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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	486
Proposal	PLATFORM: Population
Presenter	Platform Committee presenter, Green Party of California sponsor
Floor Manager	David Strand
Phase	Closed
Discussion	07/19/2010 - 08/01/2010
Voting	08/02/2010 - 08/08/2010
Result	Failed
Presens Quorum	31 0.6666
Consens Quorum	71 0.6666 of Yes and No Votes

Background

The Green Party of California submits this amendment to update the 2004 platform, and to express our Green values in the more graceful style of the 1996 and 2000 platforms. We eliminated antiquated facts and references, and made the language more clear, concise, and precise.

The 2004 platform section on population contains some awkward language. We re-wrote these passages to try to improve readability and flow. We added a line at the outset emphasizing our own responsibility as a nation to "contribute to achieving a globally sustainable human population."

The Green Party of California's delegation to the GPUS originally voted to approve this proposal in April 2010. In our state, we require 2/3rds for passage. Then, in the spirit of seeking consensus with Greens across the country, we attended 11 platform committee conference calls and read more than 500 suggestions posted on the GPUS Platform Committee website and created at the GPUS meeting in Detroit. Based on these ideas, as well as some of our own, our delegation edited our proposals by wiki and then voted again on these edits in July.

Proposal

Substitute the following language as the new text for the "Population" section in Chapter II of the GPUS platform.

Section title: Population

Section subtitle: A sustainable and fair population policy

Our position: The United States must contribute to achieving a globally sustainable human population.

We humans have a unique responsibility for stewardship of the Earth. No species -- especially on the upper end of the food chain -- can enjoy exponential growth without depleting the Earth’s carrying capacity and undermining its ecological systems. Yet our human species is doing just that. Even from an anthropocentric perspective, this pattern is unsustainable.

Greens advocate for a population policy to reduce over-consumption in wealthy nations. A relatively small percentage of humans threaten the Earth's carrying capacity by consuming a majority of the world's resources. Our nation is at the center of this problem.

We also must redress historic patterns of exploitation of developing countries. It has often been observed that populations increase following wars, social strife and environmental disasters.

Greens support reducing birth rates by improving the economic and social status of women around the world. When women have control over their lives, birth rates decrease. The lack of resources devoted to family planning is a major barrier to the improvement of women's economic and social status, health and wellness. We also encourage men to share responsibility for family planning with women.

Green Solutions

1. Support global patterns of development and energy use that reduce consumption and waste, particularly in the wealthiest nations.

2. Promote international aid and development policies in developing nations that promote economic self-reliance, well-being and quality of life.

3. Ensure that all women have access to the reproductive health and family planning services they need to do so. Remove political and economic barriers that prevent women from achieving according to their abilities in society.

4. Support scientific research into safer and more effective birth control techniques and devices.

5. Provide free access to birth control devices, information counseling and health clinics, along with family planning education for both genders in all U.S. schools.

6. Promote new traditions and images of men becoming fully involved in all aspects of the family planning process.

7. Develop educational programs about overpopulation and sustainable population. Encourage smaller families and acknowledge the value and contributions of individuals who choose not to have children.

Resources

Time line: Compilation into new 2010 GPUS Platform upon completion of the voting on all proposed amendments.

Resources: Time and effort of volunteers to compile the platform

Contact: Gary Ruskin, 415-472-2859, gary.ruskin@gmail.com

References

Visit the Platform Committee webpage for this proposal at: http://www.gp.org/committees/platform/comments/?p=896.

On the webpage, you can see various formats of the proposal created by the GPUS Platform Committee and the amendment proposal sponsors including the 2004 and 2010 texts side-by-side. You can also read and respond to comments from Greens around the country, including many who are not on the Green National Committee.

Here is the 2004 text which is being replaced:

Limiting the discussion to population numbers and birthrates diverts attention from over-consumption in the industrial world and historic patterns of exploitation of developing countries. Consumption-oriented lifestyles that have evolved in the industrial world have resulted in a minority of people consuming a majority of resources. This is as significant a threat to the Earth’s carrying capacity as the high birth rates in low-consumption countries.

Current global demographics demonstrate that economic well-being promotes low birthrates. Any discussion of population must also be a discussion of women throughout the world. There is documented evidence that the economic and social status of women is a primary factor in birthrates – when women have control over their lives, birthrates decrease. Also, a major barrier to the improvement of women’s reproductive health is a lack of shared responsibility between men and women in family planning. A combination of male attitudes and cultural traditions have resulted in most men being under-educated and uninvolved in the planning of their families.

Globally, human population is increasing while food production has leveled off. When population increases faster than the economy grows, the disparity between rich and poor also increases. Higher human consumption rates and populations increase the pressure on the environment in every ecological problem area.

1. Those living in the industrialized world must end the habits of waste and over-consumption that place as much stress on the environment as does population growth in developing nations.

2. We must remove the political and economic barriers that prevent women around the world from having all the resources necessary to become skilled family planners.

3. Funds must be allocated for expanded scientific research into safer and more effective birth control techniques and devices. We demand better-than-adequate health care for women and children–especially prenatal care. [See section D. Foreign Policy in chapter I and section A.1. Women's Rights in this chapter]

4. There must be access to free birth control devices, information counseling, and clinics to all who desire them. We call for implementation of family planning education for both genders in all levels of the state school system. [See section D. Foreign Policy in chapter I and section A.1. Women's Rights in this chapter]

5. We must promote new traditions and images of men becoming fully involved in all aspects of the family planning process.

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