoted Earth Day to May Day events nationwide.
The Greens said that Trump’s war on the environment, attacks on environmental justice and climate groups, and promotion of the fossil fuel industry needs to be countered by elected officials at every level...
Green Party Annual National Meeting (ANM), July 31 - August 3, 2025
We are delighted to gather virtually providing an opportunity for all to participate this year. Register below to receive information on how to participate. Your donations are instrumental in continuing efforts to meet again in person. Annual National Meeting (ANM) participants MUST REGISTER to receive instructions on how to convene with us online. Please register as soon as possible.
Registration fees will include admission to all workshops and plenary sessions. Your fees also provide for the infrastructure and staff necessary to produce an online national meeting from multiple locations, plus online workshops, news conferences and more. Therefore, we never turn anyone away because of the cost of registration. We offer reduced registration and waivers (free).
We will also dedicate resources to accessibility assistance, such as for the vision-impaired, hearing-impaired, and lack of access to a computer or Internet connection.
Global Green News
Edited by Hal Brown
Greens of Slovenia on Mobile Phones in Schools
Zelena Stranka, Green Party of Slovenia, believes that restricting the use of private mobile phones in schools would be very beneficial for students...The discussion highlighted the problems associated with the excessive and abusive use of mobile phones and other similar devices, including the rise in addictions among children and adults, learning and concentration difficulties, and an increase in violence...The debate also addressed potential future challenges posed by the digital society, such as how to improve media literacy, where to find concrete information, and also what the school of tomorrow will look like, and whether we will still need teachers given the need and relevance of increasingly personalized teaching.
Serbian Greens and Others Call for Transitional Government
The protests in Serbia began when 15 people died after a shelter collapsed at a train station in Novi Sad. Protesters accuse the authorities of corruption and authoritarianism. Despite the resignation of Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, the student-led movement has spread to more than 200 cities. To this end, the Serbian Green Party, Zeleno-Levi Front, together with the opposition members of parliament, presented a concept for the establishment of a transitional government of popular trust, whose core mandate is to ensure the minimum conditions necessary for the implementation of student demands and the holding of fair and honest elections. This transitional government will last up to nine months and will have specific missions . . . .
Regarding the composition of the government, the Green Party, along with other members of the parliamentary opposition political parties and socio-political movements, are jointly proposing candidates for the position of Prime Minister.
Canadian Green Leader Renews Call to Hold Israel Accountable
Naomi Hunter, the leader of the Saskatchewan Green Party and federal candidate in Saskatoon West, has reaffirmed her support for sanctions on the state of Israel . . . . “Canada has millions of dollars of contracts to Israel. Why have these contracts not been cancelled yet?” she asked, criticizing both federal and provincial leaders. “The politicians in power in our country and in our province are liars, and they have blood on their hands.”
GPPA Meeting Dates for 2025
State Committee Meetings:
Saturday, June 7, at 1:00pm in Harrisburg, PA
Sunday, September 14, at noon
Sunday, November 9, at noon
GPPA Communications Team
Issue Credits
Editors: Hal Brown, Patrick O. McNally, David Ochmanowicz, Jr. and Chris Robinson
Contributors: Joe James, Jon Lessner, Evan Lyons, Chris Robinson, Beverly Rolfsmeyer, Jay Sweeney and Mumtahana Williams-Ansari
Layout: Hal Brown, Sherri Miller, and David Ochmanowicz Jr.
Graphic Arts: Kevin Richardson
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The GREEN STAR is an official publication of the Green Party of Pennsylvania Communications Team * 2025.
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