The many shades of green
by Kevin PhelanConvenor of the Port Adelaide Branch of the Australian Greens SA
The Australian Greens are a political party. An essential part of our activity, then, is to contest elections. As we are still a relatively small (but rapidly growing) group, elections absorb a lot of our attention and energy. In the last few years, election campaigns at all levels of government have come thick and fast. There has been plenty of activity for our members and supporters; and considerable success for the Greens in each of those elections.
For most of our members, however, this is not nearly enough. Many of our members argue that there is too much focus on elections and not enough on social and community issues – grassroots political issues – in the Greens. I agree. The Greens are more than just a political party. Nevertheless, we all chose to be in a political party, so we must do elections.
In South Australia, no elections are anticipated at Federal, State or Local level until 2010. There is an opportunity during the period until then for the Greens to return to our roots, and engage in grass roots activism through our branches.
Through grass roots activism, we will build our party; engage our members and the communities we live in; create a profile that will bring us further electoral success in 2010; and, most importantly, bring about progressive change through direct action.
With this base to build on, the SA Greens expect to win at least one Senate seat and one Legislative Council seat in 2010. A second Legislative Council seat is also winnable; while if the planets align correctly, a House of Assembly seat is not out of the question.
The decision to join a political party for many of our members came only after a long period of serious consideration. Most of our members were active in their communities, or unions, church or environment groups prior to joining the Greens; and continue to be active in these diverse groups. The wide range of influences on individual members; their personal political priorities and systems of belief are reflected in the remarkable diversity of this small group – the many shades of green.
We draw on many different traditions and sources of inspiration. Many in the Greens come from progressive left political traditions embodied in the trade union movement and other political organisations. In my professional field of occupational health and safety, an important early influence for me was the work of Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx's comrade, who wrote graphic and compelling accounts of working conditions in the factories and workhouses of late nineteenth century Industrial England.
Engels' descriptions of human bodies deformed and broken by appalling working conditions convinced me of the need to find a better way of organising our economy and our society; and of the need to fight for reasonable working conditions for all.
As a union educator, I was further inspired by the work of the Brazilian Paolo Friere, who worked with the dispossessed and illiterate populations in the slums of Rio de Janiero and Sao Paolo, not just educating; but empowering people to “name their world” – to see things as they really were, to understand the power dynamics of society and the causes of their oppression, so that they could take control of their own lives and improve their communities. His book “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” is an important source for me.
Noam Chomsky is one of the most important contemporary thinkers and a significant figure for many in the Greens. His insights into the nature of modern State Capitalism, the role of the media and the imperial nature of the United States' global agenda are touchstones for many of us.
Chomsky has pointed out that the notion of “pure, laissez faire capitalism” championed by the predominant neo-conservative political elite is anathema to the real capitalist powers – the multinational corporations. Without the direct and overt protection of modern nation states, these organisations could not thrive in a truly competitive market economy. Looking for a current example? Look no further than the electric car saga we recently witnessed here in Adelaide. If you want to understand what happened there, read Chomsky.
A group that is statistically over represented in the greens are activists from the progressive Christian churches; particularly the Uniting Church. This fact and the high profile role of Christian Green candidates at election time has proved to be most inconvenient for the likes of Family First, who preposterously claim to represent mainstream Christian ideology. Many of these Christian Green activists are extremely passionate and very active, particularly on social policy issues.
Where are the Greens to be placed then, on a political spectrum? One of the first things I read, many years ago, when I was first exploring the green movement was the rather trite statement: “The Greens are neither left or right, but way out in front”. The point being made here is that the Greens are forward looking, not driven entirely by traditional political doctrines. To suggest however, that the Greens are naïve or ignorant of historical political philosophy would be incorrect. As a group, the Greens are extremely well educated in political philosophy and ideas.
The simple answer is this: In traditional terms, the Greens are a party of the Left. An analysis of their policies confirms this; in Industrial Relations, Social Justice; Welfare; Indigenous rights and many other areas, the Greens are clearly well to the left of the ALP. Many of their policies would accurately be described as socialist, although this is not uniformly the case.
In terms of their internal organisation, a reading of the SA Greens Constitution finds many references to consensus decision making:– absolutely fundamental to Greens culture, and entirely different to other political parties. Voting only occurs rarely, and is generally seen as a sign of failure, or a poorly managed process.
The notion of affinity groups also appears in the Greens constitution, although this has been poorly understood and contentious in party debates. Structuralists in the party are very suspicious of the notion, which arose out of the anarchist leaning forest protest groups in Tasmania. Indeed, the current SA Constitution is modelled on the original Tasmanian Greens Constitution.
Decentralised power is also a feature of the Greens party structure. The implementation of this is evolving as the party grows. There is a significant amount of power vested in the electorate branches (these broadly align with the Federal Electorate boundaries); including control over pre-selection and considerable financial autonomy under the Constitution. However, in South Australia, the branches have only recently developed to a point where they are able to function effectively as organisational units – some of the rural branches are still unable to function as intended.
To facilitate growth, the State organisation has assumed many of the powers of the branches in recent years, but the wheel is turning back the other way, as the stronger branches reassert their autonomy. This is just one of many healthy dynamics in the party, that are increasingly managed with a maturity and political sophistication that is very satisfying to participate in.
These critical aspects of Green philosophy – consensus decision making, organisation through affinity and decentralised power have their roots in European Anarchist ideas; or as Chomsky has described them, “Libertarian Socialists”. Although poorly understood, even within the party, this anarchist influence, or “Anarchist Tendency”, as I prefer to call it, remains strong in the Greens, particularly in relation to internal organisation and decision making.
There are many other traditions relevant to the Greens, however. The works of Henry David Thoreau inspire some of our members. Many Greens have experienced moments of epiphany in the wilderness that have caused them to become political eco-activists. Mine occurred in the rainforests of Borneo in the early 1990's. Thoreau has written from his own experience; and of the imperative and impact of acting from conscience. In his work Civil Disobedience he wrote:
“Action from principle, the perception and performance of right, changes things and relations; it is essentially revolutionary, and does not consist wholly of anything which was.”
Once you start out on this path, nothing will ever be the same for you again. His point is an important one for us as a dynamic political movement. Our philosophy and actions do not consist wholly of anything which was – we are creating something new and unique in response to the challenges of our time. None of us know entirely what the end result will or should be. I am sure that others in the Greens share these influences.
There are of course many others. One important writer for many in the Greens is the eco-pagan activist Starhawk, who provides insight into the nature of things and how human society can draw on nature in determining appropriate action and social systems. In her book The Earth Path, she wrote:
"Freedom and creativity are perhaps, human values, but they are also aspects of a healthy natural system. A healthy system is dynamic, not static, ever changing and adapting and evolving.....Life has shown, again and again, that it is enormously creative, and alignment with that creativity is one of the marks of health.” A walk through a climax rainforest, whether in the South West of Tasmania, Borneo, the Amazon or New Guinea confirms this in ways that words can do no justice to.
Starhawk continues: “When a system is whole and healthy, when it is based on relationships of interdependence and cooperation that further resilience, diversity, abundance, sustainability, creativity and freedom, it exhibits the balance that humans call “justice”.”
In South Australia, the collapse of the Democrats has brought quite a significant number of former members of that party drifting our way on the wreckage of their shattered dreams.
(One really should not put the boot in, but it is hard to resist).
While they remain the butt of cruel jokes and cheap shots in the Greens, it should be acknowledged that many of these ex-Democrats have made excellent contributions to the Greens. Many of them have significant political experience and expertise, both through working with the Democrats and outside the political madhouse in community groups. They are attuned to the political process, are prepared to work hard on policy detail and bring a level of political know-how around issues like preferences and organising elections that is invaluable to us.
Of course, the history of the Democrats is very different to that of the Greens. They arose out of the left of the Liberal Party; in the era of Brylcreem, wide ties, lapels and flares; whereas the Greens emerged out of the forest protest movement; all dreadlocks and bushy beards.
There is a challenge then in assimilating this group into the Greens culture, but my observation is that to date there has been a great deal of good will amongst all parties and a preparedness to learn from each other whilst working towards common goals. After all, we have a lot more common ground than differences. The integration of the Democrat refugees just creates another fascinating dynamic that makes the Greens such an interesting and stimulating place to be right now.
These are just some of the ideas that have inspired me and other Greens members. Which of them is right? Who are the “true Greens”, to coin a phrase?
If you ask me, they're all right. There are so many more, all worthy of a voice, worthy of being heard, worthy of being part of the great diversity that is the Greens.
We are inspired not only by words, but by actions. Ideas and principles inform our actions – that is the point. The important thing is to take action, based on our principles. The real question is not what you believe, but what is your praxis; your social practice?
Whether it's running an election campaign, organising a quiz night, talking to your neighbours, writing to the newspaper, lying in front of a bulldozer – work out what's right for you – then take action.
Kevin Phelan has been a member of the Party since 2000; and was State Convenor from 2005 -2007. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not represent any official position of the Greens SA.
Source: Australian Options, Issue 53, Winter 2008, pp. 29-31.