[R-G] Green Line: Ralph Nader to Speak at Green Party National Meeting

[james m nordlund]

Ralph Nader to Speak at Green Party National Meeting

Reading, PA will be turning green from the 12-15th of July when the Green
Party National Meeting comes to town. With a huge number of workshops and
speakers as well as a Music Fest to keep everyone entertained in the
evenings it should be a great weekend. It will be a wonderful opportunity
to learn the skills required to build effective campaigns, network with
Greens from across the country and worldwide; and, most of all, to have
fun.

Ralph Nader is scheduled to speak on the Saturday and will be addressing
the issue of Ballot access, an ever prevalent topic which resonates
particularly clearly in Pennsylvania, a state with some of the most
antidemocratic ballot access rules for third party candidates in the US.
Ralph will be sharing the stage with 2006 PA Senate Candidate Carl
Romanelli and renowned progressive hip-hop artist Head-Roc.

The national meeting will also include presentations from former federal
assistant secretary of housing Catherine Austin Fitts, President of
Solari, Inc, Juan Behrend, Co-Secretary General of the European Green
Party and Janet Eaton from the Green Party of Canada talking about the
NAFTA Super Corridor.

Workshops are sure to be another highlight of the weekend with topics 
ranging from "media relations" and "running for office" to a 3 day special

workshop on "dismantling racism". As well as all of this there will be an 
early opportunity to hear from those seeking the Green Party nomination in

the 2008 Presidential Race. Several candidates have already announced
their 
intention to run so it's sure to be an interesting forum.

The Music Fest is shaping up to have an impressive line up with noted 
Hip-Hop artist and Green Party member Head Roc and his DJ's Eurock and 
Noyeek headlining on the Saturday evening. Other performers include
Juggling 
Suns, Green Onions, Hexbelt, Uncle Skip, and many others. Thursday night
is 
looking to be an international night and there will also be a silent 
auction, vendors and exhibitors throughout the weekend.

All in all it is sure to be a weekend full of interesting events and 
refreshing perspectives on the issues that matter. The Green Party will be

certain to make Reading an "oasis of democracy". A comprehensive overview
on 
everything you need to know about the meeting including how to sign up can

be found at www.gpanc.org.

Take advantage of the pre-meeting discount of $100 and register on-line: 
https://secure.democracyinaction.com/dia/organizations/Greens/shop/shop.jsp?storefront_KEY=105.

On-line registration ends on July 6th. On-site registration will be 
available for $115. Meal tickets and event tickets will be available for 
online purchase until July 6th. Event tickets will be available for
purchase 
on-site, meal tickets will not.

Greens Lead on Grassroots Action to Impeach

Greens across the country are leading the way in the growing impeachment 
movement. The last few months have seen successful local referenda,
actions, 
teach-ins, concerts, all calling for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney. 
Greens party interns Molly Keller and Jessica Bowerman participated in a 
rally last week at the capitol calling on Congress to impeach where they 
circulated petitions supporting Impeachment If you have not yet signed 
please do so here http://www.gp.org/action/index.shtml and ask others to 
sign as well. Several members of Congress have already appealed for 
impeachment, including Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey, Yvette Clarke, Dennis 
Kucinich, Jan Schakowsky, Albert Wynn, and William Lacy Clay. If you 
congressperson is not on this list, write to them and ask them to support 
impeachment.  You can access our automated letter writing by going here 
http://www.gp.org/action/index.shtml.

Green Party Animal Mascot . . . fate in hands of NC

The Outreach Committee is in process of naming a Green Party Animal
Mascot. 
The National Committee will be deciding in July if the Green Party should 
even have a mascot and if it approves the process then the following 11 
options which were the top choices of Greens everywhere will be offered to

narrow down the choices.
Bee -
immortality, rebirth, industry, order, purity, soul, chastity, secret 
wisdom, mother and priestesses, community.
Dolphin -
symbol for prosperity and the abundance of the earth; Kindness, play, 
savior, guide, sea power, swift, intelligence, communication, breath 
control, awareness of tone.
Dove -
universal symbol of peace and innocence, soul, transcendence, spirits of 
air, ascent, communication, freedom, sight.)
Frog -
cleansing, Peace, Emotional Healing, Connection with water element, 
sensitivity, medicine, hidden beauty, power.
Otter -
laughter, curiosity, mischievous, feminine power, grace, empathy, joy,
play, 
helpfulness.
Owl -
wisdom, truth, patience, darkness, a death messenger, divination,
solitude, 
detachment, wisdom, change, totem of clairvoyants and mystics.
Polar bear -
primal power, mother, cunning, healer, gentle strength, dreaming, 
sovereignty, intuition married with instinct, nurturing, protective
Turtle -
Self contained, creative source, Earth, informed decisions, planning, 
adaptability.
Whale -
creativity, intuition, power of water, regeneration, death, rebirth.
Wolf -
loyalty, success, perseverance, stability, thought, pathfinder, teacher, 
intuition, learning, the shadow.
NOTA -
none of the above

Beware of Water Privatization

Water is life and privatization is not in the interest of the people.
Canada 
recognizes this danger and recently passed a bill in the House of Commons
to 
exclude water from NAFTA.

Council of Canadians supports vote to exclude water from NAFTA The Council

of Canadians congratulates all members of parliament who voted to exclude 
water from the North American Free Trade Agreement on June 05, 2007.

The motion was passed in the House of Commons by a vote of 134 to 108. 
Tabled by the Standing Committee on International Trade, the motion 
recommends that the Federal government "begin talks with its American and 
Mexican counterparts to exclude water from the scope of NAFTA."

The Great Lakes Center for Public Policy is promoting a Water Bill of
Rights 
for the People of the Great Lakes Basin:

1. Water is Life.

2. Water has value. Water is more valuable than oil.

3. Water in the Great Lakes Basin is finite and in balance. Water diverted

out of the basin is gone forever, there is a net loss.

4. The waters of the Great Lakes and the groundwater of the Great Lakes 
Basin are contiguous.

5. Water belongs to the citizens, creatures and eco-systems of the Great 
Lakes Basin.

6. Water is in continuous motion. Water moves through a hydrologic cycle, 
from lakes to the air to precipitation to the land to groundwater and
runoff 
to streams and rivers, and back to lakes and seas.

7. Water of the Great Lakes Basin cannot be privately owned.

8. All public and private interests shall take note. Water needs, outside 
the Great Lakes Basin, which are created by squandering water resources or

diminishing water reservoirs or polluting water or by creating water 
dependant industry, farming and residential need, or created by growing 
populations, cannot be cited as constituting compelling need for Great
Lakes 
Basin Water diversion.

9. Anyone who diverts or takes or removes water from the Great Lakes
Basin, 
takes the property of the people of the state and other citizens of the 
Great Lakes Basin. Any diversion of the water of the Great Lakes Basin
from 
the Basin diminishes all life in the Basin.

10. Any person or corporation that pollutes or diminishes the quality of
the 
waters of the Great Lakes Basin is guilty of a trespass and destruction of

public property. Pollution or diminishment of the water constitutes a 
taking.

11. Water diversion or sale of the waters of the Great Lakes Basin for 
private profit constitutes a taking or theft from the people.

12. The elected representatives of the state have a right and a 
responsibility to protect the citizens of the Great Lakes Basin by 
protecting the waters of the Great Lakes Basin from pollution, diversion
or 
taking for profit.

For more information on Great Lakes Basin contact JoAnne Bier Beemon, 
Director Great Lakes Center for Public Policy at:
joanne_beemon at hotmail.com.

All comments, feedback and content suggestions should be sent to:
office at gp.org.

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