The Environmental Party advocates real change when it comes to the way we socialize our citizens, structure our institutions, and relate to the planet and its people. If a nation and its people prepare for violence, they will inevitably create a violent world. But if we instead prepare for peace, we believe we can smoothly transition into it.
Foreign Policy
The Environmental Party supports democracy and self-determination worldwide and we promote the abolishment of economic and political colonialism. Instead of preemptively attacking other regions that endangers foreign diplomatic relations, we need to have the compassion to help other countries out. International business practices have taken advantage of countries lax environmental and safety standards and a needy labor force that is easily exploited. The continuing establishment of bases and stationing of service personnel overseas heightens global tensions and tends to make the U.S. military a global police force.
Therefore, we have some possible solutions that are in alignment with promoting world peace and diplomacy:
- US corporations need to uphold foreign business practices that don’t jeopardize workers, damage their environment or interfere with their government.
- Negotiate a General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) that promotes the economic development and self-sufficiency of recipient countries, rather than profitability for the G-8 countries.
- Review our government’s aid practices by emphasizing appropriate projects, technologies, and funds consistent with countries’ real needs.
- Encourage U.S. cities to develop municipal foreign trade policies centering around local trade agreements, “sister city” arrangements and cultural exchange programs.
- Support and endorse United Nations conventions and use it for its original purpose of promoting world peace and conflict resolution.
- Close all of our 800 overseas military bases that we have spent $150 billion to maintain according to a 2016 estimate and bring our troops home.
- Discontinue military foreign aid because we believe all foreign aid should be based on the improvement of democracy and general living standards and/or to reduce overall suffering in the recipient country and not on war and suffering.
Demilitarization And Exploration Of Space
Along with being a huge advocate for combating climate change and restoring the beauty of our planet, we recognize the great potential of the peaceful exploration of space provides such as space-based systems to monitor environmental conditions on Earth, the many advances in space technology that benefit all people on Earth, and the education provided to children by space exploration can inspire them to pursue STEM careers. We greatly oppose the militarization of space and any form of aggression that stems from that. We advocate a reduction of human-staffed space flight due to the high cost and risk for human life and the availability of automated technology that can perform necessary functions in space-based research.
Disarmament
Disarmament is a necessary step in promoting world peace. To date, we have conducted over 1,054 nuclear weapons tests. In addition, the US alone currently has around 6,800 nukes and is able to destroy the whole planet five times over! The continuing propensity for war, and the huge international arms market, has resulted in increased global conflicts. These are caused by the collapse of nation states to where they cannot provide for the basic needs of their citizens. The resulting emigration of desperate people to other countries causes ethnic, social and religious conflicts, as well as strain on the resources of those neighbors. All of this perpetuates a general instability that easily leads to armed conflict. We advocate disarmament by the following means:
- Make a realistic assessment of our national defense needs and halt the international exchange of nuclear technologies and materials.
- Immediately ban international arms sales, and enact a unilateral reduction in our current armaments stockpiles.
- Set up a multi-level international peace-keeping force consisting of citizen groups as well as the UN Initiate international cooperation in the resolution of conflicts to prevent them from escalating into warfare.
- Escalate talks with Russia to account for, and eliminate, their stockpiles of weapons and call on the world community to assist in alternative job programs for weapons designers so they aren’t tempted to sell weapons material.
- Put our efforts into preventing conflicts and promoting stability by joining the rest of the world in signing, ratifying and enforcing the various international agreements that address these issues.
- Achieve nuclear abolition by enforcing the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty.
- Encourage local communities and governments to establish legally binding nuclear-free zones.
- Stop the production of nuclear material for all uses except those that are known to be essential to prolong and save human lives directly, for example, irradiating cancers.