By Sue Pennicuik and Bob Hale:

‘Fair Share’ was the theme of the second Asia Pacific Greens Network Congress (APGN), hosted by the Green Party Taiwan and Taiwan Friends of the Global Greens, that we attended on the weekend of 30 April – 2 May.

It was a huge effort for the small group of Taiwanese Greens to organise an international conference on such a scale. Brilliantly run on a shoestring by 200 young volunteers, there were 110 people from 24 countries in attendance from the Asia-Pacific Region, Europe and North America, along with 80 Taiwanese delegates.

It was exciting to witness the rich diversity of emergent Greens in the region, ranging from long-established and influential parties in Australia and New Zealand to the talent-rich green parties of Taiwan or Japan; dynamic local based Green Parties such as in the Philippines and India, or energetic youth oriented green movements such as in Nepal. The APGN has 18 groups from 12 countries with Full or Associate Membership, and another 4 groups that are Friends of the APGN. It was also fantastic to find out that Mongolia has a Green MP and that two people from Japan are also elected at regional level as Green independents.

The Congress was opened by a traditional song and dance by the indigenous Taiwanese Bunun Performance Group from Kalibu (Wang-Hsiang Village) as delegates were welcomed to the three-day event.

On the first day, there were two streams:

1) The formal APGN meeting to adopt decision-making rules for the Congress, and debate the two Australian Greens proposals: new Rules to transform it into an effective organisation and a new Five Year Strategic Plan to strengthen the APGN and support Green parties and movements in the region.

2) Open Space Technology workshops, with the agenda determined by participants, and topics such as electoral systems and campaigning; Tibet the third pole; a moratorium on the death penalty in Asia; land use management as a tool for poverty alleviation and sustainability; how to encourage young Greens clubs; and fighting for the rights of queers in every country.

Day two covered climate change. The opening discussion was led by Senator Bob Brown. Key speakers were Apisai Ielemia, Prime Minister of Tuvalu, a country already seriously impacted by climate change, and environmental activist and author Dr Vandana Shiva.

Day three continued the formal stream. Delegates adopted the amended Rules and Five Year Strategic plan; elected an 8 person Co-ordinating Committee to implement it; elected 3 members to represent the APGN on the Global Greens; adopted the Fair Share declaration (calling for a fair share for all, including the other species with whom we share this planet, and for the addressing of systemic disadvantages caused by injustices of past generations); and adopted 17 resolutions (including the Taipei accord on climate change and biodiversity, an Asia-Pacific peace day and the establishment of an Antarctic whale sanctuary).

There was a huge effort on the ground from the Australian delegation, especially Margaret Blakers, Miriam Solomon and Anna Reynolds, who were the Australian advisors on the Congress Organising Committee, Elliot Gingold, who drafted the Rules, Bob Muntz, who assisted Miriam to draft the Strategic Plan, and the Global Issues Group, which finalised the two Australian Greens proposals. Margaret Colls assisted with travel arrangements for funded overseas delegates.

Much funding came from generous donations by Australian Greens members. We should be proud of our commitment to and support for the APGN and of the Taiwanese Greens in making the Congress a success.

Guest writers Sue Pennicuik and Bob Hale attended the APGN Congress and are active in the Australian Greens movement.

Tags: APGN, australia pacific greens network, Bob Brown, Greens, japan greens, taiwan 2010, taiwanese greens