2012trainingmanual chap5
OTHER GROW WIKI DOCUMENTS: http://wiki.cagreens.org/index.php/Grassroots_Organizing_Working_Group
CHAPTER 5: A SAMPLE ORIENTATION: GREEN PARTY HISTORY AND PLATFORM
GREEN PARTY HISTORY
The Green Party of California (GPCA) was founded on February 4th, 1990 and qualified for statewide ballot status as of December 31st, 1991.
The Green Party of the United States (GPUS) was founded in 2001. It is a federation of state Green Parties including the Green Party of California.
More than 660 California Greens have run for public office since the Green Party of California was founded in 1990 and 220 have been elected.
34 California Greens currently hold elected office. We have three Green Party mayors who serve in Fairfax, Richmond and Marina.
GREEN PARTY PLATFORM
We have 10 Key Values. You do not have to remember all of these to be a great volunteer. In fact, don't even try.
Ecological Wisdom
Non-violence
Social Justice
Grassroots Democracy: Everyone deserves to influence the government decisions that affect their lives. Greens believe decision-making is best done at the individual, local and regional levels. Greens believe in sunshine and open doors. We work to increase public participation and transparency at all levels of government, and ensure that public officials are fully accountable.
Decentralization
Community-based Economics
Feminism
Respect for Diversity
Personal and Global Responsibility
Sustainability
The 10 Key Values are often synthesized into the 5 pillars. These you should try to memorize.
Ecological Wisdom
Non-Violence
Social Justice
Economic Justice
Grassroots Democracy.
GREEN PARTY FUTURE
This voter registration drive is essential to secure future ballot access for the Green Party of California.
To continue our primary ballot access beyond November 2014, the Green Party of California must satisfy one of these requirements:
(a) One of our statewide candidates must earn at least 2.0% in the November 2014 election; or
(b) On the 135th day before the first 2015 primary election, our total party membership must be at least 1% of the number of people who vote in the November 2014 election .
We're just hovering above 1% of the total number of general election voters. 10,300,392 Californians voted in the November 2010 election.
Right now, we have 113,563 registered Green Party members. That totals 1.1% of the number of people who voted in the last gubernatorial election.
When you calculate in the inevitable decline (without a voter registration drive) in numbers due to deaths and migration out of California, we are teetering on the edge.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
CAN I VOTE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY?
Yes. Starting this June, we have open primaries in California. That means when you go to vote in all primary elections (except the presidential primary), you will see all of the candidates of all parties on your ballot. You can vote for one person, regardless of your party and the candidate's party. In other words, you can be a registered Green and vote for a Democrat in the primary. The top two candidates in the primary will proceed to the general election.
ARE YOU RUNNING A PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN?
Yes.
