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Ralph Nader to Speak at Green Party National MeetingReading, PA will be turning Green from the 12-15th of July when the Green Party National Meeting comes to town. With a huge number of workshops and speakers as well as a Music Fest to keep everyone entertained in the evenings it should be a great weekend. It will be a wonderful opportunity to learn the skills required to build effective campaigns, network with Greens from across the country and worldwide; and, most of all, to have fun. Ralph Nader is scheduled to speak on the Saturday and will be addressing the issue of Ballot access, an ever prevalent topic which resonates particularly clearly in Pennsylvania, a state with some of the most antidemocratic ballot access rules for third party candidates in the US. Ralph will be sharing the stage with 2006 PA Senate Candidate Carl Romanelli and renowned progressive hip-hop artist Head-Roc. The national meeting will also include presentations from former federal assistant secretary of housing Catherine Austin Fitts, President of Solari, Inc, Juan Behrend, Co-Secretary General of the European Green Party and Janet Eaton from the Green Party of Canada talking about the NAFTA Super Corridor. Workshops are sure to be another highlight of the weekend with topics ranging from "media relations" and "running for office" to a 3 day special workshop on "dismantling racism". As well as all of this there will be an early opportunity to hear from those seeking the Green Party nomination in the 2008 Presidential Race. Several candidates have already announced their intention to run so it's sure to be an interesting forum. The Music Fest is shaping up to have an impressive line up with noted Hip-Hop artist and Green Party member Head Roc and his DJ's Eurock and Noyeek headlining on the Saturday evening. Other performers include Juggling Suns, Green Onions, Hexbelt, Uncle Skip, and many others. Thursday night is looking to be an international night and there will also be a silent auction, vendors and exhibitors throughout the weekend. All in all it is sure to be a weekend full of interesting events and refreshing perspectives on the issues that matter. The Green Party will be certain to make Reading an "oasis of democracy". A comprehensive overview on everything you need to know about the meeting including how to sign up can be found at www.gpanc.org. Take advantage of the pre-meeting discount of $100 and register on-line: here. On-line registration ends on July 6th. On-site registration will be available for $115. Meal tickets and event tickets will be available for online purchase until July 6th. Event tickets will be available for purchase on-site, meal tickets will not. Green Party Animal Mascot
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| The Outreach Committee is in process of naming a Green Party Animal Mascot. The National Committee will be deciding in July if the Green Party should even have a mascot and if it approves the process then the following 10 options which were the top choices of Greens everywhere plus NOTA will be offered to the NC to narrow down the choices. | |
| Bee - immortality, rebirth, industry, order, purity, soul, chastity, secret wisdom, mother and priestesses, community. |
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| Dolphin - symbol for prosperity and the abundance of the earth; Kindness, play, savior, guide, sea power, swift, intelligence, communication, breath control, awareness of tone. |
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| Dove - universal symbol of peace and innocence, soul, transcendence, spirits of air, ascent, communication, freedom, sight.) |
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| Frog - cleansing, Peace, Emotional Healing, Connection with water element, sensitivity, medicine, hidden beauty, power. |
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| Otter - laughter, curiosity, mischievous, feminine power, grace, empathy, joy, play, helpfulness. |
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| Owl - wisdom, truth, patience, darkness, a death messenger, divination, solitude, detachment, wisdom, change, totem of clairvoyants and mystics. |
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| Polar bear - primal power, mother, cunning, healer, gentle strength, dreaming, sovereignty, intuition married with instinct, nurturing, protective |
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| Turtle - Self contained, creative source, Earth, informed decisions, planning, adaptability. |
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| Whale - creativity, intuition, power of water, regeneration, death, rebirth. |
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| Wolf - loyalty, success, perseverance, stability, thought, pathfinder, teacher, intuition, learning, the shadow. |
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| NOTA - none of the above |
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| Greens across the country are leading the way in the growing impeachment movement. The last few months have seen successful local referenda, actions, teach-ins, concerts, all calling for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney. Greens party interns Molly Keller and Jessica Bowerman participated in a rally last week at the capitol calling on Congress to impeach where they circulated petitions supporting Impeachment If you have not yet signed please do so here and ask others to sign as well. Several members of Congress have already appealed for impeachment, including Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey, Yvette Clarke, Dennis Kucinich, Jan Schakowsky, Albert Wynn, and William Lacy Clay. If you congressperson is not on this list, write to them and ask them to support impeachment. You can write an automated letter advocating impeachment to them here. |
Water is life and privatization is not in the interest of the people. Canada recognizes this danger and recently passed a bill in the House of Commons to exclude water from NAFTA.
Council of Canadians supports vote to exclude water from NAFTA The Council of Canadians congratulates all members of parliament who voted to exclude water from the North American Free Trade Agreement on June 05, 2007.
The motion was passed in the House of Commons by a vote of 134 to 108. Tabled by the Standing Committee on International Trade, the motion recommends that the Federal government "begin talks with its American and Mexican counterparts to exclude water from the scope of NAFTA."
The Great Lakes Center for Public Policy is promoting a Water Bill of Rights for the People of the Great Lakes Basin:
1. Water is Life.
2. Water has value. Water is more valuable than oil.
3. Water in the Great Lakes Basin is finite and in balance. Water diverted out of the basin is gone forever, there is a net loss.
4. The waters of the Great Lakes and the groundwater of the Great Lakes Basin are contiguous.
5. Water belongs to the citizens, creatures and eco-systems of the Great Lakes Basin.
6. Water is in continuous motion. Water moves through a hydrologic cycle, from lakes to the air to precipitation to the land to groundwater and runoff to streams and rivers, and back to lakes and seas.
7. Water of the Great Lakes Basin cannot be privately owned.
8. All public and private interests shall take note. Water needs, outside the Great Lakes Basin, which are created by squandering water resources or diminishing water reservoirs or polluting water or by creating water dependant industry, farming and residential need, or created by growing populations, cannot be cited as constituting compelling need for Great Lakes Basin Water diversion.
9. Anyone who diverts or takes or removes water from the Great Lakes Basin, takes the property of the people of the state and other citizens of the Great Lakes Basin. Any diversion of the water of the Great Lakes Basin from the Basin diminishes all life in the Basin.
10. Any person or corporation that pollutes or diminishes the quality of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin is guilty of a trespass and destruction of public property. Pollution or diminishment of the water constitutes a taking.
11. Water diversion or sale of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin for private profit constitutes a taking or theft from the people.
12. The elected representatives of the state have a right and a responsibility to protect the citizens of the Great Lakes Basin by protecting the waters of the Great Lakes Basin from pollution, diversion or taking for profit.
For more information on Great Lakes Basin contact JoAnne Bier Beemon, Director Great Lakes Center for Public Policy at: joanne_beemon@hotmail.com.
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