September 3: Brazilian Green Minister receives award in Miami

Brazilian Green Party member Gilberto Gil arrived in Miami to receive the 2003 Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Person Of The Year.

Gil, 60, was one of the creators of the Tropicália movement in Brazil in the '60s and '70s, along with artists including Caetano Veloso and Gal Costa. He fused traditional Brazilian genres such as samba and bossa nova with rock as well as folk music, is recognized as a pioneer in world music and has sold millions of CDs and records worldwide.

In December 2002, Gil was named Brazil's Minister of Culture by then President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Partido dos Trabalhadores.) This followed years of Gil combining a political role and being an artist.

In the late 1960s, Tropicália solidified Gil's importance to Brazilian culture when the radically innovative music movement, which had political and social undercurrents, proved too revolutionary for the country’s military dictatorship. Perceived a threat. Gil and Veloso were placed in solitary confinement and eventually fled to England. After three years there, Gil returned to Brazil in 1972.

Since then, Gil has become active in many environmental and social projects. In the late 1970s, he was a prominent spokesman for the black consciousness movement then taking place in Brazil. In 1988 he was elected to the City Council in his hometown of Salvador. Then in 1989 he joined the Brazilian Green Party Partido Verde.

In 1990 Gil also founded the Fundação Ondazul, one of Brazil's main non-governmental organizations (NGOs), dealing with water, water quality and associated ecosystems. Gil was its chair from 1990 until 2003. Between 1998 and 2000, his vice-chair was Brazilian Green co-founder Alfredo Sirkis.



September 3: California Green gubernatorial candidate makes headlines, receives praise in historic recall election

California Green candidate for Governor, Peter Miguel Camejo, appears in the state’s first ever recall election debate, which was also televised statewide. Camejo would ultimately appear in five statewide televised debates – one also televised nationally on C-SPAN.

Overall Camejo received unprecedented coverage for a Green statewide candidate, even in the face of an “Arnold all the time” media frenzy. When Camejo’s inclusion in the last two televised debates was in question because of a dispute over the criteria for participation, over 20,000 people sent in emails and faxes demanding he be allowed to participate

Camejo’s campaign emphasized the Greens as a serious alternative. His performance increased party’s credibility and garnered high praise across political lines. According to a California Field Poll, upwards of 2 million Californians gave Camejo's candidacy positive marks by the end of the campaign.

Camejo focused on what he called a “fair tax” to address California’s structural economic deficit. Arguing that the poorest fifth of California's families spent 11% of their income on state taxes in 2002, while the wealthiest one percent paid only 7.2%, Camejo concluded that if the wealthiest 5% simply paid the same proportion of their income as the poorest 20%, there would be a substantial budget surplus.

That surplus, he added, if further enhanced by an increase in the corporate tax rate, could allow for innovative strategies to stimulate the economy, like investing to convert California to solar energy.

Camejo’s campaign also offered the Greens a rare chance to aggressively promote Instant Run-Off Voting and Proportional Representation to a wider audience; an opportunity Camejo adeptly took advantage of in his debate appearances.

He also spoke strongly about how undocumented immigrants add to the California economy. From his closing remarks, final debate:

"In this campaign, I have argued for understanding the reality of what exists in California. Immigrants have been invited here outside of the legal process by offering them jobs that nobody else would take. And in fact when a person comes here, the employer says, "Do you have any relatives?"

"The families have been here as part of our community, but they're treated like the untouchables in India. Until recently they didn't have the right to a driver's license so they could drive to work or take their children to school. They're here to provide for their family. We should welcome them into our community rather than use them as a scapegoat."

"It is very peculiar in our society that we call these people illegal. We use this word on them, but absolutely no one, not even Tom McClintock, will say arrest them. That would be destruction for California's economy. Let's change their situation. Immigration is a separate issue. We're talking about the undocumented that are here."



September 8: Greensweek is Born

A new on-line national Green Party bulletin premiered on this day - Greensweek. The brainchild of D.C. Statehood Green and national Green Media Committee co-chair, Scott McClarty, Greensweek provides weekly installments about the latest in Green Party newand events, as well as suggested actions and ‘good reads’.

Since its inception, Greensweek has provided a ready communication vehicle to potential voters across the nation. Heling the Green Party define itself, it frees the party being dependent upon the vagaries of the media. Greensweek draws its content from the work of the Media Committee and other Greens nationwide. In the few short months from its inception til the end of 2003, its circulation grew to almost 700.



September 11: Ballot Fees on Green Candidates Struck Down By Court

A federal court ruled in favor of Green candidates John Stith and Thomas Linzey in their court challenge against Pennsylvania's fees for candidates to get on the state ballot going back to Sitth and Linzey's November 2000 candidacies.

The 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals called the fees unconstitutional, declaring that wealth shouldn't be a factor in whether a person can run for public office.



September 12-14: Greens Descend Upon W.T.O. Summit in Cancún

Greens from more than fifteen countries celebrated with grassroots activists from around the world, as they witnessed the historic collapse of the WTO talks in Cancún. Developing nations rejected U.S. demands to open their economies to privatization of water, subsidized agricultural exports, and other schemes to drain resources, create poverty and dependence, and repeal eco and human rights protections.

Representing U.S. Greens in Cancün were Annie Goeke, co-chair of the U.S. Green International Committee, and committee member Jim Polk (VA).

" The influence of Greens around the world, especially the Greens/EFA group, in cooperation with global justice movements and developing countries, helped bring these negotiations to a halt," said Goeke. "We were pleased to see the Kenyan delegation stand up to intense pressure from the U.S. and European Union, in part thanks to Kenyan Green Party member Wangari Maathai, who serves as her country's Assistant Minister of Environment.

Green Parliamentarians from several countries participated Iiside and outside the official proceedings, including Germany’s Green Agricultural Minister Renate Kunast and U.K. Green MEP Caroline Lucas, who had a lot to say and documented it in her report 'Time to Replace Globalization.'

Said Czech Green Petr Lebeda, another international Green in attendance, “the Cancún experience highlights the role Greens all over the world can play in bridging the interests of the global civil society and the developing countries and the responsibility Greens have in bringing these interests into the political mainstream."



September 12-14: Labor Greens Network Alive and Growing

The Labor Greens Network is alive and growing after holding its second meeting ever, during the biannual Labor Notes conference in Dearborn, Michigan.

The conference drew Greens from 20 states and the Labor Greens Network endorsed the boycott of Tyson products and decided to apply to the Green Party of the United States for recognition as a Network with status similar to the Green Officeholders Network (see February 21st).

Two network conveners were also chosen John Peck (WI) and Michael-David Sasson (CA). Peck has been active in the struggle to support Tyson workers. Sasson is a shop steward and Vice President of CUE (Coalition of University Employees) Local 3. CUE is an independent union that represents clerical staff, cashiers, childcare workers and police dispatchers at the University of California (Berkeley).



September 15: Jersey Goes Green in 2003

By the end of the September filing deadline, New Jersey Greens had a state record 51 candidates in 2003, after having run 62 candidates in total from 1997 to 2002.

In the November 7th elections, 39 Green State Senate and State Assembly candidates received approximately 5% of the cumulative vote in New Jersey’s multi-seat districts. This doubled the party’s support compared to similar races in 2001.

Ten Central New Jersey candidates for State Assembly, State Senate and Mayor are pictured to the right:

(back row) George DeCarlo, Earl Gray, Mark Heacock, Matt Ahearn, Elizabeth Arnone, Charles Woodrow and (front row) Josephine Giaimo, Jane Hunter, Steven Syrek, Ryan Reyes.



September 22: Medea Benjamin debates Richard Pearle on PBS about Iraq

In a rare opportunity for the U.S. peace movement to make its case on national television, former California Green U.S. Senate candidate Medea Benjamin debated defense analyst Richard Perle on PBS’s The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

Benjamin opposed the $87 billion proposed that day by the Bush Administration for Iraq and Afghanistan. Perle, who serves on the Defense Policy Board (which advises the Secretary of Defense), and was Assistant Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan, spoke in favor of the request.

Having just returned from one of several trips to Iraq during the U.S. occupation, Benjamin said “U.S. Administrator Paul Bremer doesn't have an idea what he's doing. Iraq is a disaster, people don't have electricity, water, garbage collection, sewage collection, jobs. They're angry, they're bitter. They say the United States money is not getting down to the people, it's going to Halliburton, it's going to Bechtel. We should not approve this $87 billion. Instead there should be immediate transition over to the United Nations and as soon as possible to Iraqi self rule.”

A founding member of Global Exchange, Benjamin also reminded that money spent on occupation could be better spent at home “Many Americans feel there's a much better use of $87 billion to put into our schools, our health care system, our public transportation system, instead of spending it to put our boys and girls in harm's way in Iraq, a country where they don't want to be and a country where the Iraqis don't want us.” (for streaming audio of this interview, click here.)



September 23: Gonzalez calls for Charter Amendment to allow Non-Citizens to Vote in School Board Elections

Matt Gonzalez, Green president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Mayoral candidate, asked the City Attorney to draft a charter amendment that would allow non-citizens with children in SF schools to vote in school board elections.

According to Gonzalez , non-citizen parents of SF school children have no direct voice in electing the School Board, even though they pay taxes and are bound by the same laws as citizens. By early May 2004 the Charter Amendment was drafted and ready for introduction, in time for November 2004 elections.



September 30: D.C. Statehood Greens Call for Local Budget Autonomy

DC Statehood Greens helped lead a major demonstration against a proposed $90 million cut from already funding-starved D.C. public schools. Statehood Greens blasted Mayor Anthony Williams' plan to take over the school board and Congress's threat (awaiting a Senate vote) to force school vouchers on DC, with the Mayor's support.

The next day, Greens joined a ”B.A.D. Day in the District” demonstration (B.A.D = Budget Autonomy for the District) outside GOP national headquarters, demanding that Congress relinquish control over D.C.'s budget and grant D.C. full legislative autonomy. Statehood Greens David Barrows, Jill Blankespoor, Adam Eidinger and Zoe Mitchell were among seven activists arrested for civil disobedience after occupying House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert’s (R-Ill.) office.




October 14: Mississippi Green Gubernatorial Candidate Crashes Debate

Sherman Lee Dillon -- the first ever Green Party candidate in Mississippi -- was forcibly ushered off the stage when he tried to participate in a gubernatorial debate. Sponsored by WABG-TV and The Delta Business Journal, the debate was to only major party candidates.

Dillon leapt onto the stage from his seat in the audience as the debate unfolded and spoke from behind the moderator's table, saying "I deserve to be heard!." Many cheered as he introduced himself, but Dillon was forcibly removed by security. When four of his supporters spoke on his behalf, crying “Let Sherman debate”, they were forcibly removed as well.

Just a few weeks earlier on September 23rd, Dillon joined the Reform and Constitution party candidates to file suit in U.S. District Court in Jackson, declaring their Constitutional rights were being violated under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, because they were being excluded from debates being held on public property, including at Mississippi State and Delta State Universities.

In the complaint, they cited the fact that in the August 2003 Republican and Democratic primaries, only about 600,000 people voted. This left over 1.2 million Mississippi voters unrepresented. Therefore they argued, they should have equal footing with the Republican and Democratic nominees, so voters could be familiar with all five candidates in the race.

Dillon and the other co-plaintiffs also argued that the defendants were misusing public properties and non-tax privileges to discriminate against the third-party candidates, who are taxpaying citizens. Among the defendants was the eventual gubernatorial winner Republican Haley Barbour, as well Mississippi State University President Charles Lee, Delta State President John Hilpert, and even the League of Women Voters, which sponsored at least one of the debates.