Report from the 2003 Meeting of the Federation of Green Parties of the Americas
FEDERACIÓN DE PARTIDOS VERDES DE LAS AMÉRICAS (FPVA)
Meeting of the Asamblea General (General Assembly)
Managua, Nicaragua
Nov. 21-22, 2003
REPORT BY:
– Julia Willebrand, Green Party of New York, USGP Delegate
and Co-President, FPVA
Attending:
Brazil: Marco Mroz, Jose Luis Penna, President, Partido Verde do Brasil
Mexico: Jorge Gonzalez Torres, Blanca Villegas
Nicaragua: Edward Salazar Cruz, President, Green Ecological Party of Nicaragua, David Barahona, Dr. Jorge Bardeguez
United States: Julia Willebrand (Delegate), Steve Herrick and Vivek Ananthan (IC Members), Mike Feinstein (IC Advisor)
Guests from the Swedish Green Party: Lotta Hedstrom, Member of Parliament, Agnetha Bostrom, Political Secretary
Facilitator: Marco Mroz
Notetaker: Blanca Villegas
Timekeeper: Julia Willebrand
Green Ecological Party of Nicaragua (PVENIC) was admitted to the Federation. Brazil noted that FPVA by-laws require that a new party participate in an election before being admitted. The precedent of the 2002 admission of Partido Verde Dominicano, which has not yet participated in an election was cited to support PVENIC admission.
PROCESS AND STRUCTURE
After an open ended discussion on the future of the Federation and the need for new structures to enhance Federation functioning, the following decisions were made.
1. The positions of Secretary of Internal Relations and Secretary of External Relations (both vacant) are abolished. The work formerly done by persons holding these offices will be taken on by the three co-presidents.
2. A new position of Secretary of Communications is established. Blanca Villegos of Mexico is appointed to this office. The tasks for which the Secretary is responsible include:
a. soliciting quarterly reports from member countries and posting the reports to the FPVA Web site;
b. contacting Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, Bolivia for information about the Green Party status. Any country which has not responded within 60 days will have its FPVA membership status changed to inactive. Once designated as inactive, a country must reapply for membership in FPVA.
c. contacting Manuel Baquedano of Chile to ask for access to the FPVA web site and domain name. If Mr. Banquedano who is the owner of the FPVA domain name cannot be reached or if he is unwilling to release the domain name, steps will be taken to secure another web site and domain name for the Federation.
3. Edward Cruz is designated to continue correspondence with persons who represent nascent Green Parties in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Edward is to determine at what stage these parties are in their political development.
4. Brazil has been designated to continue communication with the nascent Argentina Green Party.
5. A change from the FPVA Yahoo list serve is authorized.
6. New issue based sub committees are to be created as needed. Miguel Pimentel of the PVD will be ask to chair a subcommittee to deal with ecological issues particularly those of Haiti and nuclear waste transportation in the Caribbean and Edward Cruz has been asked to form a subcommittee to develop a tentative FPVA position on the proposal to create a cross Nicaragua international canal.
7. The Federation reaffirms its decision taken in 2002 to create regional offices in Brazil, the United States and Mexico. Mexico will support an FPVA office within the PVEM International office. Blanca Villegas will be the FPVA representative in the office. She will be assisted by two other staff persons who are presently employed in the office.
8. It was agreed to establish a two-year plan and calendar for FVPA work and events. This plan to include:
a. a budget to cover Annual meetings costs including that of a Spanish-English translator.
b. a calendar of in-country Green events. This calendar can facilitate international exchanges between Greens in the Americas.
c. an internet based fund raising effort.
9. Agreed to revise FPVA by-laws to reflect present realities.
10. Site and date for the 2004 Annual meeting was discussed. Brazil will follow up on the request from the newly forming Argentina GP to hold the FPVA annual meeting in April in Argentina.
11. It was agreed that selection criteria for site and date of annual meetings be established.
ISSUES
Brief discussion of GGN and GGC policy priorities on global warming and energy, ALCAA/FTAA and the War and Iraq. There was strong agreement in principle on these issues.
It was agreed that Brazil and Mexico would prepare a statement on the FTAA.
The US is taking responsibility for a statement on the Iraq occupation.
It was decided that email will be used to determine what additional actions to take on the above issues. A specific sub committee is to be created to deal with regional trade issues.
Brazil reported in general terms on Brazilian government efforts to free Ingrid Betancourt and Clara Rojas.
Antonio Jorge Melo Viana of Brazil and Julia Willebrand of the United States were designated to represent the Federation at the European Green meeting in Rome.
PRESS CONFERENCES
Two successful press conferences were held. The Friday press conference which focused on the FPVA garnered 5 minutes of coverage on the national evening TV news. And, an article about the meeting, including a picture, was published in El Nuevo Diario. A Sunday press conference focusing on the new PVENIC was covered by La Prensa.