The Green Party was created in 1984 to not only elect candidates to local, state, and national positions, but also to serve as a grassroots movement aimed at educating people on community issues, important legislation and social injustices. Its purposes have remained the same, but its scope and size have widened substantially.

Inspired by the German Green Party, the Green Committees of Correspondence (GCoCs) network was created in 1984. The GCoCs began as a loose network of local Green Parties that eventually evolved into the Green Party USA in 1991, with a more formal structure better able to serve the growing national needs of the movement. Within the Green Party USA sits the Green Congress, a national board of delegates from all state organizations. It is at the annual Greens Gathering that the Green Congress updates and maintains the national Green Program, a platform of supporters' major beliefs and policy stances. The Greens currently have organizations in 46 of 50 states where they have elected more than 50 Green officials to local and county governments.

The Green Party describes their platform as a progressive movement that supports environmentally friendly policies, campaign finance reform, the decentralization of government, and personal responsibility to community. Their ideals are summarized in the "Ten Key Values" of the Green Party. The party also works on the local level to stop homelessness, champion equal rights, and fight for nonviolent solutions to today's problems.

In the 1996 election Ralph Nader, a lawyer and consumer advocate, ran under the Green Party label. Not claiming to be a member of the Green Party, Nader lent his name to the Greens in hopes of bolstering their success. Nader did not receive any campaign donations and ran solely on his progressive platform. He was placed on the ballot in only 22 states but received 700,000 votes, placing him fourth in the race after Clinton, Dole, and Perot.

Green Party

Address:
P.O. Box 100
Blodgett Mills, N.Y. 13738

Phone:
(607) 756-4211

E-mail:
gpusa@igc.apc.org

Web Site:
http://www.greens.org/

Links:
• Envirolink