What do we think about Honduras and beyond?

Looking at the national or London websites, one gets little or no idea of what the Green Party stands for in global matters. I am not referring to weighty general (static) policies but live issues such as Iran or Honduras.

For example, are we condeming the coup in Honduras? If not, why not?

What was the official position on Iran? Did we have one?

The recent Euro elections apparently generated an interest among voters – some even wanting to join, others curious.

If London is the strongest base (as I have heard several times) how exactly are we engaging with the capital’s population of 2 million plus ethnic minorites?

One way would be to state our position much more regularly – and not just at election time.

Internally, there is some debate – Derek Wall is singlehandedly informing existing members about Honduras, Richard Lawson re: Iran..

Yet, what do local Party members say in their constituencies?

It seems we can say what we please (local democracy?)

But it might be worthwhile getting the elected MEPs and perhaps some selected spokespersons to comment regularly, perhaps weekly (cleared first to ensure it tallies with Party policy)…

If we take the Somali situation, what is the Party saying to the tens of thousands of UK based Somalis? That may not be important elsewhere but it is in Tower Hamlets with its historic concentration of Somalis.

Leaving foreign policy to two conferences a year for resolutions isn’t going to work.

We are vulnerable to charges of not understanding real-politik and not being with it.

David Miliband mentions the Greens on his blog about Afghanistan (it may be negative which is good, coming from him) but why are we not putting our view across more forcefully?

While Sky News may not give two figs for what GP thinks, many people do trawl the Internet and might find there is one UK party which has a principled global position

Farid Bakht