The Green Party of the United States is considering whether to reaffiliate with the Federation of Green Parties of the Americas and the Global Greens after formally withdrawing from the Americas federation several years earlier.
The proposal, introduced by the party’s International Committee, is currently being discussed by delegates of the Green National Committee. Before it can advance to a vote, participation from two-thirds of active and accredited state affiliate parties and identity caucuses is needed for quorum. Passage would then require a simple majority vote of the National Committee.
If adopted, the proposal would direct the International Committee to apply on the U.S. party’s behalf for affiliation with the Federation of Green Parties of the Americas, also known as the Federación de Partidos Verdes de las Américas or FPVA. It would also instruct the committee to apply for full membership in the Global Greens once the GPUS is reaffiliated with the Americas federation, which functions as one of the major regional federations within the global organization.
On its website, the Global Greens calls itself a worldwide organization consisting of more than 100 Green parties, along with elected officials, foundations, think tanks, and individuals associated with the Green movement that are working toward environmental and social justice goals. It was established in 2001. As of this article, the organization’s membership page briefly discusses eligibility but does not provide a list of specific member parties and groups.
The GPUS originally voted in May 2022 to withdraw from the FPVA. That proposal passed 56-37, with six abstentions, and followed concerns over what the International Committee at the time called “a fraught relationship” with the federation. The 2022 proposal criticized several FPVA member parties as having “a right wing orientation” on certain issues, including LGBTQ+ rights and the death penalty, and said the Green Party had been downgraded to observer status and stripped of voting privileges shortly before a federation leadership election.
“During the vote there was an even split in Brazil’s delegates,” the original proposal read. “Despite Brazil’s deadlock the executive council recorded their vote in favor of revoking our full membership status. Brazil’s vote was the deciding vote against GPUS and fraudulent. At this time our FPVA delegates unanimously favor leaving the FPVA with the support of several former delegates.”
Alongside authorizing the International Committee to seek membership, the current proposal would also rescind the Green National Committee’s October 2019 decision to pursue affiliation with the São Paulo Forum, a coalition of left-wing parties in the Americas seeking alternatives to neoliberalism.
The earlier proposal to associate with the forum, which passed 77-1 with three abstentions, was put forward by the International Committee in response to what it said at the time was too narrow a focus by the Global Green movement on ecology issues. The committee similarly expressed concern with some member organizations that it said had taken right-wing positions on other issues, arguing that the U.S. party should instead seek relationships with groups more consistent with its four pillars of peace, ecological wisdom, social justice, and grassroots democracy.
However, the proposal before delegates now states that, even after seven years, the U.S. party’s affiliation with the São Paulo Forum “has still not occurred in practice.” If adopted, the proposal would remove references to the forum from the International Committee’s rules while otherwise modernizing the language. It would also synchronize elections for International Committee delegates and alternates to the FPVA and Global Green Congresses.
The proposal lists annual membership costs of $1,000 for Global Greens and $200 for the FPVA. It also acknowledges that travel and accommodation costs for international meetings would be budgeted year to year, with the International Committee specifying it would prefer the Green Party to cover those expenses so that any member elected as a delegate could afford to represent the party.
The discussion phase on the current proposal will end July 6.
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