Remove 2004 Sudan statement from website
Saturday July 28, @12:36PM, by John Andrews, Steve Baer, Larry Ely, Dave England, Eva Kerr, Mel King, Merelice, Luc Schuster, Jill Stein, Jeff Turner, Nancy Lee Wood, Elie Yarden, Betts Zisk
Subject : Remove Sudan statement until it has been updated, revised, or supplemented by a statement that reflects greater agreement within the party.
from the Statecom and other party members dept.
Summary :
GRP Non-Consensus on Sudan/Dafur:
The signatories of this statement are asking the GRP Administrative Committee to acknowledge the lack of Party consensus regarding the Party’s current Sudan statement (approved in 2004) and recent statements made on behalf of the GRP based in part on that policy. Given this lack of consensus, we request that the statement be withdrawn from the GRP website pending review, further discussion, and broad agreement.

While we acknowledge the truth of much that is in the current statement, we are uncomfortable with a tone that appears indifferent to the humanitarian crisis. And while the statement is rightfully critical of the US actions in Sudan, we reject its unquestioning endorsement of the Sudanese government. As one GRP state committee member put it, “One could easily read the GRP statement and wrongly think that we are denying that atrocities are taking place or that the Government of Sudan and its armies and militias have no part in that…. Why do we have a statement that would appear to express support for a government instead of compassion for the people of the region?” There is also significant disagreement within the Party at this time about whether economic sanctions are or are not a reasonable tool for bringing pressure to bear to stop the killing in Darfur.

We do not doubt the good intentions of the advocates for the current position. But we feel there are significant problems with the current position statement, and important controversies that need to be resolved before the Party can back a statement on Sudan/Darfur. In addition, we hope that a final statement on Sudan will be more affirmative of Green-Rainbow key values.

To illustrate a different approach to the current crisis in Darfur, we follow this statement with an alternative resolution that some State Com members brought to the last meeting (and which has been further revised). This statement focuses on the current humanitarian crisis, and invokes our engaged, collective humanity as a critical tool in conflict resolution. It purposefully leaves the issues of exploitation and imperialism in US policy towards Africa to a separate dedicated policy statement, to be based on a revision of the current 2004 GRP statement on Sudan.

We look forward to further dialogue, resolution of current internal disagreements, and development of a consensus statement on Sudan and the crisis in Darfur.


Text :
Remove the 2004 Sudan statement from the GRP website until it has been updated, revised, or supplemented by a statement that reflects greater agreement within the party. We ask that the current and proposed statements (see below) be considered and promptly attended to by AdCom. Any statement that AdCom then decides to post shall be brought back to StateCom or the State Convention for final ratification.


DRAFT for consideration:

GRP Supports Urgent Humanitarian Relief for Sudan/Darfur

The Green-Rainbow Party deplores the violence, atrocities, and suffering in Sudan, and supports urgent intensive humanitarian and diplomatic efforts to address this crisis. We urge nonviolent action to stop the killing of the civilian population, to provide relief to populations at risk, to motivate the Sudanese government to protect all of its citizens, and to influence the rebels to seek their goals without the force of arms.

Toward that end we urge intensive outreach to bring the full conscience of the human community to bear on solving this human tragedy. Specifically, we support diplomatic outreach to the government of Sudan and the rebel forces from all levels of the international community - from the highest levels of the U.S. Congress and the United Nations, European Union, African Union, and Arab League, to the nonprofit and religious communities, and local political parties in Sudan. Outreach should also be extended to Sudan's neighbors, especially Chad, Eritrea and Egypt.

In addition, we call for a boycott of arms sales and shipments to all parties in the conflict in Sudan.

If the Sudanese government does not show sincere efforts to provide for the care and safety for all, we would then support the call for divestiture. While the economic sanctions and further divestments are a blunt tool, they can be as effective as they were in South Africa. In contrast, we know that military action fails. Therefore, any economic boycotts must include a strong statement of non-military intervention.

Without a strong internal initiative by the government and the rebels to end the violence, efforts to provide humanitarian aid will be thwarted and suffering will continue.

We look to the Sudanese government and to rebel groups to cooperate in efforts to end the violence immediately, to safeguard all civilians, to protect workers trying to offer humanitarian aid, and to protect African Union Forces trying to safeguard the civilian population. To accomplish this, the government in particular needs to be more even-handed in its actions, identify roadblocks and challenges to peace, define supportive roles (actions and non-actions) for African neighbors and members of the world community, negotiate internally, and commit to steps that only it can take.


SudanNoConsensusProposal.doc 50KB (51712 bytes)

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