Proposal to join the 9-11 Emergency National Network


DISCUSSION PERIOD: 1 Week - Jan 16th-Jan 23rd

VOTING PERIOD: 1 Week - Jan 23rd-Jan 30th

PRESENTER: USGP Steering Committee

CONTACTS:
Ben Manski, SC, WI Delegate, manski@greens.org
Elizabeth Shanklin, CC, NY Delegate, elizs@earthlink.net

SUBJECT: USGP Participation in 9-11 Emergency National Network

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Following the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the Independent Progressive Politics Network initiated a meeting to establish an Emergency National Network of progressive organizations.
The goal of the 9-11 Emergency National Network has been to help forge a broadly-based, activist, increasingly visible and effective national movement in opposition to the government's plans for an open-ended war on terrorism, its attacks on civil liberties and democratic rights at home, and the shifting of resources even more from low-income and working-class people to the Pentagon and corporate interests.

Since that first meeting in New York City, the group has established a consciously diverse continuations committee to guide the work of the overall network reached out to other coalitions and newly-formed groups to organize a demonstration in Washington, D.C. on April 14th taken the initiative to call for local town meetings with members of Congress begun a website to coordinate national peace efforts, and has agreed upon a set of unity principles.

The following organizations have now joined the ENN:
Black Radical Congress, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Peace and Human Security, Citizen Soldier, Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, Communist Party USA, Connie Hogarth Center for Social Action, Dynamics of Leadership, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Global Network Against Nuclear Power and Weapons in Space, IFCO/Pastors for Peace, Independent Progressive Politics Network, Kensington Welfare Rights Union, NYC Labor Against War, Pro Libertad, Solidarity, Veterans for Peace, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, War Resisters League, Washington Peace Center, and Westchester People's Action Coalition.

The Green Party of the United States has been asked to join ENN and to be represented on the Continuations Committee. As a member of the Emergency National Network, USGP would have the right to monitor any public statements of the organization, and as a member we would retain the right to remove our name from any public statements.

TIME LINE: Duration of 9-11 Emergency National Network

IMPLEMENTATION - RESOURCES: The USGP SC will be responsible for communicating with and maintaining involvement in the network. Additionally, the USGP will provide the standard $100 contribution requested towards the administration of the network.

REFERENCES: http://www.ippn.org/Petition.htm
http://www.ippn.org/AttackResponses.htm

THE PROPOSAL:

The Green Party of the United States (USGP) hereby joins the 9-11 Emergency National Network (9-11 ENN) as a member of its Continuations Committee. The USGP contributes $100 towards the administration of the network and commits to work to keep our member state parties informed regarding the activities of the network. The USGP affirms our agreement with the following 9-11 ENN Unity Principles:

* * * 9-11 ENN Unity Principles * * *

The Path to ending terrorism, whether by individuals, organizations or states, is a foreign and domestic policy based upon social and economic justice: respect for diversity, environmental sustainability and a commitment to raising the living standards of all people, especially those in Africa, Latin America/the Caribbean, and Asia.
This direction, not increased militarism and repression, must be our country's future path if we are to preserve our humanity and create a new world for our children and generations to come.

We thoroughly condemn the September 11th hijacking of four airplanes and their use to attack the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Those responsible should be held accountable before the world community. We extend our deep sympathy and concern to those who lost loved ones in this terrible disaster.

War is not the answer. Let us not dishonor the murder of the innocent by killing more innocent people.

We oppose all forms of scapegoating, violent attacks against institutional harassment or racial profiling of people on the basis of race, color, religion or nationality, especially immigrants, Arab and Islamic people in this country and abroad.

We oppose attempts to pass legislation sacrificing civil rights, democratic principles and domestic needs in the name of "anti-terrorism" or "home security." This includes: threats to civil liberties, secret military tribunals, institutionalized racial profiling, anti-immigrant policies, increased military spending, decreased education and social spending, fast track trade negotiating authority for the executive branch, and any steps toward the militarization of outer space.

We are opposed to an open-ended "war on terrorism."