Greens have a distinctive political ideology, which stands alongside others such as socialism, capitalism, liberalism, etc. Ours is historically placed, new and still being written, and was the fastest-growing, worldwide movement in the second half of the 20th Century. It is scientifically supportable, not just a romantic utopian vision, and is relevant to all classes, all ideologies, and all nations of the world. The Green Party calls for a complete restructuring of social, cultural, and political life. We believe that if there is to be a future, it will have to be Green.

The Green movement grew out of the environmental movement and recognizes that-like our environment-all issues are interrelated. We recognize that our continuing existence depends on peace, social justice and political and economic democracy. We are against the two-party system and are tired of the lesser of two evils we often have to choose from. We are attracting the sixty percent which does not vote and will provide a genuine alternative choice.

Greens believe in decentralization-the local, bottom-up approach. Campaigns will be managed by a cooperative of locals, not a political machine. We support values, not financiers or personalities. The key words in Green politics are community, sustainability, reform, equality, conservation, local focus, economic justice, direct democracy, self-determination and consensus decision-making.

Consensus has been used by groups in America for over 70 years and was adopted by Greens from anti-nuclear activists and the peace community. It is a method of including everyone's views and getting the entire group to form a decision and then fully support it. It fosters partnership and cooperation, rather than parliamentary manipulation or power politics. Every person shares in the meeting facilitation and other roles. With consensus, the process is as important as the results. It is slower, but it spreads ownership and is truly grassroots empowerment.

The Green movement began in New Zealand, Australia, and West Germany in the late 1970s, and the Green Party won 27 seats in the German parliament (through proportional representation) in 1983. It was based on four philosophical pillars: grassroots democracy, ecological wisdom, social justice, and nonviolence. The Greens felt these concepts were fundamental to creating a healthier, sustainable alternative to the social and ecological crises of our times. The movement spread to North America, where decentralization of government, the economy and decision-making was added to Green principles to increase citizen participation and democracy. Community activist green "locals" began sprouting across the U.S., and in 1984 the Committees of Correspondence was founded and drafted the Ten Key Values.

In Arizona, groups formed in the Phoenix and Tucson areas; and, in Tempe, a nationally distributed Green periodical, Green Action News, was printed from 1983 to 1990. In Tucson, the "Verdistas" sponsored conferences on various topics and began a radio collective with a weekly show on Tucson's community station called, A View from Slightly Off-Center. There were also green organizations in Flagstaff and the Verde Valley. In 1990, activists determined that positive community action must include electoral politics. Organization began for the formation of the Arizona Green Party, consisting of county groups from around the state. A petition drive was coordinated by Maricopa Greens to gather 14,000 signatures of registered voters, the required percentage of total votes cast in the preceding election for Governor. In May of 1992, the party attained official status. To remain as a new political party, it is required that 5% of the vote for Governor or President be received in the next election, or that a certain number of voters be registered in the party by November of the following year. We did not meet either requirement.

Following the election of Bill Clinton and Al Gore in 1992, the growing party lost many active members. A common reason was that "everything will be alright now." State and county meetings were sporadic after 1993, with ebbs and flows in activity. In 1996, with the late and lukewarm announcement by Ralph Nader that he would run for President, the Pima Greens started a petition campaign to get Nader on the ballot as an official Independent write-in candidate. The time constraints and legal restrictions on gathering signatures contributed to the failure of this effort. Still, he had many write-in votes and there was a successful court challenge to change petitioning requirements.

When Nader announced his candidacy for 2000, Pima Greens took the lead in getting the Arizona Green Party on the ballot for the second time. It was hoped that Nader would receive 5% of the vote to keep the party on the ballot, but as you know, it was only 3% and ballot status expired in November, 2001. This does not affect Green voter registration, however, which is currently around 6,000 members statewide. What is does mean is that, due to Arizona's open primary, Greens will be able to join Independents and other third party members in choosing which primary they would like to participate in this September.

Following the November election of 2002, Greens plan to begin circulating petitions for official ballot status again. The number of signatures required will be 2/3 of 1% of the total number of votes for Governor this fall. The party will then be able to run a candidate for President and other offices in 2004, and the goal is to register at least 10,000 more Greens by November of 2005 in order to maintain permanent status.

We have assessed our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and established priorities for the near- and long-term. Party building is the main focus in 2002 to increase our active membership and to register more Green voters for future activities in the electoral arena.

People come to the Greens because our key values and principles resonate with what they care about. They want to see issues of concern to average citizens being discussed and addressed. The Green movement is rooted in the American experience, envisioning true democracy. It is the coming together of people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives who want to create a better society. Your help is needed as we work to heal our system and our planet.

"Green politics has proven so compelling because it is the politics of waking up from the apathy of being uneasy witnesses, waking up to the possibilities of survival for the biosphere and the Great Family of beings, waking up to creating the kind of world we wish to pass on to future generations. What is evolving from Green efforts in this country and around the world is an earth-based politics of wisdom and compassion."