Imagine the New City
Imagine the new City
report 9th Heerlen seminar, 5-7 November Amsterdam
When meeting in the Dutch capital one cannot help wondering how the notorious Dutch tolerance towards cultural diversity could give way to nationalist populism. Rather than answering that question, the international Green audience defined diversity as a fact of life and a necessary condition for democracy. And formulated plenty of proposals for its revaluation. Such as
Stop the Diversity Industry
If you want people to value cultural diversity, you need to fight the inequalities that often go with it. And rather than setting up a ‘diversity industry’, as social democracy tends to do, you need to involve all cultures in shaping society -read report.
Outwit Wilders
If Greens don’t want national populists to kill values like diversity and international solidarity, they shouldn’t leave addressing people’s fears of losing long-time certainties to them. And they should play the masses and the media at least as cleverly – read report.
Farm your City
Did you ever think of carrots and tomatoes as solutions to urban problems? Since Michelle Obama started to grow them in the White House garden, you’d better do. Because when grown on boardwalks, roofs and derelict sites by locals, they are, according to urban farming addicts, great for bringing people together and empowering vulnerable groups – read report.
Free Schools of Values
Whereas nationalists try to push them over the border, migrants already make up the majority of our city schools. There is only one way to make them profit from the education offered, the headmaster of an Antwerp catholic school knows from personal experience: stop imposing values and make your school a place for exchange - read report.
Give Europeans a Voice
Involving all cultures in shaping society isn’t only a must on the local level, since History has condemned her nations to a common future, Europe needs it as well. Politicians, however, still stick to tnational strongholds. Grassroots Greens have three proposals to speed things up:
1. Give us a Platform to discuss, exchange and act across borders – read report.
2. Give us a Voice in the EGP council so we can put the results of our deliberations and actions at the disposal of all – read report.
3. Give EU Citizens a voice. The European Citizens Initiative (ECI) which will soon come into force, can only become an important first step to an EU of citizens if the European institutions start listening to hugely supported claims like equal rights for the disabled and a ban on GMO crops – read report.
Follow-up
The annual meeting is not just a moment to meet like-minded and to warn the world for the last time. Most above-mentioned issues will be followed up through Network participation in existing initiatives: populism currently is a GEF-project, the ECI has the special attention of Green MEP Gerald Häfner; or new Network projects, like European Democracy, or Health – a separate issue of which you’ll find the summary below.
Health as a Main Ecological Challenge
A sound Green policy puts health at its core and, acknowledging it is fundamental for people’s well-being, lays claims on sectors as varied as employment, education, or chemical industry. It uses short-term actions, like the successful campaigns against Bisphenol-A and Aspartame in France, and long-term strategies, such as a paradigm change in public awareness, much tougher European laws, and a totally different basis for the funding of public health – read report
