Draft GPUS Platform Amendment Non-Violence Chapter All

INTRODUCTION TO NON-VIOLENCE CHAPTER

Human rights are a key element in crisis and conflict prevention. They are the core of a modern security and peace policy. After all, today’s human rights violations are tomorrow’s wars. Security policy must always be human rights policy as well. In combating violent conflicts, the EU must ensure that human rights violations do not occur, in order to prevent a new spiral of conflict and violence from ensuing.

The U.S. should mainstream human rights in all its external policies, including trade. It should act with greater resolve at international level to promote full compliance with international human rights standards. It should work for the ‘humanization’ of the law of nations, whereby human rights take precedence over the sovereignty of states and the international community is better equipped to respond to serious violations of human rights. Continuing support for the International Criminal Court is an exemplary part of this endeavour.

A. UNITED STATES

OUR POSITION: Greens support domestic peace making as well as global disarmament. Our government does not have the right to justify pre-emptive invasion of another country on the grounds that the other country harbors, trains, equips and funds a terrorist cell.

GREEN SOLUTIONS

DOMESTIC PEACE

1. Greens support the abolition of the death penalty in the United States and all other countries.

2. One sentence on gun control. This is the current platform statement on gun control. Needs major revision. 24. Thoughtful, carefully considered gun control 2.laws such as the “Brady Bill” and the waiting period for record search before gun dealers may sell a gun should be supported.

3. Maximize restrictions on police use of weapons and restraining techniques such as pepper spray, stun belts, and choke holds.

4. We must create new opportunities for citizens to serve their communities through non-military community service. Alternative community service to the military should be encouraged.

ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS

1. Declare a no-first-strike policy.

2. Declare a no-pre-emptive strike policy.

3. Declare that the U.S. will never threaten or use a nuclear weapon, regardless of size, on a non-nuclear nation.

8. End the research, testing and stockpiling of all nuclear weapons of any size.

9. Dismantle all nuclear warheads from their missiles.

DISARMAMENT

1. Sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Our pledge to end testing will open the way for non-nuclear states to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which has been held up by our refusal to sign the CTBT. Honor the conditions set in the NPT for nuclear nations.

2. Reverse our withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and honor its stipulations.

3. We urge our government to sign the Toronto treaty banning the production, stockpiling, use and sale of land mines, and assist other nations in unearthing and disabling land mines buried in their lands.

4. We urge our government to end all stockpiling of chemical and biological weapons and all research, use, and sale of such weapons; and sign the convention that will establish the decrease and inspection of all nations’ stockpiles of such weapons, which the U.S. abandoned.

REDUCE THE DEFENSE BUDGET

13. Our defense budget has increased out of all proportion to any military threat to the United States, and to our domestic social, economic and environmental needs. The United States government must reduce our defense budget to half of its current size. The 2005 defense budget is estimated at around $425 billion, and that does not take into account military expenditures not placed under the defense budget.

14. Phase out all U.S. foreign military bases not specifically functioning under a U.N. resolution to keep peace and bring home our troops stationed abroad, except for the military assigned to protect a U.S. embassy.

15. Close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, formerly known as the School of the Americas, in Ft. Benning, Georgia.

16. The U.S. is the largest arms seller and dealer in the world. We urge our government to prohibit all arms sales to foreign nations and likewise prohibit grants to impoverished and undemocratic nations unless the money is targeted on domestic, non-military needs. In addition, grants to other nations may not be used to release their own funds for military purposes.

17. The U.S. must not be a conduit for defense contractors to market their products abroad and must shift our export market from arms to peaceful technology, industrial and agricultural products, and education.

18. The U.S. must prohibit all covert actions used to influence, de-stabilize or usurp the governments of other nations, and likewise prohibit the assassination of, or assistance in any form for the assassination of, foreign government officials.

B. AFRICA

First draft of text being drafted by Annie Garrison, a SF Green

C. THE AMERICAS

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D. ASIA PACIFIC

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E. EUROPE

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F. MIDDLE EAST

END U.S. MILITARY AID TO HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSERS

Greens support a change in U.S. foreign policy that promotes non-violence and grassroots democracy.

U.S. military aid to countries in the Middle East must be based on rigorous enforcement of the Arms Export Control and Foreign Assistance Acts, which mandate that military aid may be used for only defensive purposes within the recipient country's borders, and that aid may not be delivered to countries that abuse human rights.

We support an end to U.S. military aid to Israel until the occupation ends. U.S. military aid allows Israel to avoid making serious efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israeli conflicts with other countries in the region. U.S. military aid also enables the occupation, contributes to the devastation of Palestinian society and fosters the increasing militarization of Israeli society.

We support an end to U.S. military aid to other human rights abusers and occupiers in the Middle East. This aid helps prop up autocratic and repressive regimes, promotes violations of human rights and international law, obstructs democratic movements, prolongs the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and fosters militarism and violence at home and abroad.

FOR PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI PEACE

Israelis and Palestinians have the right to security, sovereignty, and self-determination within political entities of their own choosing.

Israel must end its occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, completely withdraw from these Occupied Territories and relinquish all its settlements, military outposts and by-pass roads.

Jerusalem has to be shared in a manner that reflects its spiritual, economic, and political importance to both Israelis and Palestinians, as well as to all Jews, Muslims and Christians.

The plight of Palestinian refugees needs to be resolved equitably and in a manner that promotes peace and is consistent with international law. Within the framework of an equitable agreement, the refugees should have a role in determining their future, whether pursuing return, resettlement, or financial compensation. Israel should recognize its share of responsibility for the ongoing refugee crisis and for its resolution.

The parties must equitably distribute water and other natural resources.

Diplomatic negotiations between the two parties must be held unconditionally. Countries other than the U.S. should be involved in peace negotiations. An international peacekeeping force should be established to protect all civilians.

HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL

All people of the Middle East deserve the right to democratic participation and equality within their societies, regardless of religion, ethnicity, culture, national origin, language, race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or other status.

Israel must cease its use of military force against Palestinian civilians, including attacks involving American-supplied F-16s and Apache helicopters. Moreover, Israel must stop land seizures; destruction of homes, infrastructure, orchards and farms; arbitrary arrests and imprisonment; torture; assassinations; expulsions; curfews; travel restrictions; abuse at checkpoints; raids; collective punishment; and other violations of human rights.

Palestinians must stop suicide bombings and other attacks on Israeli civilians.

The international community must support Palestinian efforts to promote democracy and human rights, while understanding that this aim cannot be fully achieved under occupation.

Racism and bigotry cannot be tolerated, whether in the U.S. or abroad, whether against Arabs or against Jews.

G. UNITED NATIONS

The U.S. government pledged to abide by the United Nations Charter and international law. We urge our government to sign the International Criminal Court agreement and respect the authority of that institution.

Our government is obliged to take our disputes with other nations or foreign bodies to the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly forum for negotiation and resolution. We seek the permanent repeal of the veto power enjoyed by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

Greens support the right of the U.N. to intervene in a nation-state engaged in genocidal acts or in its persistent violation and denial of the human rights of an ethnic or religious group within its boundaries, and the right to protect the victims of such acts. The U.S. is obligated to render military assistance or service under U.N. command to enforce a U.N. Security Council resolutions.

H. SPACE

Greens believe that space should be used for peaceful -- not military -- purposes. The Green Party recognizes the need for the inspiration and education that the peaceful exploration of Space provides; the need for space-based systems to monitor environmental conditions on Earth; the many advances in space technology that benefit all people on Earth; and the inspiration provided to children by Space exploration can prompt them to pursue math, science, and other important courses of study. We oppose the continued militarization of Space.