Global Greens News March 2015 GG News in March 2015 includes a Global Greens statement for International Women's Day: Empower women. Empower humanity, the Lima Declaration by the
Federation of Green Parties of the Americas and an invitation to the Asia Pacific Greens Congress in New Zealand in June. Also news and views from the Green world - Niger to Pakistan, Netherlands to Mexico - and links for elections coming up in Finland and the UK. Register to vote if you're eligible.
Empower women. Empower humanity
On International Women’s Day 2015 the Global Greens call for renewed commitment by governments everywhere to the goal of equal participation by women and men in power and decision-making, adopted in the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action. We also commit to strengthening the Global Greens Women's Network established following Dakar 2012. Read more (English)
AFRICA
L’onde de choc de Charlie Hebdo en Niger The shocking murder of the Charlie Hebdo journalists in January reverberated
around the world and in Niger precipitated violent protests in several cities,
unheard of in a country known for religious tolerance. This comes on top of a Boko
Harem insurgency in the northeast and an ongoing political crisis following
President Mahamadou Issoufou's failure to form a government of national unity.
nnnnnnnnnnRead more (French)
Press freedom in Egypt The Egyptian Green Party believes that the Global Greens will commit a grave
mistake if the press crisis in the Arab region is confined to the issue of the
AlJazeera Satellite channel journalists. If the only interest is in the release of
foreign journalists many negative consequences for press freedom in the region
will be ignored. Read more (Arabic and English)
AMERICAS
Lima declaration The Federation of Greens of the Americas, meeting in Lima on 57 December
2014, issued a declaration on the state of democracy and the environment on the
continent. The FPVA specifically condemn antidemocratic and antienvironmental
actions including Nicaragua's interoceanic canal, Canada's support for mining in
Latin America, and the BrazilGerman nuclear agreement, amongst others. Read
more (Spanish)
ASIA / PACIFIC
Third Asia Pacific Greens Congress The Asia Pacific Greens Federation hosts a Congress once every 5 years, bringing
together members and supporters to actualise our collective green vision for the
region. We are delighted to announce that the APGF Congress will be held in
Wellington, New Zealand, 1214 June 2015, and we invite you all to attend! Read
more (English)
Pakistan Greens to contest local elections The Pakistan Green Party will field more than 100 candidates in local government
elections starting in May 2015. Localised campaigns will address the unique issues
of each province. For example the KPK campaign focuses on deforestation, local
economy and waste management as well as the opportunities of community solar
heating which will also reduce firewood consumption. Read more (English)
EUROPE
Kampagne: Klimaschutz jetzt! The European Greens are organising a joint climate campaign in the lead up to
Paris 2015. But instead of horror stories and alarmism the message will be positive
'We are changing climate policy. We are not waiting for governments to act.'
Read more (German)
Greens on Greece
Syriza's win in the Greek elections on 25 January 2015 was a massive vote for change - for an end to austerity and a socially fair way out of Greece's debt crisis. The Greek Ecologist Greens are part of the Syriza coalition. Read more
SNIPPETS Wild animals banned in Mexico circuses. After years of campaigning, the
Mexican Greens gained wide popular and parliamentary support to ban the use of
wild animals in circuses. The Greens used scientific studies showing that circus
animals suffer physically and psychologically when deprived of their natural
development, their spaces and social groups; in addition to being trained in an
abusive and cruel manner. Read more
North Sea Grid. GroenLinks (Netherlands) is proposing that North Sea countries
work together to harness wind energy across the region. A new report concludes
that the North Sea Grid project would help tackle climate change, reduce
dependence on Russian gas imports and be an alternative to gas extraction in
Groningen. It would also provide more jobs. Read more (Dutch)
AAP wins Delhi. India's new Aam Aadmi Party swept to power in the Delhi
Assembly election in February winning 67 out of 70 seats despite the combined
opposition of the established parties. The UKKP (Greens) have been developing a
relationship with AAP with talks continuing; and at the same time exploring the
potential for a national Green party in India. Read more
New Zealand Greens focus on climate and equality for 2015. Greens Co-Leader
Russel Norman warns that New Zealand's climate pollution is set to increase by
50% by 2020 and commits the Greens to leading the fight for an energy efficient
low carbon economy. Read more
East African Greens strategic plan. Greens from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and
Burundi met in Kampala, Uganda, on 1213 February to plan for the next five years
with support from Green Party of England and Wales and the Westminster
Foundation. The strategic plan will help parties implement Green ideology within
the eastern African region. Read more
Election success in Hamburg. Greens in the German state of Hamburg won
12.2% of the vote in elections on 15 February and are set to form a coalition
government with the Social Democrats (SPD). Read more
Rwandan Greens leadership training. The Rwandan Greens completed
leadership training in the Rusizi and Bulera Districts in February. The training
covered a wide variety of subjects including political ideology, responsibilities
of political parties in a democracy and gender and the role of women in
economic development. Read more
Planting trees in Morocco. At the Global Greens Congress in Dakar
tree-planting was one of the initiatives encouraged. Greens in Morocco
organised tree-planting in January. In the words of Wangari Maathai: 'when we
plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope'.
COMING UP Fukushima anniversary, 11 March. On the 4th anniversary of the Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear disaster Asia Pacific Greens are calling on their governments to
commit to a nuclearfree world and move to clean equitable renewable energy
solutions. Greens globally offer sincere condolences to the people of Fukushima
and the wider region for the tragedy they have suffered. Read more
Global Greens meet in Brussels. The Global Greens Coordination will have a
rare face to face meeting in Brussels from 1821 March 2015. On the agenda a
roadmap for the Global Greens, fundraising, campaigns, communications and the
next Global Greens Congress. The picture is from the last face to face meeting in
2013 when the statutes were finalised enabling the Global Greens to become a
legally registered nonprofit organisation.
Election watch. Elections that are definite and will be contested by Greens in
the next three months include: Finland (19 April) and the UK (7 May) where the
Scottish Greens, the Green Party of England and Wales and the Northern Ireland
Greens will be participating. If you are eligible to vote in any of these elections,
either at home or abroad, make sure you register and vote!
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