[GPRI] Northern Irish Greens decline Bush invite for St. Patrick's Day (fwd)

[Richard Walton]

Hi, RI Greens:  An interesting message from our Tony Affigne. Irish Greens
refused an invitation to the White House citing
Green opposition to the war in Iraq.  Thank you, Tony.  Peace. Richard.

In <p06240800c220dc644c5c@[10.0.1.199]>, on 03/16/07 
   at 08:20 PM, Tony Affigne <affigne at greens.org> said:



>Green colleagues:

>I'm very happy to see this statement from John Barry and Peter Doran!
>It's another example of the strong and improving relationship we've
>nurtured with the Green parties in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Many
>U.S. Greens have been part of this effort over recent years.

>In fact, I'm reminded by this press release that Green diplomacy is
>reaching maturity in many areas of the world, and International Committee
>members have been important participants in that Green community,
>building relationships, organizing exchanges, and representing U.S.
>Greens whenever we have the opportunity. Our delegates to the Global
>Green Coordination, Global Green Network, and Federation of Green Parties
>of the Americas; our volunteer emissaries to Green meetings in Europe,
>Asia, and Latin America; and IC members who planned international events
>for the 2000 and 2004 conventions, have been the backbone of these
>efforts.

>You might recall that some months ago the Irish Greens (in the Republic)
>asked how we would feel about an invitation for Al Gore to speak at a
>Green assembly in Dublin. Several IC members prepared an extensive
>informal report, detailing Gore's anti-Green approach to politics before,
>during and after the 2000 election. The invitation was never proffered.

>Since then the Northern Ireland party has formally affiliated/merged with
>the Irish Greens (Comhaontas Glas) who, you may recall, sent
>representatives to our 2004 convention in Milwaukee, one of whom, Dan
>Boyle, is both a member of the Irish Dail (Parliament) and a U.S. citizen
>-- he was born in Chicago.

>More recently, in December I visited John Barry in Belfast, spoke to
>students and faculty at Queens University, and met informally with Green
>elected officials from Dublin and Northern Ireland. Right now, Barry is a
>visiting professor at Carleton College in Minnesota, where he's teaching
>Green political theory. When I saw him last week at an academic
>conference, he offered to help U.S. Greens any way he can during his stay
>in the U.S., between now and the end of June.

>If your state party would be willing to host a two-way teleconference,
>and can arrange the local technology, John would love to hear from you.
>He's a great speaker, with an international reputation in Green theory,
>and long experience with European and Irish Green politics. As you saw in
>his press release, carbon usage is an issue, so he's looking for
>alternative ways to speak with U.S. Greens, that don't involve travel.

>Interested? Please contact John at this address:

>  jbarry at carleton.edu

>Many thanks to all of you, for the work you do and the international
>spirit you bring to Green political growth here in the U.S.!

>For a Green future,

>Tony Affigne
>Green Party of Rhode Island


>At 6:14 AM -0700 3/16/07, Scott McLarty wrote:
>>PRESS RELEASE: GREENS DECLINE ST PATRICKS DAY
>>INVITATION TO THE WHITEHOUSE, CITING WAR IN IRAQ
>>AND CLIMATE CHANGE
>>
>>THURSDAY 15 MARCH
>>
>>The Green Party has declined an invitation to
>>join President Bush's Whitehouse celebrations on
>>St Patrick's Day. The Party is citing its
>>opposition to the war in Iraq and the need for
>>political leadership in the battle to protect the
>>climate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as
>>their reason for the decision.
>>
>>In a brief statement on behalf of the Party
>>Executive, Dr John Barry & Dr Peter Doran said:
>>"Green Party colleagues in the US and across the
>>world have been consistent in their opposition to
>>President Bush's illegal war in Iraq. Moreover,
>>if the Green Party is to be true to its
>>commitment to combat climate change, we must walk
>>the talk. The Party has decided that a two-way
>>trip across the Atlantic to celebrate St
>>Patrick's Day in the Whitehouse is not a
>>compelling reason, morally or practically, for
>>emitting half a tonne of CO2."
>>
>>Citing the lack of leadership shown by the Bush
>>Adminstration on climate change Dr. Barry
>>explained: "Our decision to decline this
>>invitation should not be read as a criticism of
>>the American people, but of the Bush
>>Adminstration.  Despite the Bush adminstration's
>>lack of commitment to tackling climate change,
>>there are many positive signs of grassroots
>>leadership on the issue in the United States - in
>>California, for example. Dozens of Mayors
>>representing some 25 million Americans  have
>>signed up to an initiative to get American cities
>>to meet the US's Kyoto environmental target which
>>George Bush repudiated: cutting greenhouse gas
>>emissions by 7% by 2010."
>>
>>The  Green Party Executive thanked the American
>>administration for the invitation but declined.
>>
>>ENDS
>>
>>More from:
>>
>>Peter F Doran
>>Green Party
>>Media and Communications
>>Belfast, Northern Ireland
>>Home Tel. No. +2890874256
>>Mobile Tel. 07845355064
>>http://www.greens-in.org/download/14
>>
>>Dr. John Barry
>>Co-Chair, Green Party in Northern Ireland
>>http://www.greens-in.org
>>johnj_barry at yahoo.co.uk
>>m: (0044) 07876597900
>>h: (0044) 02891 477937

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	"The only way out of our crisis (terrorism) is to reduce the anger of the
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	"When they come for the innocent without crossing over
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-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Richard Walton" <richard at soup.org>
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