Asia Pacific Green Politics Workshop
Brisbane, Australia, 25 – 27 April 2000
Report Compiled by Margaret Blakers
Office of Senator Bob Brown
May 2000
More information
Senator Bob Brown
Australian Greens
GPO Box 404
Hobart Tas 7001
Australia
Ph. 61 3 6234 1633
Fax. 61 3 6234 1577
Email. senator.brown@aph.gov.au
Web. www.greens.org.au/bobbrown
Australian Greens
GPO Box 1108
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
Email. frontdesk@greens.org.au
Web. www.greens.org.au
Global Greens 2001
GPO Box 1108
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
Email. conference2001@global.greens.org.au
PREFACE 6
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 7
OVERVIEW 8
RESOLUTIONS 9
Asia Pacific
Greens Network 9
Tobin Tax 9
Coral Reefs of
New Caledonia 9
Electronic
network 9
LES VERTS PACIFIQUE, NEW CALEDONIA 10
GREEN PARTY OF AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND 12
PHILIPPINE GREENS 13
GREEN PARTY TAIWAN 15
CITIZENS PARTY, HONG KONG 17
MONGOLIAN GREEN PARTY 19
GREEN KOREA, SOUTH KOREA 21
RAINBOW AND GREEN JAPAN 22
THAI GREEN WORKING GROUP 23
GREEN NEPAL PARTY 25
FUNDACAO HABURAS, TIMOR LOROSA’E (EAST TIMOR) 27
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, GREENS WESTERN AUSTRALIA 30
PREFACE
What an exhilarating, surprising and inspiring gathering. There were four wonderful New Caledonians fighting against the odds to protect the reefs and unique plants and animals of their corner of the Pacific and Satoko Watanabe, lone female representative in a Japanese Prefecture of 45. Demetrio Amaral de Carvalho came from the world’s newest country of East Timor and three activists came from the newly formed Thai Green Working Group.
The four Taiwan Greens, veterans of struggles against nuclear power and the threats of their mainland Chinese neighbour, signed an accord with Bhum-Yalagch, representing the 12 600 strong Mongolian Greens. Zofia Rybkowski from the Hong Kong Citizens Party outlined MP Christine Loh’s amazing achievements against overwhelming odds.
The NZ Greens, with a new team of seven parliamentarians, are getting used to sharing power, starting with the successful passage of the country’s first energy efficiency bill through the parliament. The two Nepali representatives have spent years in prison. Their focus is fighting corruption. Taedong Lee told of the success of the civil coalition for clean voting in targeting corrupt candidates in South Korea’s recent election. We, from the Australian Greens and Greens WA, are lucky that politics here is not a life-threatening choice.
Roberto Verzola from the Philippines likened the Greens enterprise to a nest of termites – one termite alone is slow and inactive; two are more lively; a nest-full can topple whole buildings and make fantastic creations.
This Asia Pacific workshop stirred up the nest to a new phase of creation. There will be some immediate outcomes – like a world heritage nomination for New Caledonia’s coral reefs, and a Green team comprising at least Australia, Taiwan and New Zealand at the next round of negotiations on the Climate Change Convention.
Individually and collectively we all gained a vital sense of connection and empowerment through the recognition that we are part of a genuine global green political community, growing in strength and confidence. It was a great start to the green twenty-first century.
Senator Bob Brown
Australian Greens
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We are very grateful to the Swedish Green Forum, whose financial support made the workshop possible and to Chair, Eva Goes, who attended on behalf of the Forum. The funding enabled us to bring representatives from a diversity of countries in the Asia Pacific region to Brisbane. Eva’s personal contribution added invaluable experience from Europe and around the world.
Green Forum can be contacted at:
Prastgatan 18A
Box 2136, 103 14 Stockholm
Sweden
Email. green.forum@mp.se
We thank also the Heinrich Boll Foundation who supported the Thai delegation to the workshop and enabled Heike Loschmann (Thailand Regional Office) to attend. Their presence enriched the workshop.
The Heinrich Boll Foundation can be contacted at:
Rosenthaler Str. 40-41
Hackesche Hoefe
D-10178 Berlin
Germany
Email. info@boell.de
Many thanks to the Queensland Greens, especially Lenore Taylor and Marit Hegge, who organised the venue and arrangements in Brisbane, to Greg Buckman from the Australian Greens who managed the finances, and to Cate Weate and Margaret Blakers from Senator Bob Brown’s office who sought out and organised the participants.
OVERVIEW
The Asia Pacific Green Politics Workshop was held in Brisbane Australia from 25 – 27 April 2000, made possible by a generous grant from the Swedish Green Forum. It was designed as a precursor to the Global Greens Conference in April 2001, and to fill the gap in organised networking in the Asia Pacific Region, which unlike Europe, Africa and the Americas does not yet have a Federation of Green Parties.
Thirty people representing 12 Green parties and green political movements in Asia and the Pacific came to the Workshop, together with representatives from the Swedish Green Forum and the German Heinrich Boll Foundation (who supported some of the delegates). The groups and individuals were identified after extensive consultation with Green parties round the world, community organisations such as Friends of the Earth, Community Aid Abroad and Amnesty, and with individuals.
The Workshop was an unqualified success, primarily in establishing warm personal relationships amongst the participants, and in affirming their common ideals for environmental protection, social justice, democracy, nonviolence and the elimination of poverty. We formed an Asia Pacific Greens Network, with a view to consolidating it as a Greens Federation at a follow up meeting at the Global Greens Conference in 2001. An important outcome was to distinguish ‘green political movements’ (community groups or movements with an explicit goal of involvement in electoral or parliamentary politics) from issue-oriented non-government organisations. Such movements are playing an important role in countries where democratic participation is dangerous or restricted and as a stepping stone to formation of a party.
Most of the discussion time in and out of the formal workshop was spent outlining each country’s circumstances, but workshops on Green politics and Asian/Indigenous cultural values, global warming, and organisation and funding opened up broader issues. Having four close neighbours of mainland China (Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Mongolia) present highlighted mainland China’s territorial threats and growing economic power as central issues for the region. The recent experience of the Asian financial crisis underlined the common recognition of the need to campaign globally and the potential power of such a political movement to confront the extremes of economic globalism.
Everyone who attended the workshop is keen to come to the Global Greens Conference in 2001 in Canberra.
RESOLUTIONS
Asia Pacific Greens Network
1. That we form an Asia Pacific Greens Network, comprising:
1) Green parties and
2) Green political movements
And strive to broaden its membership throughout the region.
2. That we meet in conjunction with the Global Greens Conference in 2001, with the aim of forming a Federation, based on the Global Greens Charter, comprising:
1) Green parties (members) and
2) green political movements (associate members)
Agreed unanimously
Tobin Tax
We support the Tobin Tax, with the proceeds to be used for international social and environmental justice.
Agreed unanimously
Coral Reefs of New Caledonia
We the undersigned members of Greens Parties and green People’s movements of the Asia Pacific Region totally oppose the proposed INCO nickel mine at Goro, New Caledonia because of its adverse impact on the environment.
We call on the Government of France to prepare a nomination of the coral reefs of New Caledonia for World Heritage listing.
We give our total support to the Green Party of New Caledonia in its efforts to protect the coral reefs and to secure their listing on the World Heritage Register.
Signed by all
Electronic network
Prof. Kao Cheng-yan (Taiwan) will set up and manage an email contact list for the Asia Pacific Green Network. He can be contacted on gptaiwan@ms10.hinet.net or cykao@csie.ntu.edu.tw.
LES VERTS PACIFIQUE, NEW CALEDONIA
Rick Anex, Jacques (Jacky) Mermoud, Bruno van Peteghen, Junco van Peteghen
Our country, New Caledonia, is a large non-volcanic island near the Australian sub-continent. It is a splinter that has broken away from Australia, which was a piece of Gondwanaland.[1]
For 90 million years, this splinter has drifted with its genetic capital. This long isolation has made it a sanctuary specific to Gondwanaland.
It has since suffered an upheaval due to submergence of ocean sediment and magmatic products which has contributed to an impressive singularity of flora and fauna. These two principal phenomena give New Caledonia an original quality, and justifiable priority on the list of places to protect worldwide. More importantly, relatively recent human occupation (<4000 years) has allowed its ecosystems to be relatively well-preserved.
Our country tries to present an image of prosperity and attractiveness for the tourism industry and a strong economic potential. (But we have not come here to promote tourism.) In reality, while appearing a paradise, New Caledonia is run as an under-developed country (pillaging resources) not only by its attitude towards environmental stewardship but also its treatment of its citizens and the stature of NGOs which are always deliberately kept from decision-making. This prevents the functioning of the democratic process. That which has been miraculously left from Gondwanaland and not destroyed since is rich, but is made up of species very localised and vulnerable. Regrettably, in order not to interfere with the unhindered exploitation of natural resources, such as in open-pit mining, legislation which would otherwise protect endangered species is not applied. This places New Caledonia in the category of a Third World country.
With the accords of Matignon and Noumea, New Caledonia is a country whose choices of today will directly affect its future. Today we are between two perspectives: a neo-colonial logic belonging to wild liberalism with short-term goals, even in the perspective of independence. Or a logic based on development which will assure long-term prosperity based on sustainability.
If you share our preoccupations and our fears about the evolution of our country toward sustainable development, we are obliged to share yours.
Our contribution to the workshop is this proposition:
That which gives the Greens their power the world over is not only their ability to make observations about the risks being run, but also to anticipate their consequences.
There is a major planetary risk that we must face now. The real running sore of the 21st century is globalisation. It is dangerous because it escapes ethics. It gives free rein to the wildest forms of capitalism, because political institutions everywhere submit to it.
The Greens, who present alternatives, and act as humanists, are aware of this and mobilise against the devastating effects of this uncontrollable form of business and finance beyond the reach of any state. Our power of anticipation should apply to this phenomenon. Our task is to respond to this globalisation monopolised by a handful of powerful individuals.
The only response is precisely that of globalisation. The economic and financial structures have defined their appetite for power in three words: ‘no economic boundaries’.
It is their great strength and their great weakness. We must, therefore, invest in this fortress and steal its power by putting our values and our ethics in their place in order to let all the peoples of the planet share the fruits of non-destructive progress. We are up against powerful lobbies. However, we sincerely feel that there are no other viable alternatives.
We are not lacking in what it takes:
q Many consumers in the world are becoming sensitive to our insights
q We have an international network
q We have competent people.
We
need to oppose the financial Goliaths with positive alternatives.
We
need to put technologies into places that advance humanity in the right
direction.
We
must help create a climate that eclipses the power of the military-industrial
complex.
We
must help create a healthy agricultural industry.
We
must convince people that profit offers much less satisfaction than sharing.
We must eliminate the true cause of the problem: individuals who, lacking choice, are constrained to give their energy to a machine of destruction. We must be able to offer everybody the possibility to invest in their lives through other options where they will find the same personal dividends with the added bonus of satisfaction in being able to see that their personal capital is contributing collectively for better rather than for worse.
After 90 million years of separation, yet persuaded that we are motivated by the same concern of our shared heritage, we are returning to our common source.
Les Verts Pacifique
BP 3315
98846 Noumea-Cedex
New Caledonia
Email. baron@offratel.nc
Convener. Didier Baron
Members. 32
Elected representatives. Municipal Councillor, Mont-Dore (Province Sud)
GREEN PARTY OF AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND
Jeanette Fitzsimons, Christine Dann, Harry Parke
‘From political compost to balance of power’ is how one commentator described the success of the Greens in New Zealand. The election last November gave the party 7 seats in parliament (up from two) and the novel dilemma of adjusting to working with rather than against the government. The parliamentary party is finalising an agreement (not a formal alliance) with the governing Labour Party. This will provide for Ministerial access, access to Cabinet papers on a confidential basis (not to be taken up on issues where the Greens are opposed), and ‘no surprises’ in relation to no-confidence motions.
The Greens are currently on 7% in opinion polls, and 20% among young voters. The party, with just one part-time administrator, is suffering ‘speed wobbles’ working out how to give effective support to the spiralling demands of members, supporters and the parliamentary wing.
But there is elation at the prospect of making progress on key issues. Already, the parliament is set to pass Jeanette Fitzsimons’ private member’s Energy Efficiency Bill and a Royal Commission has been established into genetic engineering, with a moratorium on new releases but not field trials.
Green Party of Aotearoa/New Zealand
PO Box 11652
Wellington
New Zealand
Email. greenparty@greens.org.nz
Web. www.greens.org.nz
Co-convener. Ian Stephens (other co-convener position vacant)
Members. 2000 and growing
Elected representatives. National parliament: Jeanette Fitzsimons (Co-leader), Rod Donald (Co-leader), Sue Bradford, Ian Ewen-Street, Nandor Tanczos, Sue Kedgley, Keith Locke. Local councils [information to come]
Political system
Single house national parliament with 120 seats (67 elected from single member constituencies; 53 from party lists). Voters have two votes – one for the local member, one for the party list; the composition of the House as a whole is proportional to the votes for each party (e.g. the Greens won 5.3% of the vote, entitling them to 7 seats). Elections are every three years; the last was in November 1999.
Current issues
Political issues – genetic engineering, organic agriculture, safe food; community economic development and opposition to globalisation; climate change and energy policy.
Organisational issues – the party structure and organisation are struggling to cope with political success and increased membership. The Parliamentary team holds the balance of power and resources are stretched to have a principled stand on every issue. The relationship with the new Labour-Alliance coalition government is still evolving.
PHILIPPINE GREENS
Roberto Verzola
The Philippine Greens, established in 1996, are more a political movement than a party. Their main task is to build a constituency for the environment, social justice and self-determination and win political power to facilitate advocacy of these principles. They are a small group within a broader left movement (which at one extreme includes armed insurgency).
Political parties in the Philippines are often grouped around personalities rather than principles, and people switch parties after elections to gain access to power; corruption is widespread. Against this background, there is discussion about the Greens participating in elections, but probably initially in selected local areas where conditions are right, with the potential to move to a national party over time.
Foreword to Society, Ecology and Transformation, A Program for Transforming Philippine Society Based on the Green Worldview, Edited by Roberto Verzola, Philippine Greens, 1999
“Worldwide, a body of literature is growing which articulates a worldview that emphasizes ecology, social justice and self-determination.
The main ideas of this Green worldview include the following:
q The community is the most important locus of human activity. This communitarian approach calls for community-level politics, economics, technologies and other activities.
q We are also part of a bigger community of living beings, who have as much right as we do to our common ecological home. We therefore cannot appropriate all of nature just to meet high and often wasteful levels of consumption.
q Quality of life is more important than quantity of production or consumption.
q The spiritual aspects of reality are just as important. Beyond a certain level of material sufficiency, human happiness is often a matter of spiritual rather than material fulfilment.
q Non-violence should guide family and community relationships, our interaction with nature, and our program for social change.
q Too much political power and wealth corrupts. We should diffuse power and wealth and prevent their concentration.
q Diversity is better than monoculture. This is true not only in ecosystems but also in human societies.
The Philippine Greens believe that these ideas and the growing body of thought behind them are exactly what our society needs. This book reflects our initial effot to draft a comprehensive program for transforming Philippine society and ecology based on the Green worldview.
We call on you all to join us in turning this program into reality.”
Philippine Greens
108V Luna Road Extension
Sikatuna Village 1101
Quezon City
Philippines
Email. rverzola@phil.gn.apc.org
Secretary-General. Roberto Verzola
Members. About 40 distributed among various NGOs and organisations
Elected representatives. None
Political system
Presidential system (executive is separate from legislature). National legislature (Congress) has two houses – House of Representatives with 250 members; Senate with 24 Senators. Limited proportional representation in the House of Representatives with 50 members elected by a party list system. Elections every three years.
Current issues
We have reached a plateau in our organising efforts and are deeply discussing how to move forward to the next phase.
We lack resources; we need to support full-time activists now (we are all volunteers) and are trying to solve this within our current policy of not receiving foreign funds.
We are currently a small organisation that is politically weak, but our strength derives from our framework of analysis and our principles, as well as the deep well of public concern about the environment.
GREEN PARTY TAIWAN
Kao Cheng-Yan, Linda Gail Arrigo
The environmental movement in Taiwan has expanded and diversified since its spontaneous beginning in 1986 with a community protest against plans by Dupont to build a chemical plant in Lukang and the more conscious initiation of the movement against nuclear power in 1987, a year after Chernobyl. Green Party Taiwan, founded in January 1996, has overlapped in personnel and activities with the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union and other environmental and activist organisations, but, given the distaste for political parties in general under a corrupted political system, ahs remained at about 100 members. However, it has participated in elections and received about 30 000 votes total for four candidates in a recent election. The situation may be at a turning point now.
On March 18 2000, the presidential candidate of the major opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Chen Shui-Bian, defeated the ruling Chinese Nationalist Party (aka Kuomintang, KMT) with 39.3% of the vote, due to a split in the KMT. The KMT ruled Taiwan in the name of China since 1945, with brutal terror through 40 years of martial law and then over a decade of corrupt patronage. The KMT is the richest political party in the world, with $US20 billion in assets. The DPP was a democratic movement founded in 1978, based in the native Taiwanese majority.
Early on, the DPP was supported by and affiliated with labour, environmental, women’s and other social movements. It strongly resisted the government’s plan for construction of more nuclear power plants. However, in the 1990s it moved away from the social movements and towards compromise with the status quo under the KMT. This led to its alienation from activist intellectuals and grassroots movements that had originally supported the DPP and the formation of two new parties in 1996, of which Green Party Taiwan is one.
Green Party Taiwan applauds Chen Shui-Bian’s resolve to root out endemic economic and political corruption, and is overjoyed at the sudden collapse of the KMT. However, the first environmental test for the new DPP administration is whether Chen will honour his promise to stop construction of Nuclear Power Plant No.4, for which the foundation is just being set. He has declined to make a statement on this before his inauguration on May 20, but has clearly been reassuring business interests. Given the confrontation and continuing threat from China, a smooth transition must be made.
We believe that within six months the social movements will come to a realisation that they need a separate political voice and cannot be subsumed under the DPP, although obviously they have ties with and will look to develop under the new administration. Moreover, with the election of the DPP, the major issue of national identity – Chinese versus Taiwanese – that has impeded and divided all social movements, should be substantially resolved in favour of identity with Taiwan. If the vote-buying prevalent under the KMT stops, Green Party Taiwan will be much more able to compete electorally. Finally, under diplomatic isolation due to the long-term ‘one-China policy’, Taiwan (still officially the ‘Republic of China’) is hungry for international relations, and the Global Greens are the only international network that stands for both social justice and self-determination. This puts Green Party Taiwan in a good position in its appeal to people in Taiwan, both in national and international issues.
Green Party Taiwan would like to proceed directly to try to get together funding and logistics for another preparatory meeting of the Asia Pacific Greens Network, to be held in Taiwan, and to pull more country representatives into the network a few months before the April 2001 Canberra meeting.
We welcome Asia Pacific Greens to visit us if you have occasion to pass through Taiwan. We will be happy to show you the environmental nightmare of the ‘economic miracle’ in Taiwan – what happens when the race for profits and industrial production overtakes all community development and rational long-term planning for life quality.
Green Party Taiwan
11F-1, No. 273, Sec.3, Roosevelt Rd
Taipei 106
Taiwan
Email. gptaiwan@msio.hinet.net
Convener. Prof. Shih Hsin-min
Founder. Prof. Kao Cheng-yan
Members. Around 100; supported by over 30 000 votes in 1998 election
Elected representatives. One Green neighbourhood head in Kaohsing. Previously one National Assembleyman. Four candidates in 1998 national election. Close co-operation with 4--5 national legislators, mostly in the Democratic Progressive Party
Political system
About 350 legislators with elections every three years. Systems is very corrupt with high barriers for oppositional parties -- $US6000 for candidate registration, and 5% threshold for public funding. A minimal national assembly campaign costs about $US100 000.
Current issues
Organisational. Green Party Taiwan has a debt from the 1998 election campaign. Previously had three full-time workers, but now only a secretary who is not always paid. Many interested volunteers, young, but not well-organised. Founded Agenda 21st Century to operate as NGO.
Political.
New push to stop Nuclear Power Plant No.4. This is a major mobilisation for the wider environment movement. Kao Cheng-Yan will lead a march on 13 May.
International relations are extremely important to Taiwan, which is isolated diplomatically by the People’s Republic of China. The international tie is one of the most important selling points for the Green Party Taiwan; it is very useful for us to have Green Party visitors for local news.
Overall the environment movement in Taiwan is steadily growing, both in local groups and central networks. Movement people shy away from political parties, but it is recognised that the DPP has gone towards business and abandoned social movements, so the Green Party should grow.
CITIZENS PARTY, HONG KONG
Zofia Rybkowski
Formed on 4 May 1997, Citizens Party is Hong Kong’s newest and most forward-looking political party. We are actively fighting for democracy, open government, sexual and racial equality, a better environment, support for small and medium enterprises, protection of the harbour and more public participation in decision-making.
Like many of you, Citizen’s Party researches and takes a stand on a range of issues from genetically modified foods to better buildings, from human rights to the enhanced pedestrianisation of our city.
Just two weeks ago Chair and Legislative Councillor, Christine Loh, publicly announced that she will not stand for re-election to Legco this coming September. Christine is known in Hong Kong for her substantial legislative successes and enjoys a high popularity rating among the public. Her weekly newsletter is distributed via e-mail, enhancing transparency by giving readers the ‘inside government scoop’. Her newsletter has also launched a number of large scale letter writing campaigns to the Hong Kong government on issues such as enhanced pollution controls and reduced harbour reclamation.
But Christine’s decision also means that CP will be remaking itself as a party. At the time of her announcement, Christine spoke of her intention to continue to work on environmental issues by intensifying communication via e-mail and the internet. She will continue to serve as CP Chair.
Our Vision
q We are dedicated to liberal and democratic values.
q We believe passionately that government business should be conducted in an open and accountable manner.
q We favour a competitive, but not adversarial, political culture which focuses on genuine issues and solutions to improve the quality of life of Hong Kong people.
q We will always put the community’s material and its non-material needs at the centre of our policies.
Citizens Party
1203 Dominion Centre
43 Queens’ Road East, Wanchai, Central
Hong Kong
Email. enquiry@citizensparty.org
Chair. Christine Loh
Members. 30
Elected representatives. Christine Loh, Legislative Councillor (until 9 September 2000)
Political system
The Basic Law (constitution) creates a Judiciary, Administration (with Chief Executive) and Legislature (Legislative Council). The Legislative Council has 60 members, some elected from geographical districts (including Christine) and others from ‘functional’ groups, such as architects. The Basic Law states that both the Chief Executive and all members of the Legislative Council are ultimately to be elected by universal suffrage. There are also District Boards and Municipal Councils.
Current issues
q Air pollution – indoor and outdoor; eliminating diesel vehicles; caution building incinerators
q GM food labelling
q “SOS. Save our Shorelines”: stop building roads (e.g. 6-lane highway) along shore
q Human rights – countering discrimination against mainland Chinese, Filipinos, disabled
q Improving building quality – efficiency, recycle buildings, reduce building waste
q Waste and recycling
q Pedestrianisation, so pedestrians don’t have to fight traffic and breathe fumes
MONGOLIAN GREEN PARTY
Olzod Bhum-Yalagch, Member of the Board of the Mongolian Green Party, Responsible for Foreign Affairs
The Mongolian Green Party formed in 1990. It is the third registered party of 26 parties, with a membership of 12 600 in a country with a population of 2.3 million. Most of the membership is in Ulaanbataar.
A recent article titled ‘The Grass is Growing; the Greens Want Government” articulated the strength of the Greens for a new generation, focusing on 21st century thinking and communications (especially the internet) and appealing to university students and women. One-third of the delegates at the last Congress were women, and there is a strong connection with German women’s groups.
The Greens are currently in coalition with an anti-corruption party. Elections are due on 2 July 2000 and the Greens are campaigning to get representatives elected.
Program
of the Mongolian Green Party (MGP)
(This is the introduction to the old program, approved on 4 March 1993; the new program ratified on 13 April 2000 is not yet translated.)
The first program of the MGP was prepared when Mongolia was freeing itself from the power of a one-party dictatorship (1990). It was overturned, and the MGP took its first steps in the direction of free and democratic development.[2]
The first program was designed from the outset on the traditional idea of conservation, to protect the inter-relationship between nature and society and guarantee the right to live in an intact environment.
However, the activities of Greens around the world are not restricted only to aspects of conservation and ecology. They have in addition set the goal of becoming an organised international political force, that has the capacity to influence positively the future wellbeing of humanity.
The Greens will use long term political planning to promote social development anchored in an accord with nature and from the perspective of future generations.
The MGP, as an organisation within the Mongolian constitution, based on equality and democracy, will campaign politically in the interests of nature.
The Party will work actively for democracy, freedom and human rights, and is steadfast against discrimination on the grounds of religion, nationality or race, as well as against dictatorship.
Mongolian Green Party
Office Address: Ulaanbaatar, Wedding Palace, Room 3
Post Address: Ulaanbaatar 49-18, Mongolia
Tel/Fax: 00976 1 318 099
Email. ecobund@magicnet.mn
Chairman. D. Basandorj, with 9-person steering committee
Members. 12 600
Elected representatives. None
Political system
Democracy, with a mixed system of majority and proportional voting. National parliament with 76-seats. Elections every four years.
Current issues
To strengthen the party as an organisational system
To find financial resources so that the actions of the party can be strengthened
To grow the membership of the party (young generation and women)
To get seats in parliament at next July’s election
To develop international co-operation
To keep the coalition with the Citizen-Courage party which is against corruption
To strengthen the human resources of the party
To implement strategies to work closely with local areas
GREEN KOREA, SOUTH KOREA
Taedong Lee
South Korea has no Green Party (one which started subsequently disappeared). Green Korea is one of Korea’s leading non-governmental environmental organisations, campaigning on issues including alternatives to the 16 nuclear power stations currently in operation, opposing new dams and cleaning up the 106 military bases in Korea.
At the last election Green Korea joined an anti-corruption coalition with other environmental and women’s groups and influenced the outcome of the election by identifying and campaigning against corrupt candidates. Fifty out of the 70 targeted failed to gain election.
“Green Korea United is a civic organisation working to expand green consciousness and democratic principles nationwide by actively conducting local and national level education programs and various campaign activities.”
“We are committed to building and maintaining ecologically sound and sustainable Korean peninsula and globe.”
“Green Korea United seeks to restore the traditional harmony between the Korean people and the Korean peninsula’s ecosystems. In accordance with our traditional philosophical system, Koreans believe that all life possesses a kind of life energy, KEE, which should be respected and valued. We do not seek to radically change the natural environment, but to live simply and respectfully within it.”
Green Korea
1004 Garden Tower 98-78, Wooni-dong, Chongno-ku
Seoul
South Korea
Email. environ@chollian.net
Web. www.greenkorea.org
Members. 16 000
Political system
National parliament with 290 members, elected on a first past the post system. Elections every four years.
Current issues
Civil coalition for clean voting at the April 2000 general election
GM foods and crops
Preventing dam on the Dong River
Cleaning up US army military bases
RAINBOW AND GREEN JAPAN
Satoko Watanabe
Rainbow and Green is a network of elected representatives and citizens, including eight members of Prefectures (an elected level of government between local and regional in scale), about 130 elected city representatives, and the Mayor of Hiroshima (Tadatoshi Akiba).
The network aims to combat political cynicism and low voter turn-out by making those who hold ‘green’ views more visible. It is working for: citizen initiated legislation and strengthening the autonomous power of municipalities; strengthening movements for feminism, environmental protection, education and peace.
Japan has no Green Party. Some members of Rainbow and Green are quite positive about forming a party, while many are still hesitating because of Japanese people’s distrust of parties. Participation in this workshop and Global Greens 2001 will inspire active discussions.
Satoko is the only female member of the 45-member Kagawa Prefecture and one of only two independents.
Rainbow and Green Japan
3-3-1 Chikyu-house, Takajo-machi
Shizuoka 420-0839
Japan
Email. ehouse44@po.across.or.jp
Convener. Kiyoshi Matsuya
Members. 246 (140 local elected officials, 106 citizens)
Elected representatives. 8 Prefectural parliamentarians; 1 Mayor; 131 city, town or village councillors.
Political system
National – Upper House has 252 members (152 elected from geographical districts and 100 from party lists for six-year terms; half elected every three years). Lower House with four-year terms has 480 members (300 elected from single-seat constituencies and 180 from party lists).
Prefectural, city, town, village – four year terms.
Current issues
Decision-making processes. Since we are aiming to be as democratic as possible, how to make decisions while respecting the opinions of the minority is a current issue. We are not a pyramid-like organisation, and so always try to make the decision-making process open to all members.
National election. How to have our green views represented at national level. The current national election system requires a lot of money just to nominate a party. Our members have won local elections without a lot of money or big organisations. National elections set quite a high hurdle for us.
THAI GREEN WORKING GROUP
Mr Pibhop Dhonchai, Campaign for Popular Democracy
Mr Prachar Hutanuwatra, Wongsanit Ashram
Mr Srisuwan Kuankachorn, Project for Ecological Recovery
Thailand has been a democracy since 1932 but faces many issues including: poverty, especially that arising from the structure of land ownership; environmental degradation; the power of international capital; a new constitution; the need for educational reform.
The green movement is strengthening and peoples’ movements are fighting unwanted developments, for example –
q 3000 villagers blockaded a World Bank funded dam
q protests against an Australian-backed ‘clean coal’ power station
q opposition to re-locating Indigenous people away from forests
The new constitution presents some opportunities. For example, 50 000 people can propose a new law without being in parliament. A law creating ‘community forests’, allowing people to live in the forest legally, is being proposed through this mechanism.
On the other hand, political parties are barred from standing for the Senate and face a considerable financial barrier in the House of Representatives, which can only be contested by parties. Although 15 people can form a party, the party is required to stand at least 200 candidates for election which would cost about $US180 000.
The last Senate election attracted more interest and participation, resulting in eight NGO representatives being elected (out of 200 seats).
The space for political participation without forming a party is limited, and being further restricted by conservative politicians. This is leading to increased interest in forming a political party to address poverty, social justice, and international capital as well as the environment. Thailand currently has no ‘left’ party.
The Thai Green Working Group is newly established to promote the building and development of knowledge about green politics suitable to the cultural and ecological context of Thai society.
Thai Green Working Group
409 Soi Rohitsuk, Pracharatbampen Rd
Huay Kwang
Bangkok
Thailand
Email. srisuwan@ksc.th.com
Convener. Pibhop Dhonjchai
Members. Group newly established
Political system
House of Representatives elected every four years and can only be contested by parties. Proportional representation.
Senate. Non party members only. Elections every six years.
Current issues
Creating and fostering the links between national politics and peoples’ movements fighting various problems
Facilitating processes of dialogue and think-tank to develop thoughts and philosophy, combining different discussions – ie green politics, social injustice, ecology-environment – which will contribute to dialogue on whether Thailand needs an alternative sort of political party like the Greens.
GREEN NEPAL PARTY
Kuber Sharma, Badri Prasad Khatiwada
1. Nepal is a popular tourist destination in South Asia. It is situated between China and India, having 22 million population. Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world
2. American and European tourists come to Nepal to see Himalaya and Mount Everest. They also go for trekking on the mountains. Buddhists come to visit Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha, and South Asian and Indian tourists come to Nepal for holidays and shopping.
3. In the last few years, Kathmandu has become more polluted. Numbers of vehicles have increased on congested roads. Garbage disposal is problematic. Rivers flowing through the cities dry up in summer and they are polluted with litter and garbage.
4. Deforestation has made many hills and mountains barren. Even the thick tropical forests in Terai are deforested. Deforestation has seriously damaged ecology and wildlife. Even rainfall is reduced causing frequent famine.
5. Tourists going on trek to Mt Everest and other Himalayan peaks also create ecological problems. They throw their empty cans, bottles, packages and garbage en route. They use firewood for heating and cooking and there is no gas, kerosene and electricity.
6. Nepal needs tourism as it is one of the major sources of foreign currency earnings. To sustain tourism, Nepal has to control industrial and automobile pollution. It has to promote Eco Tourism. Invest in afforestation. Clean the rivers and make garbage disposal more efficient.
7. Green Nepal Party (GNP) is actively campaigning against pollution and environmental deterioration.
8. To strengthen multiparty democracy in Nepal, Green Nepal Party is also active against corruption and bad governance.
9. Most Nepalese were unaware of Green Peace Movement of Europe and rest of the world till GNP was established in 1996 (there is no other Green Party in South Asia). Now they know that Green Parties are in government in a number of countries of Europe. They are represented in a large number of counties and local bodies. Green Party is represented in Australian Parliament.
10. GNP is known to Nepalese politicians and intellectuals as anti-corruption and anti-pollution party. GNP regularly holds protest rallies in the capital and important cities of Nepal. We also distribute bulletins, brochures, leaflets and press statements on important issues. GNP functionaries frequently travel across the country.
11. Democracy established in 1991 is dominated by social democratic party called Nepali Congress (NC) and pro-left party United Marxist Leninist (UML). NC is in the government as majority party whereas UML is the major opposition party. There are six other parties represented in parliament of 205 seats.
12. GNP contested general election of 1999 in 44 seats but could not secure any seat in parliament. GNP was new to voters and lacked resources. The general election was influenced by black money accumulated by big parties through corruption and misuse of authority and influence. Use of muscle power also helped big parties to capture election booths and cast bogus votes.
13. Under-developed countries are prone to corruption and society is power oriented. For that reason GNP cannot raise enough funds and resources to launch massive campaigns.
14. GNP believes in value-based politics and wants to create clean image against corrupt leaders and parties. In fact GNP is the party believing in multiparty democracy after Nepali Congress. Therefore, GNP is projected as alternative democratic party to replace Nepali Congress.
15. If GNP gets international support like socialist and communist parties of the world it can grow faster and win elections. Nepal being a LDC country we cannot mobilise local resources.
16. GNP suggests that there should be Green International on the lines of European Federation of Green Parties.
17. There is an NGO ‘Green Peace and Good Governance Foundation’ (GPG) which organises political and environmental awareness programs for women and villagers, holds seminars in important cities. GNP supports their activities and closely works with it by mobilising participants. GPG is planning to conduct leadership development seminars and organise training for elected representatives of Village Development Committees. This will increase participation at grass roots level and help strengthen muliparty democracy in the country.
Green Nepal Party
GPO Box 890
Kathmandu
Nepal
Email. Kuber@wlink.com.np
President. Kuber P. Sharma
Leader. Badri P. Khatiwada
Members. 3000
Elected representatives. None
Political system
Multiparty parliamentary democracy. Constitutional monarchy. Adult suffrage
Direct voting for 205 parliamentary seats (House of Representatives) every five years.
National Assembly (upper house) has 50 members elected by the House of Representatives, 10 nominated by HM the King. 5% are reserved for women.
Current issues
Corruption in government and in big political parties. Civil administration is ineffective due to over-politicisation. Social democratic party (Nepali Congress) with 113 seats in a parliament of 205 is in majority. Communists with 71 seats are the main opposition. Due to corruption and bad governance, Maoists have started a ‘people’s war’ (armed struggle), spreading to 25 of the 75 districts.
Pollution and environmental damage is high. Green Nepal Party is actively campaigning against corruption and pollution. We have created a good image among intellectuals.
FUNDACAO HABURAS, TIMOR LOROSA’E (EAST TIMOR)
Demetrio Amaral de Carvalho
Background
A UN-sponsored referendum was held on August 30, 1999 and the results announced by the UN Secretary-General indicated 78.5% of Timorese people chose independence – breaking the chains of neo-colonialism and cutting off ties with the Indonesia-led military regime.
But the referendum results came with a price. The people of East Timor had to start from ‘zero’ after the orgy of violence and destruction unleashed by the Indonesian military-supported militias.
The current state of the environment in East Timor is precarious for the following reasons –
q Large scale logging in previous times (under the Portuguese and Indonesians)
q Shifting cultivation
q The extensive use and promotion of chemical fertilisers
q The promotion of monoculture plantations
q The extensive burning of forests and fields
q The destruction of mangroves by encroaching fishermen from Indonesia
q Wildlife trading (both legal and illegal)
q Poor environmental protection laws.
After the UN-sponsored referendum, the people of East Timor, now, face immense challenges in so-called national development. But there is an overwhelming danger that in national development plans, protection of the environment will be accorded least priority.
Because of this, East Timor must learn from the examples of neighbouring countries in the Asia Pacific. Models of development that have gone wrong there should serve as lessons for us. We do not want to repeat the same mistakes.
As we move towards full independence, several questions need to be asked: what models of development are being touted by the international agencies for East Timor? What will be their effects on the environment? Who will be responsible for protecting the environment? And when will efforts be made to incorporate environmental protection in any development plans?
The possibility of ecological conflict in the new Timor Lorosae
Deliberations on the link between the environment and development, of late, seem to be evolving. Reformists and progressives point to the necessity of having sustainable development. Opposed to this is the thinking of traditionalists who advocate destructive models of development.
The concept of sustainable development is indeed something new in Timor Lorosae. Sustainability does not only incorporate ecology but also the country’s social structure.
Therefore when one talks of sustainable development in Timor Lorosae – first and foremost one must touch upon changing social attitudes and social conditioning to matters concerning the environment (Ivan 1999).
In connection with this, development models espoused by traditionalists and the former colonialists and neo-colonialists never took into account social systems and ecological practices of the community. In short, the people were never consulted in any plans.
Every society has its own specific linkage with culture, ecology and the environment as a whole. And these linkages must be recognised in any long-term transformation process.
But the environmental problems in Timor Lorosae cannot be separated from problems stemming from the protection of self-interest in certain sections of society. According to Sudjana (1998) the interests of governments are often diametrically opposite and in conflict with NGOs.
The current structure of government in Timor Lorosae is confusing. On the one hand, based on the May 5 agreements 9between the international community, Indonesia and the UN), the UN Transitional Authority in East Timor has full government authority in the territory. But on the other hand, there’s the Timorese-led National Consultative Council – which is supposed to be consulted by UNTAET before any governmental decisions are made.
Of late, there has been criticism that UNTAET is using the NCC as a mere rubber-stamp to bet its decisions passed. Because of this, UNTAET is not being held in high esteem by the Timorese people. Many Timorese feel their views don’t matter in the UN decision-making process.
That’s just one dimension of the administrative mess.
The other level is the proliferation of international NGOs and humanitarian aid agencies in Timor Lorosae. Without doubt, these agencies have indeed good intentions for East Timor. But as the saying goes the road to hell is paved with good intentions gone astray.
For one, communications between UNTAET, NCC, NGOs and humanitarian agencies are either very poor or mired in bureaucratic red tape. Thus in any decision-making process, because of this lack of communication, the Timorese people often get to hear of things last. And when they do get to hear of things it’s often too late to do anything.
Two examples can be pointed out –
q There was no consultation with the residents when a waste disposal plant for Dili was planned at the Tibar-Tassi Tolu area. Proper environmental and health standards are not being adhered to and there’s now fear that the area could be a breeding ground for disease. On top of that, medical waste is mixed with domestic waste.
q Vendors have sprung up overnight outside the UNTAET headquarters, at the waterfront, and the floating Hotel Olympia housing UN personnel. To date UNTAET has not done anything to regulate these vendors – most of whom dump waste, plastic packets and garbage into the sea. Because of this non-regulation, more and more vendors are now making their way to the parks – dumping their garbage irresponsibly all over the place after trading.
Towards the future
It is clear there has to be a multi-dimensional approach if one talks of an environmental policy for Timor Lorosae. One has to seriously tackle ingrained social attitudes towards ecology and development before even talking about a balance between the two.
Also when we talk of environmental protection, ti has to incorporate both infrastructure and superstructure. It is also imperative that adequate environmental laws be developed and proper enforcement procedures be implemented.
Most important of all, all the players in Timor Lorosae at the present moment – UNTAET, NCC, international aid and humanitarian agencies, foreign investors and businesses – must open channels of communication and consultation with the people. This is to ensure that a destructive model of development, with no regard to the environments, will not be used for Timor Lorosae as it struggles towards full independence.
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The Haburas is the Tetum word which means ‘to make green and fresh’. The Haburas Foundation was formed in Jakarta on 28th October 1998 with the purpose of addressing environmental issues faced by the people of the emerging nation of East Timor.
Haburas Foundation
Kdadalak Media Group
Estrada de Governur Celestino
Farol Dili
East Timor
Email. hdalakmediagroup@ais.net.au
Convener. Demetrio Amaral de Carvalho or Virgilio Guterres
Members. About 2000 supporters
Political system
Until now East Timor has had no electoral system
Current issues
Our group (Haburas) is starting from ‘zero’, so we need support (material/non-material). It is important to get funding support.
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, GREENS WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Bob Brown, Christine Milne, Kerrie Nettle, Giz Watson
The world’s first green party (the United Tasmania Group) formed in Tasmania in March 1972, followed a month later by the first national greens party – the New Zealand Values Party.
In the 1970s and 1980s green parties proliferated at the state and local level. In 1992 Tasmania, NSW, ACT and Queensland came together to form the Australian Greens which now covers all states and territories except Western Australia, where the Greens WA remain separate but closely allied. Like other green parties, both the Australian Greens and Greens WA promote basic principles of environmental sustainability, social justice, democracy and non-violence.
The Greens have gained elected positions at national, state and local level where proportional representation allows a fairer reflection of the diversity of views. There is an ongoing campaign by the old parties (Labor and Liberal) to change the voting system so that parties like the Greens are locked out. In Tasmania they combined to change the system in 1998, lifting the threshold from 12.5% to 16.7%. With the old 12.5% threshold five Greens would have been elected; under the new system only one Green was elected. The Senate (national upper house) which also has proportional representation is similarly under constant threat of ‘reform’.
In most states, local councils offer the best prospect of gaining representation and there is a strong move for Greens to stand as party representatives rather than as ‘independents’. We have elected parliamentarians in four states (including WA) and one in the federal Senate. The party itself is becoming more organised but perennially lacks resources. Our support nationally is about 3%, ranging to 8%-10% in Tasmania and WA, with the greatest strength amongst young voters and to a lesser extent women.
We have a strong commitment to action at every level from local to international, backed by effective communication, cooperation and organisation. That is why we are hosting the Global Greens Conference in April 2001.
Australian Greens
GPO Box 1108
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
Email. frontdesk@greens.org.au
Web. www.greens.org.au
Greens WA
PO Box 737
Victoria Park WA 6979
Australia
Email. office@wa.greens.org.au
Convener.
Australian Greens – Stephenie Cahalan; Greens WA – Marilyn Jacksch, Paul Llewellyn
Members. About 2000 (including WA)
Elected representatives. Senate – Bob Brown. Tasmania – Peg Putt. ACT – Kerrie Tucker. NSW – Ian Cohen, Lee Rhiannon. WA – Jim Scott, Giz Watson, Chrissie Sharp. Also about 30 elected municipal councillors.
Political system
Federal system with eight states and territories, each with their own parliament. Some houses have proportional representation, others single member seats.
National parliament -- lower house with 148 members elected every three years, single member electorates; Senate (76 members) elected by proportional representation, with half the members standing each three years. Next election is due in 2001
Current issues
Organisational.
Strengthening the party structure at every level and finding the resources to organise and campaign effectively. The cyclical nature of election campaigning makes it difficult to sustain an organisational base through the post-election troughs, and therefore hard to rebuild for each successive election.
Political.
Environmental issues including logging of native forests, global warming, anti-nuclear, anti-freeways and pro public transport
Major campaign opposing mandatory sentencing in the NT and WA (which mainly affects young Aboriginals)
Opposed GST and pushed for eco taxes as an alternative
Highlighting corporate welfare ($14 billion annually of public funding to corporations compared with $7 billion unemployment benefits) and corporate donations to political parties