Global Greens statement on Libya:

The Global Greens Coordination is the secretariat of all Green Parties in the world, who number 75 and rising.

Here is a Global Greens statement on Libya:

23 February, 2011

Global Greens call for Gadhafi’s resignation and an immediate end to the bloody repression in Libya


The Global Greens call in the strongest possible terms for an immediate halt to the bloody crackdown launched by the regime of Colonel Gadhafi and his clan against Libyan protesters. The bombing of unarmed people whose only ’crime’ is going to the streets to protest, if confirmed, constitutes a crime against humanity. Similarly, the use of mercenary forces to attack unarmed civilians is a flagrant human rights violation. Colonel Gadhafi should resign.

Greens all over the world express their solidarity with the families of the hundreds of victims killed in the country and join them in their grief over the loss of their loved ones.

The Global Greens welcome the United Nations’ decision to establish a commission to conduct an independent investigation into the violence in Libya.

Colonel Gadhafi is risking if not promoting civil war. Urgent action is needed to end this bloody massacre and free the people of Libya. The funds of the main leaders of the Gadhafi clan should be frozen. Cynical agreements for economic help in return for refugee repatriation, made by Italy and under consideration by the European Union, should end.

We regret that the reaction so far of many world leaders, especially in western countries, has been overly cautious, more concerned with stability and trade than with the fate of Libyans protesting against one of the most brutal regimes in contemporary history.

The Global Greens call on international and regional organizations and governments, especially those that have previously tolerated and supported the Libyan dictatorship, to support instead the democratic forces in the country. 41 years of Gadhafi are enough! The era of geopolitics where countries are unashamedly complicit with criminals and inhuman dictatorships to protect their commercial interests has to end.

The Global Greens also call on the Libyan people who are demanding their political and human rights in the streets of Tripoli, Benghazi and other cities to follow democratic, secular and republican principles, respectful of the beliefs of everyone and capable of laying the foundations for a socially more just and politically more open country.

The Global Greens Coordination


James Tonson, secretary

I have emailed back to James, and also to Frank Habineza, African Greens coordinator


I have seen the GG release "LIBYA: Global Greens call for Gadhafi’s Resignation".  Well done for getting it out, and more of this please.

Just a small point: "We regret that the reaction so far of many world leaders, especially in western countries, has been overly cautious, more concerned with stability and trade than with the fate of Libyans protesting against one of the most brutal regimes in contemporary history."

I saw a Reuters report yesterday alleging that the West generally were in fact leading the move in the UN Human Rights Council to oust Gaddafi, and that Russia China and the majority of African and Asian nations were more cautious about requesting Gaddafi's removal. The link was here http://reut.rs/hOp8oc, but now leads nowhere.

We will see later today what the HRC comes out with.

It is pretty likely that this tragedy may be played out in many more countries. The seizing of foreign assets should occur as soon as a ruler uses lethal force on the population.

The problem is that the international community addresses each of these crises as a unique event, and this results in a lot of time-consuming, ad hoc politicking. As you know, the Golbal Greens in 2008 agreed, inter alia, on this measure:

"In order to lead the UN from a reactive to a pro-active stance on human rights, we will press for all countries’ human rights records to be expressed quantitatively, so that they can be published annually by the UN in ranked order, revealing the relative standing of each country, which will exert a continual persuasive force on all governments to improve their performance in the field of human rights".

This is a uniquely Green initiative. There is a full report on it here prepared for GPEW, and it contains a paragraph on preventing formation of dictatorships. (Dealing with Dictators).

I believe that the Arab Spring is intrinsically Green in the sense that it is a manifestation of people power. Please keep up the pressure from the GG, and let us continue to campaign for a global uplift in human rights.

Let us also not forget that revolution does not put food on the table. The problems in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya include unemployment and water and food shortages. The political revolution is the beginning, not the end. We need somehow, without seeming to lecture, to show that these economic problems represent a failure of free market economics, and that green economics, which puts food, water, housing, sustainable energy and intelligent waste management at the foundation of the economy, is the economic revolution that the world needs.

Best wishes


Richard Lawson





Weblinks:
African Greens
Global Greens

Green Parties of USA and Australia support the Egyptian uprising

Here are press releases received from Green Parties in the US and Australia:

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES

WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders in the US announced the party's
support and encouragement for nonviolent protesters in Tunisia, Egypt,
Jordan, Algeria, and other nations in the region who have taken to the
streets in demand for an end to corrupt and oppressive regimes.

"The Green Party of the United States supports democracy, here and
throughout the world. We hope that the protesters in Egypt succeed in
deposing President Mubarak, and we're thrilled to see so many young
people stand up against dictators. The best outcome would be for
Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to improve economic
conditions for their populations and embrace democracy, equal rights
and protections for women and for ethnic, religious, and sexual
minorities, and freedom of the press. We condemn the brutal responses
to the protests, including police violence and the shutdown of the
Internet," said Dr. Anthony Gronowicz, 2010 Green candidate for
Congress in New York's 7th District and a member of the party's
International Committee .


Greens noted that the threatened regimes, especially Egyptian
President Mubarak's administration, were propped up by the US for the
purpose of serving US interests such as access to oil and other
resources, the maintenance of military bases on foreign soil, and
unequivocal support for Israel's brutal occupation and apartheid
system.

"While the Obama Administration has offered some restrained rhetorical
support for the demonstrations, the US continues to send the Egyptian
government billions of dollars in military aid, some of it now being
used by security forces to beat and teargas protesters," said David
Doonan, Mayor of Greenwich, New York, and a member of the Green Party.
"For true stability in the region, North African and Middle Eastern
governments must serve the interests of their own people instead of
the demands of the US State Department and western business."

Egypt is the second largest recipient of US military and economic aid
($1.55 billion in 2010), after Israel ($3.175 billion).

"The young people marching for democracy and freedom in these nations
are a model for people in the US. We need a mass opposition movement
in the US against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the gross
violations of our Constitution in the name of 'homeland security,' and
the reckless greed of Wall Street, the insurance industry, oil
companies, and other corporations. Let's learn something from the
Tunisian protesters: our outrage should not be directed at Wikileaks
but at our own government's secret policies and actions that were
exposed by the Wikileaks cables, such as the US bombing of Yemen and
the attempts to undermine the Copenhagen talks on global warming,"
said Farheen Hakeem, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States.

Australia should urge Mubarak to immediately set a date for a full and free election - Brown

30 January 2011

Australia should urge Mubarak to immediately set a date for a full and free election - Brown

The Australian Government should urge Hosni Mubarak to immediately set a date for a full and free election in Egypt in the coming weeks, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said in Hobart today.

"Egypt's election should be under international supervision," Senator Brown added.

"We urge governments of all democracies not to turn their backs as the death toll rises in Egypt."

"We commend news organisations who are working in dangerous conditions to ensure that the truth is told."

"Thousands of people are also working tirelessly to try to circumvent Mubarak's blocks on communications by harnessing the power of social media."


Readers of this blog will know already about the African Greens' response, but here is a link.