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Florida Greens Defend Freedom of
Speech
The Organization of American
States (OAS) General Assembly meets in Ft. Lauderdale from June
4-7, with participants from 34 nations. While the Broward County
Green Party is supportive of international cooperation, the OAS
has been consistently unable to achieve measurable success in
many areas such as environmental degradation and human rights.
Unfortunately, the OAS has demonstrated a keen willingness to
support trade policies that undermine labor, local economies,
regional environments, and political self-determination.
A significant number of religious,
environmental, labor, and political groups are planning peaceful
demonstrations during the OAS meeting. In an effort to limit the
size and effectiveness of these demonstrations, the City of Ft.
Lauderdale recently enacted an ordinance that redefines a parade
or political rally as only eight people, bans common objects
such as soda bottles and marbles, and effectively limits the
size of signs and banners.
"It's outrageous," said Jim Sanders,
a Broward Green, and plaintiff in a legal challenge to the
ordinances. "I'm being prevented from sending my message to
the OAS delegates -- people who can make positive changes in the
organization! It seems like the city is just looking for excuses
to arrest peaceful demonstrators."
The Broward County Green Party is seeking to
have the ordinance stricken as unconstitutional. A coalition
including attorneys from the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense
Committee and the ACLU has filed the suit.
Regardless of the legal outcome, the Broward
Greens www.browardgreens.org,
along with many others, intend to be seen AND heard at the OAS
General Assembly meeting.
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Learn the Art
of Running for Office
221 Green officeholders in 27 states are hard at
work. They are creating public policy on important issues
including civil rights, a living wage, alternative voting
systems, and peace. The Coordinated Campaign Committee has
helped many individual Green campaigns. Bob Jacobson, Vice-Chair
of the Hawai'i County Council was re-elected last year, and he
says he knows that the early contributions from the national
party contributed to his victory.
To support the growth of the Green Party in 2005, 2006, and
beyond, the Coordinated Campaign Committee is pursuing many
different programs to increase the number of Green officeholders
nationwide. Strategies include targeting specific campaigns
(based on written applications) and providing those campaigns
with matching funds or other support; Maintaining a campaign
manual (available for download from www.gp.org/committees/campaign/manual.html);
Helping states to recruit candidates; Assist with regional
campaign training schools; and much more.
Special resources will be available for congressional
campaigns and strong local campaigns. We especially encourage
people who are under-represented in elective office to consider
running. We are also looking for people to work with these
candidates as campaign coordinators, managers, and other
campaign volunteers.
If you're interested in learning the art of running for
office, call the CCC's Campaign Hotline phone number:
202-319-7194, or visit the Coordinated Campaign Committee's
websites for a wealth of campaign info: www.gp.org/committees/campaign/index.html.
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Intern with the
Fastest-Growing Party in the US!
Are you a student with a passion for politics and social
justice? Do you want an internship in Washington, DC, where
you'll do more than walk a Senator's dog or take orders for
lattes?
The Green Party of the United States is now accepting
applications for college and high school interns for the summer
and fall.
The Green Party is looking for interns to work in our
national headquarters in Washington, DC. Interns will assist
with daily office operations, provide administrative support for
campaigns, research, and help with convention planning and
fundraising events. Qualified applicants should be computer
savvy. Activist experience and/or Green Party membership
preferred. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to
apply.
Start date is flexible. We are currently looking for
candidates for the summer and fall of 2005. Hours are flexible
although three-quarters to full time is preferred.
These are unpaid internships, although many colleges and
universities offer college credit for internships.
To apply, please e-mail your resume and cover letter to Emily
Citkowski, Green Party Operations Director, at emily@gp.org.
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What's in Your Wallet?
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DC Statehood Green Party member Danzel van Zyl.
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Elaine Brown (elainebrown.org),
former leader of the Black Panther Party, recently announced
that she's running for mayor of Brunswick, Georgia as a Green.
And to prove it, she signed up for the Green Party Card.
Hundreds of others have recently become card-carrying Greens as
well.
Introduced in early March, the Green Party Card program has
already raised more than $12,000. Half of this money has been
contributed back to the state parties. Not only has the program
been successful for raising money on the national and local
levels, but it has brought many new people into the Green Party
and put them in touch with their state parties so they can
become active and involved as Greens.
For $36 a year, members of the program receive a personalized
card, a subscription to Green Pages, a button, a bumper sticker,
and contact information for state parties and committees. The
national office sends the contact information for new Green
Party cardholders to the Green Party Card Coordinator in each
state. Card Coordinators are encouraged to put the new
cardholders in touch with their local Green Party so that they
can get involved in the activity of their local party. Half of
each $36 contributed to the program goes to the state Green
Party of the cardholder.
The Green Party has printed snazzy new Green Party Card
application cards to help build the program. State or local
parties can request bundles of 100 or more application cards to
distribute at meetings, for tabling events; and when talking to
friends and family members.
Please help get the word out, and sign up for your Green
Party Card at: http://www.gp.org/greenpartycard.html.
Or, look for the ad in the latest issue of Green Pages. If you
have any questions, feel free to call the Green Party national
office at 1-866-41-GREEN.
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