Our Platform and Values!
2024 Platform
Democracy and Human Rights
To paraphrase the Declaration of Independence, Greens believe that all people are create equal, that we are endowed with certain inalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. No person should be denied rights based on race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, nor any other reason. A decentralized democracy requires that all people have the right to freely participate in the shaping of their lives and the lives of their communities. Removing rights from any group of people is a threat to the rights of all people.
Schools and Workplace
We believe that all people should have the right to a quality education, and that all people should have the right to work in a safe environment. We believe that all people should have the right to a living wage, and that all people should have the right to organize and bargain collectively. We believe that all people should have the right to a healthy environment, and that all people should have the right to a healthy work-life balance.
Environment
We believe that all people should have the right to clean air, clean water, and clean soil. We believe that all people should have the right to a healthy environment. We must develop renewable energy and in doing so we will create jobs and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
Wars and Conflicts
We oppose wars for oil and other resources. We oppose individual AND state-sponsored terrorism.
Jobs and General Welfare
Workers rights MUST be protected. Health care is a right for all, not just the wealthy. We must strengthen Social Security and Medicare to protect the livelihoods of the poor and elderly. We will return our tax code closer to the fair and progressive one we used to have; an 80% tax for the top bracket would still be lower than it was from 1940 to 1963. We will make Michigan a no-recourse state, meaning a foreclosure would settle a family's entire mortgage debt.
Our 10 Key Values
1. Grassroots Democracy
Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process.
2. Social Justice and Equal Opportunity
All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.
3. Ecological Wisdom
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society that utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.
4. Non-Violence
It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society's current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.
5. Decentralization
Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.
6. Community-Based Economics
Redesign our work structures to encourage employee ownership and workplace democracy. Develop new economic activities and institutions that will allow us to use our new technologies in ways that are humane, freeing, ecological, and accountable, and responsive to communities. Establish some form of basic economic security, open to all. Move beyond the narrow "job ethic" to new definitions of "work," jobs" and "income" that reflect the changing economic realities of the new economy.
7. Feminism and Gender Equity
We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as gender equity, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We recognize that the processes for determining our decisions and actions are just as important as achieving the outcomes we want.
8. Respect for Diversity
We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across the human spectrum. We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We encourage respect for all life forms, and increased attention to the preservation of biodiversity.
9. Personal and Global Responsibility
We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.
10. Future Focus and Sustainability
Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or "unmaking" all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions.