ORIENTATION PAPER by the Global Green Co-ordination for the GG 2008 Congress,

THE FUTURE of the GLOBAL GREENS
We are growing fast and are now [75?] Green Parties from all corners of the planet
What happens next?

Overview
If the only future activity of the Global Greens is just to organise the next Congress, this one will have been a failure! But, realistically, where do we go from here? What do we want from the Global Green organisation? Status quo or radical re-think? Talking to ourselves or talking to the outside world?

This orientation paper seeks to explore the options facing us, to identify common objectives, appropriate methods of working and the resources needed.

In Canberra, we set up a GG Network and a GG Co-ordination. We need to evaluate how these have functioned and what structures will serve us best going forward from Sao Paulo.

The current set-up of the Global Greens is a compromise between demands for a network of all national Green Parties, and a coordination organised on an inter-continental basis. Canberra decided on both: the GG Coordination to be responsible for overseeing GG affairs, issuing common policy statements, the organisation of GG Congresses and other initiatives; the GG Network on the other hand to be the vehicle for co-operation and communication between Green parties and in promoting the GG Charter.

We should say here that the GG Co-ordination and the GG Network have not worked together an integrated way and have so far pursued different paths. In practice, the Coordination has had the most visible output, issuing common statements on many globally important issues, sending representatives to Regional and Federation conventions and of course organising this Congress. The Network, having had less clear responsibilities, is focused primarily on running an e-mail list amongst 20-30 parties.

Communication between these two pillars could have been better, and it was never clear what the Network could expect from the Coordination and vice versa.

Both have serious limitations in their present configurations. The Network has not developed as an effective interactive communication tool and the Co-ordination is not well equipped to function as an effective secretariat. It is therefore a small miracle that we have all been able to gather here in Sao Paulo—this is thanks largely to the unceasing efforts of a small number of dedicated, mostly unpaid, people, and the warm welcome offered by the Brazilian Greens. Operating this way is neither sustainable, nor green. Our structures need to evolve and adapt to the tasks we will collectively set for ourselves here in Sao Paulo.

Why Global?
We take it for granted that the majority of the problems we seek to address are planetary: climate change, food security, eradication of poverty, human rights, social justice, damaging world trade rules, loss of biodiversity, the challenges of sustainable development, green energy………..The list is endless. More than that, we know that these problems are inter-linked and require integrated solutions. That is what makes us different as a political movement.

We act where we can at local, regional and multilateral levels, but seldom do we work in real intercontinental co-operation with each other, despite sometimes producing common responses on urgent issues. It is not a question of goodwill—that is available in abundance—but different political structures and cultures, language barriers, unequal resources, differing preoccupations and priorities, all conspire to stop us advancing together. In short, we lack the day-to-day mechanisms of co-operation and communication and we lack a real global identity.

Why change?
There is a valid point of view which holds that our political movement is still too young to try to spread its limited resource globally, and that we should restrict ourselves, in the short term at least, to putting our efforts into a modest strengthening of the existing structures.

There is an opposite and equally valid position which holds that we should take the bold step towards creating a viable global movement now. Indeed there is on the table here in Sao Paulo, a formal Resolution from the Australian Greens to create a permanent Secretariat, financed initially by contributions from elected politicians.

We set out below an analysis of what we have characterized as modest, medium and high levels of ambition for the future of our movement- although this is an over-simplification, we hope it will serve as the basis for the debate in Sao Paulo and help us in deciding how we move forward.

1. Modest Ambitions
This would focus primarily on improving the functioning of the two pillars, the Network and the Co-ordination, seeking to make them co-ordinate their work more effectively and to (re-)connect member Green parties with their global identity.

Tasks would include:-
- managing a more interactive GG website
- ad hoc collective reactions on current issues and crises
- create online working/expert groups to develop common positions/working papers - sharing expertise/publications on thematic issues
- creation of more active and open Green social networking
- facilitate exchange visiting especially at youth level.
- exploring means of common accreditation with key UN agencies.
- continuing the Co-ordination’s organizational responsibilities, including validating Green party credentials before affiliation and identifying green movements and NGOs which fall outside conventional party structures.
- setting ourselves one immediate project to be undertaken in common so that we go forward with a practical challenge with which all of us can identify.

Even at this level of ambition, it is clear that more resources are needed. To make the organisation function more effectively requires at least some investment in people and facilities. Even though we will continue to rely on the energies and initiatives of volunteers, large –scale organisational challenges (like this Congress) will require dedicated resources and parties/federations would be expected to contribute in kind (people, time, facilities) or in cash!

At this level English would continue to be the working language, with translation/interpretation into other languages being dependent on volunteer effort. Communications would continue to be mainly by email and internet. Tele- or visio-conferences would be used where necessary but should be well prepared and led, to maximize the benefit and minimize the cost.

At a first estimation, an annual budget of around [€………] would be required.

2. Medium Ambitions
In addition to the tasks outlined above, we would seek to find ways of acting together on the global stage, underlining our global identity. This would involve more interaction between the different parts of our movement, becoming more visible and participating in common actions.

Tasks would include
- Arranging on a more regular basis common statements and press releases at crucial moments like Multilateral/Intergovernmental/UN-meetings, social summits, the G8, WTO.
- Attendance/accreditation/lobbying under one banner at key multilateral meetings (for example, Bali Climate Change, WTO Ministerial Conferences, World Social Forums…………….)
- Convening side-meetings of Green Ministers/advisors with GG/Party representatives where they are already attending official summits.
- Mentoring of smaller, newer parties by longer-established ones on a one-to-one basis
- Providing contact points for inquiries
- More systematic exchange visiting between Parties and continents to learn from each other and to build stronger networks
- Facility for joint press work or actions between limited number of parties, where global response is not possible
- Providing facilities for translation between at least three working languages (English, French, Spanish) of key documents and interpretation at Congress and other key meetings.
- Some degree of co-operation should be achieved with international NGOs, where common platforms are feasible.
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At this level of ambition, additional resources would be needed. Much of this work could still be done using existing structures and facilities but there should be a minimum number of paid people- possibly making part-time use of staff already employed by those Parties/Federations with offices already established. The GG Co-ordination should meet face-to-face at least once every two years.

An estimated annual budget of around [€………] would be required at this level.

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3. High Ambition
This would follow the shape of the proposal made by the Australian Greens to create and host a permanent GG Secretariat (full text is annexed). Building on the tasks described above, this would:-

- Follow up and implement Congress decisions and action plans
- Improve regular inter-party and inter-Federation communications
- Build capacity of smaller, weaker, newer groups and parties
- Give a focus and an identity to our work on the global agenda
- Provide a permanent structure, facilitating our networks and our future meetings.

There is also a need to consider the formal creation of a GG youth wing.

We would need to consider whether eventually to elect a Secretary-General. To provide initial funding, Australia proposes a levy of 1% on the base salaries of their elected Members at local, State and Federal levels. This should provide a model for others to follow.
Annual Budget estimated at [€……….]

Summary
It is for the Congress to decide on the level of ambition and resources it wishes to see in the immediate future. In any case, alternative sources of fund-raising need to be considered including identifying potential green benefactors, Green Foundations, an elected politicians’ levy, individual donations and/or membership fees. Congress may therefore decide to create a more permanent Finance Working Group, to open a bank account and to appoint a Treasurer.
In any event there will be a need to re-look at the structure and mandate of the GG Co-ordination and to renew/refresh it.
If we manage to agree on such a programme for the future, we will have earned the right to set the date for our next Congress!

Finally, let us not forget the closing words of our Charter. We will support each other personally and politically with friendship, optimism and good humour, and not forget to enjoy ourselves in the process!