The Youth Caucus Steering Committee has unanimously endorsed a proposed amendment to the GPUS platform that rejects capitalism in favor of more sustainable, just, and democratic economic models, and also calls on all Young Greens to lobby their state’s National Committee members to vote to pass the amendment.

March 8, 2016

Exploitation of humans and the environment for the accumulation of wealth is literally setting the planet on fire. But it doesn’t have to be this way!

That’s why the Steering Committee of the Youth Caucus unanimously endorses the amendment changing the Green Party of the United States platform to explicitly reject capitalism and to assert our aspiration for a democratic economic system that is organized to meet human needs.  As the amendment reads, some call this decentralized system “ecological socialism,” “communalism,” or the “cooperative commonwealth.”

The new platform plank is clear yet nonspecific because the future is ours to create. Young Greens must be on the forefront of our party and in our communities for the systemic change that is necessary to create the just, peaceful, sustainable, and democratic future we want. We must be unapologetic in asserting that capitalism is a system based on exploitation and wealth accumulation that, in addition to creating tremendous wealth concentration and poverty, has brought us the climate crisis that threatens life on earth.

We aren’t going to change the system overnight but we need to advocate for policies and projects that will bring political and economic decision making where it belongs, with the people. That’s what socialism and economic democracy are about: giving all of us a say in how our lives and society are run.

We need your help in the coming weeks. The amendment will be coming to a vote before the Green Party National Committee later this month. Please contact your National Committee delegates and ask them to vote YES on the ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY platform amendment (also known as the North Carolina Amendment). If you do not know who your delegates are and how to contact your delegates, please email [email protected] for assistance.

We also welcome and appeal for your help in writing, researching, and compiling resources to help Greens, young and old, to advocate for economic democracy wherever we are.

#WeAreYoungGreens—we will continue to educate and fight for an economically just and democratic, Green future within the party, on our campuses, and in our workplaces nationwide, online, in the streets, and at the ballot box.

Signed,

Christopher Cariad, Co-chair
Asher Platts, Co-chair
Ursula Rozum, Co-chair
Robert Smith, Co-chair
Joshua Steele Kelly, Treasurer
WIlliam Gunger, Secretary
Michael Trudeau, Delegate to the National Committee
Mike Dennis, Alternate Delegate to the National Committee

Youth Caucus Steering Committee
Green Party of the United States