Speakers | Workshops | Workshop Descriptions | Media Kit | Media Credentials

Thursday, July 23, 3:00 pm

Graphics and Engagement for Social Media
Kalia Fitzgerald

Topics will cover how to design a logo, how to resize and post images on different social media platforms, using graphic content to drive engagement, and sharing content from other chapters/state parties to help everyone grow.

Building a Grass-Roots Democracy
John Spritzler (Zoom) and Chuck Fall (in person)

This workshop will present a proposed new 'Democracy' plank for Green Party members to consider for inclusion in the Green Party Platform. This workshop will also present a concrete plan of action for Green Party members to engage the residents in their local community in organizing for local grass roots democratic control of their local community in a non-partisan way, based on championing the egalitarian values and aspirations that most people (no matter for whom they have voted) share and by which they want to shape society. Historical evidence will be presented to show why this is very possible to do if we set our minds to doing it.

Fighting AI Data Centers
Matthew Pillischer, Luke Adams, and Eyde Arndell

Data centers and AI are making tech billionaires wealthy while profoundly threatening workers and our communities - from skyrocketing energy costs to worsening unemployment, surveillance, militarization of our economy, degradation of air, land and water, hijacking of our democracy and more. The impacts are especially severe on communities that are already marginalized to start with. Panelists will share inspiring ways they are fighting back to liberate their communities from this scourge of predatory development and techno-fascism. Let's think through where all this is going, how we can strategize together across the country, and what we can do to redirect these powerful tools in a way that is beneficial to all people and not killing our communities.

Thursday, July 23 - 4:45 pm

Fighting ICE / Detention Centers
Marlon Duran,  Lily Benavides, Barry Bendar, Stephen Young, and Rachel Braaten

ICE endangers communities across the nation - from violence on our streets, to flagrant violations of law and due process; worseningsurveillance, abusive detentions, deportations of immigrants and citizens alike, and potential voter intimidation at the polls in November. 

Inspired Green activists will share how their communities are coming together to resist ICE and protect our neighbors, our human rights and our imperiled democracy.

Green Party of Allegheny County, 9 years of party building
Riley Mahon, Jay Ting Walker

We will present what we have been doing to successfully build the party over the last nine years, what we are doing currently to scale up our capacity, and how other local parties can replicate our success.

Advancing issues that can grow our ranks
Chuck Fall and Rita Jacobs

Download Advancing Issues That Can Grow Our Ranks

This workshop will explore how the Green Party can grow our ranks by appealing to “fringe” issues that show corruption and the need for accountability. Foundational issues like workers’ rights and living wage, Medicare For All, fighting climate change, and opposing war, are primary demands.

However, fringe issues are a way into the hearts and minds of many Americans. Think JFK; other 60’s assassinations; 9/11 and more. The Green Party US platform calls on Greens to fight the endemic corruption of the military industrial complex, the national security / surveillance state, and corporate domination. Demanding investigation into the September 11th, 2001 false flag event, calling for democratization of the monetary system, demanding justice for Covid, challenging the power of the surveillance state, for example, are issues the Green Party should emphasize, and if we did more loudly, we could expand our appeal as champions for democracy and justice.

This workshop will provide rhetorical tactics to advance fringe issues that discredit the power elite, and show the need for a Green Party that demands accountability and justice.

Monetary Transformation for People, Planet & Peace
Kevin McCormick, Tom Rodman, and Bryan Lamble 

This topic is about how to restore democratic control of public policy. It aligns with Section IV M&N directly and with the entire platform indirectly because all the planks deal with issues requiring good public policy and all require money to implement. This will be demonstrated by examining the issues of war, the environment and the economy. The economy is always the #1 issue for most people we want to show how to frame it as our #1 campaign issue.

Our objective is for people to understand that money is the government factor and provide a working understanding of the problem with our monetary system and the solution in our platform. We will show how it impacts people's lives everyday with every transaction. How it extracts and concentrates wealth systematically. How it fuels corruption, war and pollution and how we can make it align with our values, human values, and shift the paradigm from personal gain to care of the common good. How money is not just an economic mechanism, but it is a critical cultural artifact and the most vital prerogative of democratic self-governance.

Friday, July 24 - 9:00 am

Universal Declaration of Human Values
Wissam Charafeddine

This interactive workshop introduces my book Universal Declaration of Human Values as a practical compass for Green organizing under the theme “People. Planet. Peace: Vote Green!” by directly linking its core articles—on freedom, equality, governance, welfare, education, and environmental/animal rights—to the GPUS Platform sections on Social Justice and Equal Opportunity, Ecological Wisdom, Peace/Nonviolence, and Grassroots Democracy, as well as key values like Feminism and Gender Equity and Respect for Diversity.

Friday, July 24 - 10:00 am

Women at the Frontlines: Climate Justice, Conflict, and Peacebuilding
Presented by Lucy Kagendo Mbae, Marie Theresse, Navia Fahed, Joanna Jurdi, and Jacqui Deveneau (moderator)

The National Women's Caucus will be presenting a workshop titled "Green Party Women Around the World" with Green Party women from Lebanon and Kenya. Five women will speak to the experiences and challenges they face in their countries and how they address them. Workshop participants will be invited to engage in open conversations during a Q & A following the panel presentation.

Embedding the Voice of Nature in Governance Structures, Candidate Platforms, Public service, and Other Entities of all Kinds
Lizzie Wood with Lawyers for Nature

Download Embed Nature Palm Card
Download Embedding the Voice of Nature in Governance Structures and Beyond

A Green future is possible when everyone is heard, including Nature. The Green Party of Florida has recognized the Rights of Nature with the addition of a Nature Director on the GPFL Board to bring the voice of Nature into the decision making process. Join us to learn how you can do the same.

“Having Nature represented in decision-making structures is a response to multiple, interconnected crises facing society, including biodiversity loss, climate change and systemic governance failures. Traditional decision making structures are no longer sufficient and new approaches are needed to govern our relationship with the natural world.” - Lawyers for Nature

Black Economic Boycotts in the Crisis Era, Lessons and a Plan
Philena Farley

In an era defined by ongoing state terror, the criminalization of resistance, and the commodification of Black bodies, this workshop moves beyond symbolic protest toward strategic economic withdrawal — paired with electoral power. Activism alone raises the demand; only an elected office can enforce it. This session gives participants a blueprint for linking boycott targets to the specific municipal offices that control the outcome, and for recruiting Black candidates to run for those seats.

Participants will learn to identify boycott targets and trace them to the office that can actually enforce the fix (code inspectors, licensing boards, city councils, procurement offices), build a candidate-scouting pipeline from existing organizers, and use a Mutual Aid Blueprint to convert boycotted dollars into community trust and political power — all anchored in an independent Black political vehicle capable of holding elected officials accountable.

Building a Party Machine
Rozlyn Tousignant

Download Building a Party Machine

As a small, grassroots party, we’re limited. We’re limited in members, money, and materials. It is imperative that to grow and be effective, we need to make the most of the limited capacity facing our chapters.

This workshop will give participants an insight into effective organization and structure that will free up members to focus on what we do best, connecting with our communities around our ten key values. Participants will leave the workshop with materials and resources to bring back to their local chapt

Friday, July 24 - 12:00 PM

Housing actions to plant giveaways (REPEAT) Mutual Aid
Presented by Barbara Dahlgren, Cheri Honkala, and Galen Tyler / PPEHRC and GMGP Garden Committee

Download Housing Actions to Plant Giveaways

We have built networks that directly address issues like food, housing, education, and more. We will cover how the Poor People's Army/Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign and the Greater Milwaukee Greens have set up pathways to mutual aid, rather than focusing only on electoral work. We will also address how locals can build-in more mutual aid and direct action, and the benefits of having a direct action committee as well as issue coalition partners to take on projects.

Some benefits are: people are directly receiving help, we are directly improving neighborhoods/cleaning up the environment, it shines a light on the deficits of the parties in power while uplifting Greens, new people coming into the party have volunteer opportunities at any time of the year, and more people will want to join the Greens to work on a mutual aid project or because they see the result.

The principles of mutual aid and direct action can be widely applied across all kinds of diverse local Green orgs on a wide variety of issues. We will leave time and encourage questions and comments/participation. We hope to motivate our fellow Greens to be the change in our struggles for people, planet, and peace.

How to Use Basecamp for Green Party Success
Wissam Charafeddine

This hands-on workshop will show how using Basecamp as our main organizing hub can turn the Green Party theme “People. Planet. Peace: Vote Green!” into daily practice, by grounding digital work directly in the Ten Key Values—especially Grassroots Democracy, Decentralization, Social Justice, Nonviolence, Feminism and Gender Equity, and Respect for Diversity—and the Democracy and Social Justice planks of the national platform, which call for participatory structures, transparent decision-making, and inclusive organizing.

Participants will learn how to:

1. explain to others how Basecamp supports grassroots democracy and decentralized power in state parties, caucuses, and committees;
   
   
2. design or improve at least one Basecamp project that centers inclusion and accessibility for diverse constituency groups (youth, workers, BIPOC, women, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, disabled members, elders, and low-income communities);
   
   
3. use core tools (message boards, to-dos, schedules, docs/files, and check-ins) to run real projects like ballot access, peace and climate actions, membership drives, and candidate support; and
   
   
4. apply concrete norms for nonviolent, respectful online communication to reduce internal conflict and promote transparent, accountable collaboration.

The workshop will be highly interactive, with live demos, small-group breakouts (organized by role and/or caucus identity), and guided “build-your-own” time where every attendee creates or updates a real Basecamp space and leaves with a short action plan—at least three next-step tasks and a commitment to onboard at least three new or underrepresented members—so that digital organizing directly strengthens party building, electoral work, and movement alignment under the banner of People. Planet. Peace: Vote Green!

Andruil and ongoing toxic waste contamination in Appalachia
Ohio Green Party: Daryl Davis, Jason Salley, & Anita Rios

This workshop will discuss the impact of toxic waste generated by defense contractors, historical and up to the present in the fragile Appalachian environment. An emphasis will be placed on the development of AI supported drone systems being developed by Andruil with significant investment by Peter Thiel.

Planting Seeds for Future Growth
Rozlyn Tousignant

Download Planting Seeds for Future Growth

Grassroots democracy is one of our central key values in the Green Party, one that we must prioritize if we are to continue to survive the American political landscape. According to the Center for American Progress, Gen Z will be the largest voting block in 2036, just ten years away. A study published by the Public Religion Research Institute found that only 21% of Gen Z identifies as Republican.

This workshop will highlight the potential role in driving the Green Party forward, if we can reach them in time. Participants will gain insight into the motivators that catapult Gen Z into action and how we as Greens can leverage those to build the future of our party.

Friday, July 24 - 1:45 PM

Latin America Under Attack
Presented by Medea Benjamin, Sabrina Mendoza Malavé, and Madelyn Hoffman

This workshop will highlight several recent situations in Latin America, where US imperialism has intervened to take away the country's sovereignty, including Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Cuba, Honduras and more. 

It will feature Medea Benjamin of CodePINK, Sabrina Mendoza Malave of Venezuela, , and will be moderated by Madelyn Hoffman, a co-chair of GPAX (Green Party US Peace Action Committee) and will focus on a few of the current hotspots in Latin America, covering what happened and how can we show solidarity with people in these Latin American countries.

Immigration and Latinos in the Workforce
Presented by Andres Jinete, Lily Benavides, Natalie Reyes, & Richard Gomez

Immigration is foundational to American society. This workshop will explore the broad impact that immigration has on work in America and American society. Including a discussion of the root causes of immigration as stated in the Green Party platform:

• U.S. imperialism;
• a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force, and colonialism;
• the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, economic exploitation, unfair trade policies, economic sanctions, unequal distribution of assets, increase in violence, and climate change have caused many of the world’s citizens to migrate for better opportunities

Project Matcha - A 5 Year Horizon for Greens to Build Local Power Amongst Millennials and Gen Z:
Zikomo Smith 

Project Matcha offers a strategic roadmap for transforming the Green Party’s core principles—Grassroots Democracy, Decentralization, and Community-Based Economics—into durable electoral power. This session focuses on a five-year horizon for scaling local victories into state and federal success, beginning with the cultivation of credibility and trust within targeted municipal centers.

Participants will explore practical methods for mobilizing Millennial and Gen Z voters, expanding the party’s digital brand, and forging vital coalitions with labor and community organizations. By the end of this interactive workshop, attendees will gain the tools to identify viable electoral opportunities, build a pipeline for experienced candidates, and develop actionable plans to move from winning city council seats to competing for state legislatures and the U.S. Congress.

Why Proportional Representation Matters 
Jennifer Sullivan, Johanna Epke

Proportional Representation to Smash the Two-Party System: What, Why and How? Come learn about Proportional Representation, how it's used around the world to facilitate true multi-party democracy and how the Green Party of the United States can get involved in efforts to bring it here.

About half of this session will be reserved for discussion and questions.

Friday, July 24 - 3:30 PM

The Uhuru 3 and The Fight for Anti-Colonial Free Speech! Repeal the Foreign Agent Registration Act!
Fight Back Coalition

Hands Off Uhuru is the anti-colonial free speech coalition formed in the aftermath of the July 29, 2022 FBI attacks on the Uhuru Movement and its founder and leader, Chairman Omali Yeshitela. Our workshop will share lessons from the front-lines of the fight for anti-colonial free speech that resulted in a major victory with the acquittal of the Uhuru 3 on the charge of acting as “foreign agents” for exercising free speech rights to criticize U.S. imperialism and advocate for reparations and justice for African people.

The Uhuru 3 are now appealing their unjust conviction on the secondary conspiracy charge. Learn why these laws used against the Uhuru 3 and other anti-colonial freedom fighters present a grave threat to the First Amendment. We will be presenting a call to action to build a major campaign to repeal the undemocratic, repressive FARA and Conspiracy laws weaponized to attack anti-colonial free speech historically and today. HOU stands in solidarity with the struggles of all oppressed peoples from North St. Louis to Palestine to Venezuela.

Green Party Women Around the World 

Jacqui Deveneau, Presenter
Lucy Kagendo - Kenyan
Shrine Jurdi - Lebanese 
Marie Therese Seif - Lebanese 
Navia Fahed - Lebanese 
Joanna Jurdi- Lebanese 

The National Women's Caucus will be presenting a workshop titled "Green Party Women Around the World" with Green Party women from Lebanon and Kenya. Five women will speak to the experiences and challenges they face in their countries and how they address them. Workshop participants will be invited to engage in open conversations during a Q & A following the panel presentation.

Organizing for Peace: A Guide for Peace Activists
Madelyn Hofman, Haig Hovaness

Download Organizing for Peace

The workshop will describe a range of organizational methods for peace activists in the Green Party. Topics will include, mass actions, boycotts, teach-ins, and political alliances. Resources for implementing these methods will be described and contacts for relevant organizations will be provided. The program aligns with the peace pillar of the GPUS.

Friday, July 24 - 7:00 PM

We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For!
Jill Stein

The Green Party is now the major anti-genocide, pro-worker, anti-fascist political voice in the US. We doubled our vote count in the last election to become the #1 people powered national party, exceeding by five-fold the next highest vote count. At the same time, support for the major parties has plummeted to an all time low, with the Democratic Party even more disliked than Republicans, in spite of the backlash against the Trump debacle.

More Americans than ever are leaving the duopoly, and people are clamoring for the solutions we put on the national political map – from Medicare for All to free higher education, the Green New Deal, a foreign policy based on international law/human rights and more.

With the adoption of an vibrant pro-worker agenda, the Green Party of the UK has had a meteoric rise to become the 2nd most popular party, exceeding both Labor and Conservatives, and coming in just one percentage point behind Reform, the far right party that is now the UK’s most popular. In this era of turbulent transition, it’s time for us to do the same and rocket forward.

Challenging corrupt power is the order of the day, in the voting booth AND in the street. The need has never been so urgent. The possibilities have never been so strong. This presentation will summarize some of the key background and strategies that underscore: We are the ones we’ve been waiting for!

Friday, July 24 - 7:30 PM

Dismantling Duoply Together
Presented by Cheri Honkala, Nick Cruse, Briahna Joy Gray, Gloria Mattera, Butch Ware, and Kshama Sawant

Support for the major parties has plummeted to an all time low, with the Democratic Party even more disliked than the Republican. More Americans than ever are leaving the duopoly, and people are clamoring for the solutions we outside of the duopoly put on the national agenda – from Medicare for All, to an end to funding genocidal Israel, free higher education, the Green New Deal, a $25 dollar minimum wage, abolishing ICE, a foreign policy based on international law/human rights and more.

Meanwhile the duopoly has not only opposed these policies, they have fought to suppress, vilify and cancel all political opponents promoting these solutions. Consequently, as generational opposition peaked in the current primary election, few prominent opposition candidates were left standing outside of the DSA. And those who were, such as Butch Ware and Kshama Sawant, have been ignored by major “resistance” media.

While the DSA has adopted the progressive agenda pioneered outside the Democratic Party, they have declined to support the candidates fighting for these policies, in some cases even leading the charge against them. Early endorsements by DSA leadership of Hakeem Jeffries for House Speaker underscore skepticism that a new crop of DSA electeds would use their power to actually fight for working people, much like the SQUAD declined to force the vote or otherwise confront Democratic leadership.

This panel will discuss how we can work together across people-powered politics, media and social movements to break the stranglehold of empire and oligarchy over our political system, dismantle duopoly and create a multipartisan future for working people, peace and the planet. 

Saturday, July 25 - 10:00 AM

International Green Solidarity: A Discussion with Greens from Around the World

The GPUS International Committee will present a workshop with Greens from Canada, Colombia, Venezuela, and the United States. The Global Greens Secretariat will share reports about Green parties around the world and discuss international Green solidarity.

Howie Hawkins, Moderator
Alison Lam - Canada
Seth Piper, Communications Officer for the Global Greens UK
Alejandro Aguilera, Deputy in the Venezuelan National Assembly
Jaime Navarro, General Secretary of the Colombian Green Alliance
Cyn Muthoni, International Officer, Young Greens of England and Wales
Natalie Kopytko, Chair, Ukraine Solidarity Campaign, Young Greens of England and Wales
Maria Paz Ordonez, translator, Ecuador

Saturday, July 25 - 12:30 PM

Keynote: - The Imperative & Opportunity of local politics
Presented by Cam Gordon

Saturday, July 25 - 1:15 PM

Genocide, Empire & the War for Greater Israel - Taking Action from the Grassroots to International Law
Presented by Ali Abunimah, Craig Mokiber, and Medea Benjamin

Taking Action from the Grassroots to International Law

Saturday, July 25 - 2:45 PM

Media Panel
Presented by Nick Cruse, Rome, Briahna Joy Gray, JT Cestkowski, and Scott Free

Introduced byCraig Cayetano

Saturday, July 25 - 10:00 AM

Saturday, July 25 - 5:00 PM

Fundraiser
Featuring Jill Stein, Butch Ware, Roger Waters, and others

Sunday, July 26  10:00 am

Elections Database Report
Presented by Mike Feinstein

Sunday, July 26  11:15 am

What's Next for the Green Party
Presented by Butch Ware, Jill Stein, and Craig Cayetano