History of the Green Party (United States)
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- Main article: Green Party (United States)
The Green Party is a young political party, having been first established in Tasmania in 1972, with organizing in the United States begun in 1984, inspired by the success of European Green parties, notably that of the German Green party. The Green Committees of Correspondence were the first Green political organization in the United States, forming in 1984 and eventually becoming known as the Greens/Green Party USA. This organization still exists. The first candidates to run on the Green Party ticket in the United States were Wes Hare (NC), Joel Schecter (CT), and Richard Wolff (CT), who ran for local offices in 1985.[1] Official ballot access was not achieved, however, until Jim Sykes' run for governor in Alaska in 1990.
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[edit] Green Committees of Correspondence
In May 1984 at the North American Bioregional Conference, a small group met to discuss the need for a green movement in the U.S. From this initial gathering, a larger meeting was planned for August. That fall approximately 60 people met at Macalaster College in St. Paul, Minnesota and founded the Committees of Correspondence (so named after the Committees of Correspondence of the American Revolutionary War).[2] The Committees were formed to organize local Green groups, provide an information clearinghouse, publish a newsletter, and work toward creating a Green political organization in the U.S.[3] The group adopted the Green Ten Key Values as their guiding principles. Charlene Spretnak of California, professor and author of several books on Green philosophy and spirituality, was one of the attendees. The Committees continued to meet until 1991, until the rise of the Greens/Green Party USA.
[edit] Greening the West
Greening the West gatherings were the next large-scale meetings of Greens in the U.S. The first was held in 1987, near Monterey, California, and drew more than 1,000 people. Greening the West was next held in San Mateo County, California, from Sept. 30 - Oct. 2, 1988. Again, more than 1,000 people attended the event. Speakers included many important philosophers and scientists. Among the speakers were David Brower, Ernest Callenbach, Fritjof Capra, Bill Devall, Patricia Ellsberg, Harold Gilliam, Susan Griffin, Joanna Macy, Jerry Mander, Charlene Spretnak, Starhawk, and Brian Swimme.
[edit] The Greens/GPUSA
This group arose in 1991, and became the first Green political party in the United States.
[edit] Green Party of the United States
The GPUS was formed in 1996 as the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP). This organization was focused on electing candidates to office as well as issue activism and nonelectoral politics. In 2000, the ASGP nominated and ran Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke for US president and vice-president; during the campaign, the ASGP reorganized its structure and changed its name to Green Party of the United States. The party expanded in size and ambition, running a peak of 560 candidates at all levels of government in 2002 (down to approximately 385 candidates in 2006), resulting in a current total of 220 Green officeholders in 28 states and the District of Columbia as of July 2006. Most successful candidates have been at the local or county level, with a few state-level officeholders. No national-level candidates have been elected.
[edit] Campus Greens
The Campus Greens were founded in January 2001, arising from the group Students for Nader/LaDuke. The Campus Greens Founding Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois, in August with more than 500 students attending.
[edit] Greens for Democracy and Independence
This group arose within the GPUS during the 2003 search for and nomination of presidential candidates. In particular, those who formed Greens for Democracy and Independence (GDI) felt that the nomination process was flawed and that delegate apportionment to the Green National Committee is not representative of the membership of the GPUS. The Avocado Declaration of January 2004 by Peter Camejo was an important summation of the views of GDI.
GDI has been the target of much criticism within the Green Party, most notably in the book Green Party Tempest by long-time Rhode Island Green Party activist and candidate Greg Gerritt.
[edit] See also
[edit] Sources and further reading
- Against All Odds: The Green Transformation of American Politics. 1999. John Rensenbrink. Leopold Press.
- "The Avocado Declaration," Peter Miguel Camejo. January 1, 2004.
- A Brief History of the Green Party (GPUS official website)
- Crashing the Party: Taking on the Corporate Government in an Age of Surrender. 2002. Ralph Nader. Thomas Dunne Books.
- "GPCA Founding & History", Mike Feinstein, Green Party of California.
- "The Green Alternative", Charlene Spretnak. In Context, Autumn 1984, p. 48.
- Green Party Elections Results
- Green Party Tempest: Weathering the Storm of 2004. 2005. Greg Gerritt.
- Green Politics: The Global Promise. 1984. Fritjof Capra and Charlene Spretnak. EP Dutton.
- Greens for Democracy and Independence (GDI official website)
- "A Historical Look at Green Structure: 1984 to 1992", Jodean Marks. Synthesis/Regeneration 14, Fall 1997.
