Collaborative Proposal Creation
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Proposal text
The GPC unequivocally condemns Russia's illegal destabilization, invasion, and on-going occupation of Ukraine.
The GPC supports all reasonable means, including providing protective weapons to Ukraine, to end Russia’s illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory recognized by the 1991 Declaration of Independence of Ukraine.
Type of Proposal
Public policy that the party would represent
Objective / Benefit
This policy proposal is designed to update previous Green Party policy with regards to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. It is a proposal that will better reflect the reality of the situation since the illegal and unprovoked mass invasion of Ukraine by the Russian state in February 2022, in line with public statements by sitting Members of Parliament since that time.
Furthermore this proposal brings the Green Party in line with the will of the democratically elected institutions of Ukraine, Canada’s international partners, and Ukrainians in general to pressure the Russian state to vacate all sovereign Ukrainian territory lost since 2014.
If your proposal replaces an existing policy or policies, which one does it replace?
G14-P062 Ukrainian - Russian Conflict
List any supporting evidence for your proposal
Elizabeth May, MP, calling for seizure of Russian oligarch's BC home: https://www.albernivalleynews.com/news/elizabeth-may-calls-for-seizure-of-b-c-property-used-by-harry-and-meghan/
Elizabeth May, MP, address to the House of Commons: https://elizabethmaymp.ca/elizabeth-may-responds-to-president-zelenskyys-address-to-the-canadian-parliament/
Ukraine's stance on 1991 borders: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-president-says-1991-borders-must-be-recognised-adviser-2022-03-17/
Global Greens stand in solidarity with the people in Ukraine against the Russian war of aggression: https://globalgreens.org/gg_resolution/emergency-resolution-ecocide-in-the-kakhovka-region-global-greens-stand-in-undivided-solidarity-with-the-people-in-ukraine-against-the-russian-war-of-aggression/
European Greens R14: https://europeangreens.eu/sites/europeangreens.eu/files/R14%20European%20Greens%20continue%20to%20stand%20in%20undivided%20solidarity%20with%20Ukraine_2.pdf
Budapest Memorandum of 1994, where the Russian Federation, United Kingdom, and United States of America agreed to safeguard the sovereignty of several nations established borders at the time, including Ukraine (Page 169, Section 1): https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%203007/Part/volume-3007-I-52241.pdf
Does this proposal affect any particular group and what efforts have been made to consult with the group or groups?
N/A
Jurisdiction: Is this proposal under federal jurisdiction?
Yes
Please indicate the language the proposal is being submitted in.
English
This proposal has been accepted because:
This policy was amended at the 19th GM to:
BE IT RESOLVED that the GPC unequivocally condemns Russia's illegal destabilization, invasion, and on-going occupation of Ukraine.
BE IT FURTHER REVOLVED that the GPC supports all reasonable means to end Russia’s illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory recognized by the 1991 Declaration of Independence of Ukraine.
This amended version was adopted with 85% voted in favour of adopting this motion at the 19th General Meeting
95.2% voted in favor of adopting this motion in the post-General Meeting Ratification Vote. This motion is now official GPC policy and will be added to the Membership Approved Policy - Green Book.
Amendments (1)
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Created at
25/02/2024 -
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Conversation with Gordon McDowell
I support this resolution. It is practical.
GPC's "We declare our commitment to non-violence" ...
https://www.greenparty.ca/en/green-values/non-violence
...includes the following...
"This requires:"
"a global security system capable of the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts"
...we don't have a global security system capable of preventing Russia from invading neighbour countries.
So let's help Ukraine defend itself against the aggressor.
In other words, let's promote non-violence by escalating an existentially dangerous war.
I disagree Carolyn. The claims that Putin's goal is a return to the Soviet expansion has been debunked over & over again. This idea is main stream media propagenda. Sadly the USA's goals of endless wars has turned Ukraine into a meat-grinder. So many lives lost just to please Biden's blood thirst and to keep the US military complex rolling in dough while EU is slipping into economic crash & Canada's inflation keeps rising. Why do the Greens even need to have an opinion on this other than stating that we will only support talks leading to peace. No arms. No money. Period. By the way things are going Ukraine will be totally destroyed due to the USA's arrogance.
Dimitri, I value your use of specific language. Should we in Canadian Greens be supporting non-violence or human rights? My Ukrainian guest student refugee is supporting the Palestinians, and also fears for the life of her mother and grandmother in Lviv. Helping Ukraine be the bulwark against the return of the Soviet expansion, as some have claimed is Putin’s goal, means many countries need to send armaments. But that means that Ukraine will be in endless destruction for many months with not a good chance to come out as a democratic sovereign country without help from other countries. On the surface, this looks like the US is just using Ukraine to prop up its “strongest power” image, while the citizens of the US find their taxes going to continued wars. What voice should Canadian Greens be using in the media?
A practical interpretation of non-violence is to try use other options when possible.
Russia/Putin is well shielded from sanctions and pariah-dom. Russia can continue to launder hydrocarbons...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2023/04/18/these-five-countries-are-laundering-russian-oil-study-says-and-selling-it-to-the-west/
The price elasticity of demand for commodities allows Putin to (partially) recoup volume losses by increase in price.
I do appreciate your framing the dispute as "an existentially dangerous war". It is. I'm terrified. But that doesn't make it the wrong choice to air Ukraine with weapons. The alternative is more dangerous, more terrifying. A pre-WW2-like rewarding of aggression and ignoring sovereignty of a neighbour.
I'm sure you are aware of my own proposal, "Withdraw Opposition to Nuclear Power".
Energy abundance would strengthen the world's ability to sanction Russian hydrocarbons, so they could have a greater impact. Undemocratic nations everywhere are given undue influence because we've allowed the world to become so dependent on their export. In this case, we have a low-carbon alternative which can fill many of the needs met by hydrocarbons.
I say this as someone who's not opposed to solar and wind and storage R&D and deployment. I don't think any low carbon tech should be blanket-banned by GPC.
That is something 100% non-violent GPC could do now. Stop impeding low-carbon alternatives to Russia's export.
But I do support Kyle's motion. If it can't pass because GPC's policy is non-violence, then next cycle I'll need to consider putting forward a motion to reconsider "non-violence" and maybe that will be a more fruitful discussion. We'll have more info on how Ukraine plays out to consider by then.
My view exactly, thank you Gordon!
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