Question of Direction Resolution
passed at the Green Party of Canada Convention
August 17, 2002
And again on August 29, in more detail
at the 2004 Convention
A similar resolution was also passed
November 30, 2002, by the
Green Party of Ontario
Possible steps for implementing the Question of Direction
Determining society's goals is the purpose of politics. At present the choice offered in elections is like that offered by the parent whose child does not want to go to bed. "OK, the choice is yours, do you want to wear the red pajamas or the blue pajamas?"
Perpetual economic expansion is all that's offered by the mainstream parties. They differ only in how they would divide up a growing pie. The Green Party acknowledges that we cannot grow for ever and offers a distinct alternative by saying we need to base decisions on the long-term well-being of communities and ecosystems.
As the sage once said: "If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going!" A large portion of the population knows that we need to change. The Green Party, with its policies based on sustainability, offers the necessary change.
The basic Question of Direction
Why We Need a New Goal The present economic system is addicted to growth. Having already attained enormous size, human activity is disrupting the ecological foundations of life. The extraordinary policies and action which enable this huge entity to grow ever larger also result frequently in collateral damage to individuals and communities.
If the goal of perpetual material growth is legitimate, the elimination of labour rights, environmental regulations, public services and trade barriers are logical steps toward that end. How wealth is distributed is not considered important. Each year, as the economy gets larger, more sacrifice is required to meet its expanding need to grow. The Globalization agenda does in fact increase financial wealth. If we do not effectively challenge that justifying goal, community, human rights and the environment are secondary issues, if not counterproductive.
By asserting that 'long-term well-being' should be the goal underlying decisions and aligning the public sentiment which favours that goal, we can create the democratic foundation necessary to justify our platform and dislodge the entrenched ideology of perpetual expansion.
A number of campaign materials have been developed for introducing the Question of Direction and to provide background information. More will, no doubt, be conceived and produced as we join in cooperation to introduce this pivotal issue.
Question of Direction Resolution
Passed August 29, 2004Preamble:
The relationship between people and the Earth has fundamentally changed, requiring a similar change in the way we govern ourselves. Policy aiming to expand consumption for its own sake is obsolete. Governance must be responsive to the limitations of both natural resources and the waste absorption capacities of the Earth. Furthermore, problems of equity between different communities have to be addressed at the policy level. The presumption that unlimited expansion will eventually get material wealth into the hands of those in need has become unrealistic.
Whereas, perpetual economic expansion based on material consumption is the only goal that is offered by mainstream parties, with their differences found only in how they would divide the gains and losses, and
Whereas, the Green Party of Canada offers a distinct alternative by basing decisions on the long term well-being of communities and ecosystems, and
Whereas, clarifying this distinction between elections and pointing it out during campaigns will provide additional logic for voting Green,
Be it resolved that the Green Party of Canada organize a public outreach campaign to make it clear to Canadians that our Party offers a fundamentally new direction focused on sustainability.
Furthermore:
Whereas, the near unanimous passage of a similar resolution at the
2002 GPC Convention proved insufficient for this initiative to access the membership in order to advance the project, and was instead met with a discontinuation of the small amounts of Party funding which have nurtured its development since 1985, and
Whereas the Question of Direction message has proved effective in raising money for the Party,
Be it further resolved that materials produced to inform people about, and involve them in, this strategy be circulated through the GPC contact lists, and, when circumstances allow, that funds be provided in order to produce materials for participating Party members and our allies.
For more detail on this initiative:
and the work leading to it:
The Question of Direction Resolution
(Green Party of Canada) 2002
Whereas, determining society's goals is the purpose of politics, and
Whereas, perpetual economic expansion is the only model that is offered by the mainstream parties, with their differences only found in how they would divide the gains and losses from this expansion, and
Whereas, the Green Party of Canada offers a distinct alternative by basing decisions on the long-term well-being of communities and ecosystems.
Be It Resolved That, the Green Party of Canada organize a public outreach campaign, through to the next federal election, in order to offer the goal of sustainability as a fundamental choice.
The Question of Direction Resolution
(Green Party of Ontario)The goals recognized by society provide the foundation upon which policies and action are based, therefore, be it resolved that:
The Green Party of Ontario participate in a public outreach campaign, making it clear that our Party offers the goal of sustainability as a fundamental choice.
Adopting this campaign is not to suggest that it replace other important initiatives like reforming the electoral system to Proportional Representation, or explaining how there is lots of work (jobs) involved in transforming to sustainability and sufficient work to maintain the new system.
If this resolution is passed, it would not require that everyone in the Party participate. There are enough willing members to conduct the campaign, and there are many people presently outside the Party who would join with us to help deliver this critical choice to Canadians. It is hoped that those abstaining would not obstruct. Everyone would be welcome to cooperate and receive campaign materials to help promote this choice between goals.
Seeds for Change: a campaign tool. I've yet to get a picture of one of these cards. They have the Green Party logo in green and say:
The Green Party leads
toward long term well-being . (see back)
Will you join us? Thisa is followed with local contact information.On the back they say:
Phone, email and the web site of the local Chapter
www.green.ca & provincial site is applicable
A Better Way to Live Well-being can be sustained when:
1 - use materials in continuous cycles.
2 - use continuously reliable sources of energy.
3 - come mainly from the qualities of being human
(i.e. creativity, communication, movement, appreciation,
and spiritual and intellectual development).
Long term well-being is diminished when activities:
4 - require continual inputs of non-renewable resources.
5 - use renewable resources faster than their rate of renewal.
6 - cause cumulative degradation of the environment.
7 - require resources in quantities that undermine other people's well-being.
8 - lead to the extinction of other life forms.
More detail on each of these points.
People who are concerned about recycling, renewable energy, conservatioin, climate change, population, disappearing species, pollution, and natural resources will quickly recognize the logic of setting our sights on sustainability. Others, who appreciate voluntary simplicity and the cultivation of human potentials, will relate to #3. For those concerned about unemployment, discrimination, exploitation, peace and globalization, an explanation of item #7 can provide the connection.
While these guidelines seem obvious to those of the Green persuasion, there are many who have yet to see the world this way. They likely see the world in terms of jobs, income, consumption, investment and return. Providing this eight point frame of reference for long-term well-being helps people start to recognize the broader perspective. For more details see "A Strategy for Long Term Well-Being".
How the Campaign Works
"A vision without a task is but a dream,
a task without a vision is drudgery,
a vision with a task is the hope of the world."Imagine what would happen if the choice described here became an election issue. People know we need to change. It would be an historic opportunity. The Growth Ideology is presented as unquestionable, yet there is an alternative. We need only find effective ways to make the alternative known and to make it clear that a vote for the Green Party is a vote for sustainability. Enabling Canadians to recognize sustainability as an option will lay the foundation for a broad understanding of the present challenge and solutions.
A Thin Edged Wedge:
By honing a sharp focus on the goal of sustainability, we can introduce the Green world view and open people's minds to policies that can help secure the future. Sustainability is one word, long-term well-being is four. The eight point outline is 77 words. The outline is clear enough to leave a lasting impression, yet short enough that most people will read it through. Explanations for each point are here.
Most, if not all, Green Party policy can be linked to the outline of what is, and what is not, sustainable. As the wedge opens the way for more detail, we can call on the full spectrum of citizens' organizations to provide information about specific issues and solutions.
Networks of citizens' organizations are the medium of choice to advance this campaign. The big commercial media won't help us. It has all been bought and paid for by those benefiting from the growth ideology. It has been used to promote commercial expansion and to cultivate popular attitudes to support that goal for at least a half century. They don't want people to know that we can choose a different route to the future. Don't turn down media opportunities that might help with Proportional Representation and other specific issues, but, don't expect them to encourage people to question society's underlying goals. More likely, they will attempt to stop us from doing so.
Our natural allies are the multitude of citizens' networks: advocacy groups of all kinds, religious institutions, unions, community associations and any other groups that work for the well-being of people, communities and ecosystems. When they see where their concerns fit in the sustainability spectrum, they will recognize how the Question of Direction can advance their interests. They all have networks and can help us reach out. We have to spread the word hand to hand, organization to organization. If we can get the basic message into people's hands, there could be a surprise when the votes are counted. For those who shy away from political involvement, we can approach them through an educational association like the Sustainability Project, or another local, cooperating group. Once contact is made with individuals, the whole program can be introduced.
Outreach Materials:
The cards depicted (I'm having trouble getting a picture of the card with the Green logo & text specific to this campaign. Other cards with a similar intent can be seen here.) are compact notices that the Green Party stands for long-term well-being. The long-term goal is to give a card, printed with local contact information on it, to every person in each riding. Initially we can hand them out to family, friends and associates and pass them around at gatherings. Distribution boxes are available to put cards out in sympathetic locations. By attending meetings and putting articles in community papers and organizations' newsletters we can meet people who agree that long-term well-being is a more appropriate goal than perpetual economic expansion. Wherever interest is expressed, make sure that the people involved have cards to distribute through their network. Consider getting a non-political version for venues where political affiliation is avoided.
The cards have several advantages. They are short and to the point; more often than not, they are read in their entirety. They provide an overview of the goal, equate the long word "sustainability" with the more familiar "long-term well-being" and provide contact information for local Greens. The institution of the 'business card' is well established and people have places where they store them for reference. If the future becomes a concern at some point, people can often find their cards again and through them find the Party. Flyers seldom enjoy such reuse, nor do they so conveniently in a pocket to be on hand in the case that a relevant topic arises to which the gift of a card can offer a hopeful note. Furthermore, the cards are inexpensive to produce from durable recycled material.
Leading Edge Policy: Once people recognize that the Green Party aims for a sustainable order, they will want to know how we propose getting there. Change can be frightening so it's best to ease into the policy options. A Genuine Progress Index requires no immediate change but would advance the cause immensely by making social and environmental issues visible as trends. By measuring these things along with economic indicators, they will gain legitimacy. When people can see what is improving and what is depreciating, they will better understand what we have to deal with. This policy has already been moved into the public realm. "Indicators are powerful. What we count and measure reflects our values as a society and literally determines what makes it onto the policy agenda of governments. As we enter the new millennium, these indicators tell us whether we are making progress, whether we are leaving the world a better place for our children, and what we need to change."
Ron Colman. Director
GPI Atlantic www.gpiatlantic.org
Among the actions that will make sense is shifting taxes off of employment and on to resource depletion and pollution. Full Cost Accounting would quantify social and environmental costs. These policies would incline the entire market system in the desired direction, without specifically requiring behavioral changes. Instituting these policies would give legitimacy to the goal they accommodate. When the goal gains legitimacy, people will quietly begin viewing their lifestyles in the new context. There is much else that can then be done to encourage resilient ecosystems, healthy communities and the enjoyment of living. We can make the case that there is so much satisfaction to be derived from living that we won't have time to consume on a level that depletes resources, pollutes or requires the exploitation of others.
A Key Difference When confronted with the argument that "we don't have to choose, we can have both sustainability and perpetual expansion", planned obsolescence is the dividing line.
There is much that can be done in the existing system to make production more efficient in terms of using less energy and natural resources and creating less waste. Such adaptations serve both goals and should be encouraged. The need to choose between the goals arises when obsolescence is planned to make way for expanding production and continued growth. Designing products for a single use, to break down easily or soon go out of style, has long been necessary tactic to keep the economy expanding. Making products to last would inhibit the goal of growth. The claim that we need waste for economic health cries out for a change in accounting practices. We would get far more service from resources and energy if products were made to last and to be easily repaired. Upon this point we can assert the difference in value systems and make the case that we ought to choose which will take precedence.
"Perhaps we cannot raise the wind. But each of us can put up the sail,
so that when the wind comes we can catch it."E.F. Schumacher
Cooperation Welcome Transforming society is a massive task. We need the cooperation of anyone who grasps the sustainability challenge. Canada has sixty million eyes looking over everything that people do, each person interpreting what they see. By providing as many people as possible with a frame of reference for long-term well-being and inviting them to help figure out how to get from here to there, we can engage them in the critical process. We all have a great deal to learn from each other.
Questions and comments are welcome.
Contact Information
Sustainability Project/7th Generation Initiative Welcome Page.
Last Update: June15, 2007
Filename: http://www.SustainWellBeing.net/Green/proposal.html