Daniel COHN BENDIT, Co-President of the Greens/E.F.A. Group in the European Parliament

Ich bin dafür. Ich find’s nicht gefährlich. Aber ich weiß, dass die Parteien immer dagegen sind….Nein, das kann keine Gefahr werden, weil wir nicht Millionen Mitglieder werden. Wir sind schon Mitglieder von unseren Parteien auf der nationalen Ebene, und wir fühlen, dass es ganz schwierig wird, einen europäischen Geist zu bilden, wenn wir nur auf auf der nationalen Ebene Mitglieder sind, also ich würde gerne mitmachen.

Alfonso PECORARO SCANIO, Presidente Federazione dei Verdi italiani:

Gli italiani sono favorevoli all’adesione individuale. Da sempre, la Federazione dei Verdi ritiene non solo possibile, ma utile eventualmente con la doppia adesione –cioè ognuno aderisce al partito nazionale, e può aderire o no al partito europeo. E poi un congresso europeo che possa essere eletto sulla base degli iscritti individuali, con distretti non nazionali. Quindi avere i delegati eletti nella Lapponia come quelli eletti della Sicilia o dal Peloponneso.

G.Sch: Non avete paura di un aumento del tasso di conflittualità?

No, il problema è che tu devi rompere l’ingranaggio, perché se fai le adesioni individuali, e poi le delegazioni, i nomi, su base nazionale e statale, è uguale. Dovresti fare adesione individuale e distretti che siano, detto così, regionali(possono anche essere Nord, Centro e Sud), ossia non strettamente statali, in modo che tu pouoi avere una maggiore rappresentatività.

G.Sch: ..e questo lo praticherete anche in Italia?

No, noi siamo favorevoli, ma questo non possiamo deciderlo da soli. Dobbiamo convincere i Verdi europei. Ci sono partiti europei che non vengono dalla cultura federale italiana. Ai Verdi italiani, essendo nati come federazione di liste locali, è più facile spiegare che tu puoi avere un partito europeo fatto di lapponi e dai siciliani , dai corsi e -che ne so- dagli scozzesi. Però altri partiti hanno una cultura, una tradizione più partitica, e più statale, e quindi chiaramente in Europa alcuni hanno una maggiore perplessità.

Reinhard BÜTIKOFER, Ko-Bundesvorsitzender der deutschen Grünen:

Ich bin jetzt seit 1999 bei jedem Kongress und bei jedem Council Meeting der europäischen Grünen gewesen, und ich glaube, ich war von den Parteichefs der erste, der dieser europäischen Grünen-Partei so viel Bedeutung gegeben hat. Das bringt vielleicht meine Haltung zum Ausdruck. In dieser Zeit war mein Eindruck: Die europäischen Grünen sind viel wichtiger geworden. Am Anfang war das ein regelmäßiges Familientreffen mit’n bisschen Politik an Rande. Inzwischen isses viel weiter gegangen, und die bilateralen Beziehungen zwischen einzelnen Grünen Parteien, die durch die europäischen Zusammenarbeit angeregt worden ist, ist sehr gewachsen. Ganz praktisch: Zwischen den Schweden und den Deutschen, z.B. zu dieser Ostsee-Pipeline, aktuelles Beispiel. Und ich glaube auch, dass die europäischen Grünen an Gewicht zulegen, sieht man daran, wer heute ihre Sprecher sind: früher waren das z.T. Leute aus der 2. Oder 3.Reihe der nationalen Parteien. Mit Ulrike Lunacek und Philippe Lambert sind das jetzt Leute aus der ersten Reihe, die auch ein persönliches Gewicht haben. Das alles spricht dafür, dass diese europäischen Grünen eine positive Entwicklung nehmen. Ich habe jetzt genau sieben Jahre dafür gearbeitet.

We do not see the demographic development as a coming fight between the generations. The European Network of Green Seniors does not share this negative view. Instead we see here an opportunity to work positively together with all age groups for a common future where we can share our experience with the enthusiasm of youth.

There needs to be a change of outlook which breaks stereotypes of the older people which see them either as a poor and dependent group in society or as selfishly hanging on to their wealth and property. In fact our needs are as diverse as any other in society. As we age we intend to continue to participate actively in that society for the common good as long as we are able.

In addition, as the population continues to age, older citizens will have to take on more responsibility. Older people are a hidden resource having a wealth of experience, knowledge and skills which needs to be discovered and acknowledged.

Politicians should place their trust in the capability of senior citizens and welcome their participation in setting and implementing the policy agenda.

As Greens many of us can look back to the beginnings of our movement. Some of us were founding members.

For us the question is not so much what the Green movement can do for senior citizens, but more what we can do for the Green movement since we can be generous with our experience, time, energy and creativity.

From our perspective we can see that the Green movement in the social and ecological policies is not a temporary one. We know that if mankind wants to survive, it needs an everlasting Green movement.

The Green movement is neither regional nor national. It is both international and world-wide. While other parties can limit their activities to a particular region or nation, ecologists in the end cannot. For ecologists international activities are essential. ENGS seeks to base its actions on Green policies in Europe and the EGP manifesto seeking solutions to the changed demographics of the continent with more and more old people.

 

In order to achieve the above we set out below points in our manifesto which range on the one hand from direct life-experiences to bringing these into the Green policy arena. By doing this we seek to contribute to the Green aims of solidarity, peace, sustainability, fair trade and the prevention of climate change.

 

1. No Discrimination in the Job Market

ENGS rejects discrimination against older employees in the job market through such practices as enforced early retirement and the refusal to retrain or upgrade. No profession should routinely enforce early retirement irrespective of the health or ability of the employee. Also we demand job training possibilities for older employees.

 

2. Passing on Experience       – Lifelong Learning

ENGS wishes the knowledge and experience of the older people to be integrated into society as a whole and into the workplace.

Many older people have gained strategic thinking and acting and social competence in a long professional life what young people still have to learn. On the other hand the older people need IT support and training. In this case most times younger people are better.

That the reason why we seek the right to life-long learning, the right to the exchange of knowledge and to mentoring especially between older and younger people private and in the working places.

The need for IT support and training should not be an excuse for disregarding or undervaluing the many abilities of the older worker.

In this way we would create new chances for our society through common activities of older and younger people.

Other disadvantaged groups like income weak people, migrants and handicapped should be supported much more than till know.

(These include the ability to think and act strategically).

(In the same way, other disadvantged groups like migrants and the handicapped should be similarly supported.)

 

3. The Right to Personal and Social Development

All generations and all members of society should have the right to personal and social development. This enables a well educated person (in the society) to live in liberty and with self-determination.

A stable and attractive democratic society values diversity whether it be by age, by ethnic origin, by urban or rural life-styles. There should be equality of access to the means to achieve this diversity. Neither poverty nor age should be a barrier. True awareness should enable people to understand their place in the whole ecosystem. In order to achieve this mutual respect, acknowledgement of the integrity of the other should be fostered. Intercultural and sensuous talent can be developed in the age, too.

 

4.Voluntary Work

We young seniors do not want to be cost and load factor after the working time, but we want to use our given time for the people in the society in a meaningful way.

Senior citizens who are involved in voluntary work seek through their actions at an acceptable level the concepts of work’ and ‘leisure’. They seek to use the given time for the good of all.

Such voluntary work should be well organised by the policy and town hall to facilitate it with agencies who organise this process.

That does not mean to overtake normal jobs, sack the employees and replace them with voluntary workers without paying.

 

5. Old Age Pensions

We exert ourselves for a sufficient old-age lifestyle for everyone and to find ways out of poverty related to aging. To discuss is the basic income scheme.

 

6. New living forms at the age

We, seniors of ENGS, want to spend our life as long as possible in our own flat or house. We do not want to live in ghettos for the older people which may create greater dependency, nor in the fragmented society this division by age produces. If we need to be cared for, we seek the possibility to a diversity of models under which it may be provided. Different living forms also for older people are: living in a more generation house, in a normal neighbour hood or in a people sharing flat.

 

7. Against an Increasing Liberalisation of Social Service

ENGS demands clear regulations for social services as basic care in Europe. We reject the definition of such services as ‘goods’ to be traded in the free market economy. Instead we demand their legal protection as public services. It has to be guaranteed that social services and health service, which concern the citizen, specially the old people, can be kept as basic care in the future. Neither health care nor social services should be means tested not limited by residency rights.

 

8. Assistance for Elderly Immigrants

The welfare benefits system should be available to the heterogeneous group of immigrants in such a manner as they may readily access them according to their cultural norms. We support an intercultural opening and modernization of the old migrants assistance. In order to achieve this, those operating the system should seek the relevant information directly from these groups and their representatives.

 

9. Rights to Health Care. Dying with Dignity

A healthy and responsible way of life may help promote good health. The elderly should have access to good quality health care from a variety of providers including professionals, volunteers and relatives. For those who wish it, terminal care should be provided at home or in a hospice with palliative medicine.

 

10. Mobility

Public transport should be made accessible and safe specially for the older people, that it is not to cumbersome to take the train, tram or bus. There should be concessionary fares for those on low incomes.

 

11. A new Alliance between Young and Old

In the future with the demographic change in whole Europe, the older people will have to contribute more to the economy and to society. There needs to be co-operation between the young and the old. While the young may fear unemployment, the older people may fear poverty as they age. That is the reason to have a new generation pact. The older people want to carry out the best for the solution of these tasks and want to strengthen and receive the co-operation of the generations.

 

12. Seniors of ENGS want to be active in all political fields which concern their personal life

 

13. Conclusions

The seniors of the ENGS interfere in all political issues that concern our society:

We engage ourselves for a sustainable future of Europe, by not letting consumption become the only content of our lives and thereby proving that by practising non-consumption  we can enable a better future for the people in the poorer nations.

If there is already a globalization, we want to develop it socially and ecologically and demand a meaningful growth  for the economy.

Instead of the profitabilty thinking with its discrimination value scale of human resources we want to stress the ethical aspects of human life, which has its own purpose. The sense of life is not work as such, the sense of life is life itself.

Green national and supranational activities are necessary, because we need an effective counterbalance to the existing multinational , economic and financial structures and organizations, which are succesfully active in our globalized world and do not have any problems with other languages, religions, mentalities, national identities or national attitudes.

Because energy should be available to everyone, we demand that the control and delivery of energy remain in public service which under no circumstances may become a victim of liberalization.

Services such as public transport, mail delivery, telephones and health care are social services.We engage ourselves that these also remain public services and are not privatized.

Natural catastrophes as well as social and other disasters and calamities have international dimensions. The reaction of the world is often an immediate overwhelming act of solidarity. However, what this globalized world really needs are not spontaneous international solidarity campaigns, but effective and sustainable solidarity structures. The Greens not only have to support NGOs as Greenpeace and Amnesty International as well the UN, the European Union and Unicef, but they must also create something new. Beside the European network an international network of Green Seniors should be founded.

In order to save life on earth the competition cannot be one between the traditional political parties, but one between science, industry and technology on one side and the ecologists on the other. If science cannot find a solution, there can only be the solutions of the Green Movement which mean living in another way, creating another economy or considering other terms for the prosperity of families and nations ( terms for the use of values and not terms for the exchange of values ).

If science does not offer alternatives, the world will be forced to live differently. This can lead to violent conflicts because the lack of water and other resources. The ecologists, who are always warning that such conflicts may occur, must defend the cohesion in international democracy and thereby avoid wars and violence in the best possible way.

All these points are the reason why we must strenghten the Green Movement on an international level. Therefore ENGS needs politically motivated people , who are willing to help achieve these aims.