About

10 Key Values

values

 

COMMUNITY-BASED ECONOMICS AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE
It is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance. A successful economic system will offer meaningful work with dignity and a "living wage" that reflects the real value of a person's work.

Economic development must protect the environment and workers' rights, provide for broad citizen participation in planning and enhance of our "quality of life."

 

DECENTRALIZATION
Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. We support restructuring social, political and economic institutions toward more democratic systems representative of entire communities. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.

 

ECOLOGICAL WISDOM
Human societies must operate as part of the natural environment, not separate from it.  We must maintain an ecological balance and live within resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in a way in which future generations will benefit from the practices of our generation. To this end, we must practice agriculture which replenishes soil, innovate an energy-efficient economy and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

 

FEMINISM AND GENDER EQUITY
We have inherited a society based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Equity between the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as the outcome we want to achieve.


FUTURE FOCUS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of, or recycling our waste, while developing sustainable economics that do not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counter the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations.

 

GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY
Every human being deserves a say in decisions that affect their lives. We work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our representatives are accountable to the people who elect them. We work to create new political associations that expand participatory democracy to include citizens in the decision-making process.

 

NON-VIOLENCE
It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society's patterns of violence. We work to demilitarize and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments.  We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.

 

PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY
We encourage individuals to work to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.

 

RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines. The diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally denied leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms and the preservation of biodiversity.


SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
All persons have the rights and opportunities to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.

There is no authoritative version of the Ten Key Values of the Greens.  The Ten Key Values are guiding principles that are adapted and defined by each state and local chapter, as perceived through the the lens of their communities.

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