MAYO GREENS
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MAYO GREENS
Who Killed Economic Growth?
From the Post Carbon Institute (6:31 mins)
The environmental limits of producing oil, water and food mean that economic growth cannot continue forever, and we need to find a way to make progress without economic growth.
Global Greens
Our Australian delegation and other Australian attendees have just returned from the 3rd Global Greens Congress in Dakar, Senegal. The Congress was a huge success with about 500 people attending from 92 countries.
There were about 150 Greens from the African Greens Federation present as well as several hundred volunteers, who were mainly from the young people’s network of the Fédération Démocratique des Ecologistes du Sénégal (FEDES).
The end of the Congress coincided with the inaugural celebrations for the new Senegalese President, Macky Sall, electoral success at a regional level for FEDES with over 100 regional councilors being returned around the country and the appointment of Senegal’s first ever Greens minister, FEDES founder and prominent environmentalist, Haidar El Ali.
The four Greens Federations which make up the Global Greens, the African Greens Federation; the Asia-Pacific Greens Network; the Federation of Greens Parties of the Americas and the European Greens Party, all had meetings prior to the Congress, as did the Global Young Greens.
The Australian delegation played a large role in negotiating the successful passage of a proposal concerning the future of the Global Greens, first through our regional Asia-Pacific Greens Network, and then through a grueling round of negotiations, to its adoption at the final plenary session. This resolution on the future of the Global Greens included funding commitments from the four existing Federations which will ensure the continued existence of the Global Greens. It also set the schedule for the next Global Greens Congress, to be held in Europe in late 2016 or early 2017, after the next Asia-Pacific Greens Network meeting, which will be held in Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea or the Philippines, in 2013 or 2014.
If you see yourself as a potential delegate for Australia at these Congresses, NOW is your time to get involved at the global level – Bob and I look forward to hearing from you!
Australian Greens delegates worked in close partnership with our nearest Asia-Pacific regional neighbours at the Congress, the AoTeaRoa-NZ Greens delegation (which included the leader of the Party Metiria Turei and her parliamentary colleague Ken Graham) and the Papua New Guinea Greens (PNG Greens leader Dorothy Tekwie and General Secretary Andrew Kutapae), who are about to contest their first national elections.
We’re proud to say that Aussie and Kiwi Greens were instrumental in initiating a number of new Global Greens networks, including the Global Greens Women’s Network; a forum for International Secretaries and an (informal) gathering of Commonwealth Greens.
Our parliamentary delegates, Senators Bob Brown and Rachel Siewert, were active at every level of the Congress, from our internal meetings of the Australian delegation; to playing a major role at the Asia-Pacific Greens Network meetings and side meetings; to the floor of plenary sessions, as well as presenting to and meeting Greens from the other Federations and national parties present at the Congress. In particular, Bob spoke in support of the establishment of a Global Parliament, based on the principle of one vote, one value, and Rachel played a major role in the establishment of the Global Greens Women’s Network.
We hope and expect that by the next Congress in Europe, we’ll be working with our other neighbouring official Greens contingents, including Indonesia and the Solomon Islands!
Australia funded the attendance of 16 people from Asia Pacific countries, eight through AusAID and eight through the party, some of whom were funded by the generous donations of some local branches. All these sponsored delegates will be sending through official reports to the Australian Greens on their experiences and outcomes in their home countries.
Detailed written reports on the Congress will be provided by Bob and Alex to each of the State parties and we’ll be presenting in person at July National Council.
We’d like to thank the African Greens Federation and its national member parties, especially FEDES and its President Papa Miessa Dieng, for their hospitality.
We’d also like to thank those Australian local branches and individual donors who contributed to sending Australia’s delegation and our Asia-Pacific funded attendees and who answered the urgent call for donations to contribute towards the infrastructure costs at the Congress.
Also, thanks to Margie Law and Serena Rule for doing a massive job coordinating and supporting the delegation and funded attendees.
Our Australian delegates were Alex Bhathal (Vic),Alex Surace (NSW and Global Young Greens), Amy Tyler (Tas), Anna Reynolds (International Liaison), Bob Brown (Tas), Bob Hale (Vic), Carrie Jacobi (NSW), Gosta Lynga (ACT), Janet Rice (Vic), John Sutton (NSW), and Rachel Siewert (WA). Our on the ground support people were Dierk Von Behrens (ACT) and Irma Lachmund (WA). And several people funded themselves to attend, and did so much to support the AG contingent and we’d like to thank them as well: Diana Crombie, Leonie Lundy, Robyn Lewis, Sam Byrne, and Tamar Primoratz.
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