10 Key Values

Four Pillars and Ten Key Values

The international Green Party movement is guided by the “Four Pillars”: Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice, Grassroots Democracy, and Nonviolence. Greens in the United States add six more — Decentralization, Community-Based Economics, Feminism, Respect for Diversity, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Future Focus/Sustainability — to form the “Ten Key Values”.

Ecological Wisdom

A healthy society cannot exist without a healthy environment-all things are interconnected and interdependent. Both nature and humanity are worthy of respect and freedom from exploitation.

Social Justice

Greens want to replace the worldwide system of poverty and injustice with a world free of all oppression based on class, gender, race, citizenship, age, or sexual orientation.

Grassroots Democracy

Greens believe in direct participation by all people in the environmental, political, and economic decisions that affect their lives. In practice, Greens make decisions by voluntary consensus whenever possible.

Nonviolence

Greens promote nonviolent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and guide our actions toward lasting community and global peace.

Decentralization

Greens support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system.

Community-Based Economics

Greens seek an economics based upon the natural limits of the Earth which meets the basic needs of everyone on the planet. We value people over profits, when the two conflict.

Feminism

Greens acknowledge the importance of both men and women and their unique capacities. Both sexes are critical to creating a healthy, sustainable society. We actively promote cooperation and participation to further our goals.

Respect for Diversity

Greens believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines.

Personal and Global Responsibility

Greens demonstrate a commitment to global sustainability and international justice through political solidarity and in personal lifestyles of self-sufficiency. We believe in the slogan “Think globally, act locally.”

Future Focus/Sustainability

We must counter-balance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that development, technology, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations.