Second Global Greens Conference

Videos of individual speakers at the Second Global Greens Conference are now available on the website of the Global Greens. The Global Greens is the international network of Green parties and political movements and is the organization that maintains the common Global Green Charter. The Conference was held earlier last month in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The Illinois Green Party is connected with the Global Greens, via its affiliation with the Green Party of the United States, and Illinois is represented on the national party's International Committee. In attendance were members, elected officials, and candidates of Green parties throughout the world, including Charlie Howe, the Green Party candidate for State Representative in 115th State Representative District of Illinois.

A number of new declarations and resolutions were adopted at the Congress, examples of which include a declaration to officially establish an international Secretariat in Australia and a resolution rejecting nuclear power as the solution to global climate change.

In addition to several plenary sessions designed to address various global issues, there was also a lengthy dedication to Ingrid Betancourt, after which she was nominated President of Honor of the Global Greens. Betancourt is the founder of the Columbian Green Party and was kidnapped in 2002, while campaigning as the party's candidate for President of Columbia. She continues to be held hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia.

Positions adopted at the Congress may be advance indicators of some of the planks to appear in updates to the political platform of the Illinois Green Party.