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

Latin American Left leads a green revolution

On Thursday 4th September, the Cuban activist Roberto Perez will be kicking off his UK tour with a Green Left rally at Bolivar Hall, 54 Grafton Way, near Warren Street tube station. The Venezuelan Embassy is hosting the event, which starts at 7PM.

 Speakers include Dr. Diana Raby, Lecturer at the Institute of Latin American Studies (University of Liverpool), Nestor Lopez of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Dr. Derek Wall, Green Party Principal Speaker.
Cuba was forced to go green in the 1990s when the collapse of the Soviet Union cut off cheap supplies of oil and Roberto Perez has been at the forefront of the changes they have made. Cuba has worked hard to generate energy through renewables.  Schools in rural areas in particular get their energy from solar panels and wind turbines are springing up everywhere. Perhaps the most important part of Cuba’s true green revolution is agricultural.

Cuba introduced permaculture, a special form of organic farming during the 1990s.  Organic is important because it is not based on oil. Important when oil costs more than $100! It quite literally stopped people from starving and Havana is virtually self-sufficient in fresh fruit and vegetables.  They proved that using less carbon could lead to a higher standard of living, bringing increased prosperity for Cubans.

Cuba’s green vision has been taken up in Venezuela. Now, Bolivia and Ecuador look set to follow.  Roberto Perez wants to spread the word to activists and also to migrants here from Latin America.

 

Contact:

Farid Bakht,

Media Relations, Green Left