As a political Party, our first priority is to create a value based politics, in contrast to a system extolling exploitation, consumption, and non sustainable competition. We believe in an alternative, independent politics and active, responsible government. We believe in empowering citizens and communities, and working together to change the way our government operates- to change the quality of our everyday lives, to build a vision that brings new and lasting opportunities.

For Greens, the fights against racism, sexism, class exploitation, bureaucratic domination, war, and all other forms of social domination and violence are central to the movement for an ecologically sustainable society.

In order to harmonize society with nature, we much harmonize human with human.

We, the GREEN PARTY, see our political and economic progress, and our individual lives, within the context of an evolving, challenging world. As in nature, where adaptation and diversity provide key strategies of survival, a successful political strategy is one that is diverse, adaptable to changing needs, and strong and resilient in its core values:

• Democracy
• Social Justice & Equal Opportunity, emphasizing personal and social responsibility, accountability, and non-violence.
• Environmental and Economic Sustainability, balancing the interest of market and value driven business, of the community, land, of living and future generations.

Looking to the future with hope and optimism, we believe that, together we can make a real difference in the quality of our lives and environment. Our common destiny brings us together across our nation and around the globe.

It is for us to choose how we will be remembered. It is for us to choose the future we are creating today.

Green Alliance statement:

Green Politics is an ecological approach to politics that links social and ecological problems. Ecology studies the relationships among organisms and their environment. Political ecology brings human institutions and ideologies into this holistic perspective.

The same institutions and ideas that cause the exploitation and oppression of humans also cause the degradation and destruction of the environment. Both are rooted in a hierarchical, exploitative, and alienated social system that systematically produces human oppression and ecological destruction.

For Greens, the fights against racism, sexism, class exploitation, bureaucratic domination, war, and all other forms of social domination and violence are central to the movement for an ecologically sustainable society. In order to harmonize society with nature, we much harmonize human with human.

The Greens carry forward the traditional values of the Left: freedom, equality, and solidarity. We want to create a truly democratic society without class exploitation or social domination. But Greens expand this notion of a classless, nonhierarchical society that is harmonized with itself to included an ecological society that is harmonized with nature as well.

To social movements, the Greens say that in order for humanity to progress toward a democratic society, we must resolve the ecological crisis so that people are still around to enjoy democracy. To the environmental movements, Greens say that in order to have an ecological society, we much have a democratic society so that people have the power to choose ecological sustainability. To survive, we must have ecological sustainability. To choose ecological sustainability, we must have the power of democracy.

Ten Key Values

1. Grassroots Democracy: Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and 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.

Excerpts from our Platform

We need to Re-Assert Local Citizen Control over Corporations:

Corporations have become the dominant economic institution of the planet, and must address and squarely face the social and environmental problems that afflict humankind.

We need workforce development programs aimed at moving people out of poverty: A living wage campaign and standard goes a long way towards achieving this goal.

Livable Income Job banks, training and employment programs which combine private & public sector. This must become the federal, state, local priorities. People who can’t find private sector work must be able to get work thru public funded opportunities.

The Growing Inequities in income and wealth between rich and poor, unprecendented discrepancies in salary and benefits between corporate top executives and line workers; loss of the “American dream” by the young and middle class—each is a symptom of decisions made by policy makers far emoved from concerns of ordinary workers trying to keep up. Need a Clear living wage standard to serve as a foundation for trade between nations, and a “floor” of wage protections and worker’s rights should be negotiated and set in place in future trade agreements. US should take lead: not allow destructive, corporate predatory practices under the guise of “free” international trade.

We endorse DIRECT DEMOCRACY through TOWN MEETINGS which express a community's wishes on economic decision making directly to local institutions and organizations.