Global Greens News March 2015 GG News in March 2015 includes a Global Greens statement for International Women's Day: Empower women. Empower humanity, the Lima Declaration by the

Federation of Green Parties of the Americas and an invitation to the Asia Pacific Greens Congress in New Zealand in June. Also news and views from the Green world - Niger to Pakistan, Netherlands to Mexico - and links for elections coming up in Finland and the UK. Register to vote if you're eligible.

Empower women. Empower humanity

On International Women’s Day 2015 the Global Greens call for renewed commitment by governments everywhere to the goal of equal participation by women and men in power and decision-making, adopted in the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action. We also commit to strengthening the Global Greens Women's Network established following Dakar 2012. Read more (English)

AFRICA

L’onde de choc de Charlie Hebdo en Niger The shocking murder of the Charlie Hebdo journalists in January reverberated

around the world and in Niger precipitated violent protests in several cities,

unheard of in a country known for religious tolerance. This comes on top of a Boko

Harem insurgency in the north­east and an ongoing political crisis following

President Mahamadou Issoufou's failure to form a government of national unity.

nnnnnnnnnnRead more (French)

Press freedom in Egypt The Egyptian Green Party believes that the Global Greens will commit a grave

mistake if the press crisis in the Arab region is confined to the issue of the

Al­Jazeera Satellite channel journalists. If the only interest is in the release of

foreign journalists many negative consequences for press freedom in the region

will be ignored. Read more (Arabic and English)

AMERICAS

Lima declaration The Federation of Greens of the Americas, meeting in Lima on 5­7 December

2014, issued a declaration on the state of democracy and the environment on the

continent. The FPVA specifically condemn anti­democratic and anti­environmental

actions including Nicaragua's inter­oceanic canal, Canada's support for mining in

Latin America, and the Brazil­German nuclear agreement, amongst others. Read

more (Spanish)

ASIA / PACIFIC

Third Asia Pacific Greens Congress The Asia Pacific Greens Federation hosts a Congress once every 5 years, bringing

together members and supporters to actualise our collective green vision for the

region. We are delighted to announce that the APGF Congress will be held in

Wellington, New Zealand, 12­14 June 2015, and we invite you all to attend! Read

more (English)

Pakistan Greens to contest local elections The Pakistan Green Party will field more than 100 candidates in local government

elections starting in May 2015. Localised campaigns will address the unique issues

of each province. For example the KPK campaign focuses on deforestation, local

economy and waste management as well as the opportunities of community solar

heating which will also reduce firewood consumption. Read more (English)

EUROPE

Kampagne: Klimaschutz jetzt! The European Greens are organising a joint climate campaign in the lead up to

Paris 2015. But instead of horror stories and alarmism the message will be positive

­ 'We are changing climate policy. We are not waiting for governments to act.'

Read more (German)

Greens on Greece

Syriza's win in the Greek elections on 25 January 2015 was a massive vote for change - for an end to austerity and a socially fair way out of Greece's debt crisis. The Greek Ecologist Greens are part of the Syriza coalition. Read more

SNIPPETS Wild animals banned in Mexico circuses. After years of campaigning, the

Mexican Greens gained wide popular and parliamentary support to ban the use of

wild animals in circuses. The Greens used scientific studies showing that circus

animals suffer physically and psychologically when deprived of their natural

development, their spaces and social groups; in addition to being trained in an

abusive and cruel manner. Read more

North Sea Grid. GroenLinks (Netherlands) is proposing that North Sea countries

work together to harness wind energy across the region. A new report concludes

that the North Sea Grid project would help tackle climate change, reduce

dependence on Russian gas imports and be an alternative to gas extraction in

Groningen. It would also provide more jobs. Read more (Dutch)

AAP wins Delhi. India's new Aam Aadmi Party swept to power in the Delhi

Assembly election in February winning 67 out of 70 seats despite the combined

opposition of the established parties. The UKKP (Greens) have been developing a

relationship with AAP with talks continuing; and at the same time exploring the

potential for a national Green party in India. Read more

New Zealand Greens focus on climate and equality for 2015. Greens Co-Leader

Russel Norman warns that New Zealand's climate pollution is set to increase by

50% by 2020 and commits the Greens to leading the fight for an energy efficient

low carbon economy. Read more

East African Greens strategic plan. Greens from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and

Burundi met in Kampala, Uganda, on 12­13 February to plan for the next five years

with support from Green Party of England and Wales and the Westminster

Foundation. The strategic plan will help parties implement Green ideology within

the eastern African region. Read more

Election success in Hamburg. Greens in the German state of Hamburg won

12.2% of the vote in elections on 15 February and are set to form a coalition

government with the Social Democrats (SPD). Read more

Rwandan Greens leadership training. The Rwandan Greens completed

leadership training in the Rusizi and Bulera Districts in February. The training

covered a wide variety of subjects including political ideology, responsibilities

of political parties in a democracy and gender and the role of women in

economic development. Read more

Planting trees in Morocco. At the Global Greens Congress in Dakar

tree-planting was one of the initiatives encouraged. Greens in Morocco

organised tree-planting in January. In the words of Wangari Maathai: 'when we

plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope'.

COMING UP Fukushima anniversary, 11 March. On the 4th anniversary of the Fukushima

Daiichi nuclear disaster Asia Pacific Greens are calling on their governments to

commit to a nuclear­free world and move to clean equitable renewable energy

solutions. Greens globally offer sincere condolences to the people of Fukushima

and the wider region for the tragedy they have suffered. Read more

Global Greens meet in Brussels. The Global Greens Coordination will have a

rare face to face meeting in Brussels from 18­21 March 2015. On the agenda ­ a

roadmap for the Global Greens, fundraising, campaigns, communications and the

next Global Greens Congress. The picture is from the last face to face meeting in

2013 when the statutes were finalised enabling the Global Greens to become a

legally registered non­profit organisation.

Election watch. Elections that are definite and will be contested by Greens in

the next three months include: Finland (19 April) and the UK (7 May) where the

Scottish Greens, the Green Party of England and Wales and the Northern Ireland

Greens will be participating. If you are eligible to vote in any of these elections,

either at home or abroad, make sure you register and vote!

FROGG

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