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BOSTON - The Massachusetts
Green Party and the Rainbow Coalition Party united their memberships
into a single political entity at a statewide meeting last weekend. The
merged party also endorsed candidates for state political office: Dr.
Jill Stein for Governor, Anthony Lorenzen for Lt. Governor, and James
O'Keefe for Treasurer.
"The Green Party isn't only growing through the incremental process
of persuading and registering new members, one by one," said Ben
Manski, a member of the steering committee of the Green Party of the
United States and an activist working on building ties between the Green
and Progressive Parties in Wisconsin.
"The Massachusetts merger is the latest in a small, growing number
of Green Party unifications with other state and local parties. In 1998,
the Oregon Green and Socialist Parties merged into the Pacific Green
Party. In 1999, the D.C. Green and Statehood Parties became the D.C.
Statehood Green Party."
"This is an incredible example of people coming together to make
meaningful changes in our political system," said Massachusetts
gubernatorial candidate Stein. "The credibility and longevity of
the Rainbow Coalition Party will be an immensely valuable addition to
the Greens as we continue to deliver our message to the people of the
Commonwealth."
The mergers of state Green Parties and other progressive parties
connects state and locally based political parties with a national
entity. But the autonomy of state parties within the Green Party of the
United States ensures that the merged parties maintain their local focus
and character. One of the Green key values is decentralization --
locally based governance with the active participation of citizens;
self-reliant economies and democratic workplaces that aren't controlled
by and for central authorities such as multinational corporations, Wall
Street, and international 'free trade' bureaucracies.
The Rainbow Coalition Party's founder, Mel King of Boston, a former
state representative, was on hand for the unity agreement and praised
the convention's nomination of Dr. Stein.
"Jill Stein is the only candidate who will speak truth to
power," said King.
"She's the only one that makes issues of racism and social justice
integral parts of her campaign."
CONTACTS:
Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576, nallen@acadia.net
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, scottmclarty@yahoo.com
Green Party of the United States (national office), 202-319-7191
Massachusetts contacts:
Grace Ross, co-chair, Massachusetts Green Party, 617-91-5591
Gary Hicks, co-chair, Massachusetts Green Party, 617-268-1703
Jenny Kastner, Stein Campaign Manager, 857-212-1062
MORE INFORMATION:
The Green Party of the United States http://gpus.org
& http://www.gp.org
National office: 1314 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Massachusetts Green Party http://www.massgreens.org
P.O. Box 1311, Lawrence, MA 01842
(978) 688-2068
Index of Green Party candidates in 2002 http://www.gp.org/patience.html
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