Green SW Euro candidate, Dr Richard Lawson, a Somerset GP has succeeded in getting a significant human rights policy adopted by a world gathering of Green Parties - I am delighted as I was among those who helped try and push this policy forward some years ago and have been highlighting it's potential benefits ever since - it is now getting increasing acceptance as a just way to tackle human rights.....you can also follow a link below to Richard's blog of the conference and why Greens have the only political philosophy in a working state in 2008.....Anyhow Dr Lawson is in Sao Paolo, Brazil and is this countries delegate for a four day Congress of 80 green parties from all continents. Despite their diversity, the “Global Greens” succeeded in drawing up a document addressing the most serious problems faced by the peoples of the world.
Delegated by the Green Party of England and Wales, Dr Lawson promoted the uniquely Green policy of an “Index of Human Rights in the UN”, which aims to reduce human rights abuses such as torture and repression on a constant and world wide basis. It will work by converting existing human rights country reports into a ranked Index, so that the position of any country can be seen at a glance, rather than by having to do detailed research. It will be of use not only to politicians and journalists but also to families planning their foreign holidays.
The idea arose from the Observer Index of Human Rights published by that newspaper in the mid 1990s, and Richard Lawson has been pursuing it over the last 5 years, introducing it to the Green Party in England and Wales, the European Green Party and now the Global Greens. It has also been adopted by the UK United Nations Association and several other Non Governmental Organisations. The Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth office has expressed interest in at least one aspect of the proposal.
Richard is quoted saying: “The Congress was an uplifting experience, with some 6-700 delegates from some 80 countries demonstrating extraordinary unity and commons purpose, although it was often sobering as speakers showed evidence of the grave impacts that global warming is having on their lives and environment right now. I am delighted that the Index has been adopted by the Global Greens, because now the campaign to get it adopted by the United Nations itself, which may take many years, can start in earnest.”
See more from the conference from Richard Lawson's blog over the last few days:
http://www.greenerblog.blogspot.com/
Here is one post where he writes on Green political philosophy being the only political philosophy in a working state in 2008: "Marx is dead, and neo-conservative hyper-individualism is signalling its existence in the form of a very loud death rattle. Fascism itself died in 1946, although it won’t lie down. The diametrically opposed philosophies of socialism and individualism were anthropocentric constructions, basing their thinking on Man (sic) in the abstract, socialists viewing humans collectively, individualists viewing humans …well, individually Both leave Nature out of the ideological equation – and does it not just show? Green thought begins with ecology, viewing human beings as interwoven with the natural system that gives us life and being. Which means that we found our ideas on a good logical base. Starting point is (nearly) everything in logic. All we have to do now is to derive things like marmalade and buttered toast from our philosophical starting point. And not fall out with each other...Actually, I am impressed at conferences of the European Green Party at the unity that is displayed, in spite of the fact that each party inevitably displays the concerns and prejudices of its motherland..."
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