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Asia Pacific Greens

The Asia Pacific Greens Network (APGN) is a federation of national Green parties, social and environmental organizations from countries across Asia and Oceania for cultivating green policies and implementing the Global Greens Charter.  

The APGN organizaiton operates through the:

  • Congress - The general assembly meeting.
  • Coordination Committee (APGNCC) – the governing body managing APGN's affairs.  The current APGNCC members are: Keli Yen, Suresh Nautiyal, Anna Reynolds, Rikiya Adachi, June Gyeon Lee, Peter Davis, Robin Winkler and Kalpana Ambepitiya.
  • Global Greens - where through three seats on the Global Greens Coordination (GCC), the APGN contributes to managing the Global Greens' development.  The current APGN Full-representatives to the Global Greens are Keli Yen (Taiwan Green Party), Margaret Blakers (Australian Greens), Liaquat Ali Shaikh (Pakistan Green Party).
  • Committees – focused on APGN organizational matters.
  • Action Groups - regionally based campaign groups.
  • Forum – an email list for communication among the APGN Community.
  • Young Greens Network (APYGN) - run by and for young Greens to mobilize their activisms on Green policies.

 

Chronology:

2002: Asia Pacific Green Politics Workshop: Brisbane, Australia:  

In May 2002, 30 people representing 12 Green parties and political movements in Asia and the Pacific met for the first Asia Pacific Green Politics Workshop in Brisbane, hosted by the Australian Greens.  A big contingent came to the Global Greens conference in April 2001, and some to the European Greens meeting in Berlin in 2002.  At each step, there was discussion of the need to formalise and strengthen the Asia Pacific Greens Network with a follow-up conference.  

2005: 1st APGN Congress: Kyoto, Japan:  

The APGN is formally launched at the 1st APGN Congress in Kyoto, Japan, hosted by the Rainbow and Greens Japan with the theme "Sowing Green Seeds in the Asia Pacific Region".  The conference was attended by over 400 participants, including 52 delegates representing 27 Green parties and organisations based in 23 countries across the region.  An interim structure for the network was established offering basic organization for the continued cultivation of Green policies and practices in the Asia Pacific.  Key congress outcomes include:

  • Simple operational rules, a membership panel and membership accreditation mechanism.
  • Affirmation of commitment to the Global Greens Charter and work towards its implementation.
  • Formal membership to the Global Greens Coordination to actively participate in the Global Greens' organizational and political activities.
  • Establishment of an APGN online forum to facilitate information exchange and networking between APGN members.  

The 1st APGN Congress was enormously successful – in these three days new relationships were forged, we exchanged stories, shared ideas, and engaged in collective analysis and problem-solving.  From the rich diversity of histories and particular circumstances we were overwhelmingly united by our common commitment to the Global Greens Charter, and expressed unanimous support for 11 resolutions on a diverse range of topics covering, for example:

  • climate change through large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and use of renewable energy, 
  • joint appeals for peace and security through non-violent means,
  • human rights and participaotory democracy underpinned by the core principle of mutual understanding through dialogue and networking.
  • a proposal to form the Asia Pacific Young Greens Network.
Full reports on the Kyoto meeting can be found here. 

2008: APGN at the 1st Global Greens Congress: São Paulo, Brazil

The 2005 1st APGN Congress in Kyoto adopted simple rules, including a set of basic criteria for membership and a Membership Panel to consider applications from Parties and Groups seeking membership status. However, it was not until the lead-up to GG08, the Global Greens Congress in 2008 in São Paulo, Brazil, that a significant number of membership applications were received. No doubt this resurgence of interest was driven by the need to be a member of a federation in order to have voting rights at São Paulo. During this time nine Parties and Groups from six different countries were granted full membership status, with others given “Associate Membership” or “Friends of the APGN” status as a result of either incomplete applications, or the organisation not meeting the membership criteria.

The 2008 Global Greens Congress in São Paulo, proved to be a significant milestone in the development of the APGN.  A large number of participants from the Asia Pacific region attended the Congress, including groups of more than 10 participants from Australia, Japan, Pakistan and Taiwan and smaller numbers from a range of other countries. Participants from the region contributed significantly to the proceedings of the full Congress and also took part in a number of APGN meetings held during the Congress. In particular, two very successful APGN workshops were held (with about 100 participants) at which very positive discussions took place on the building of the network. In addition, the Membership Panel met on a number of occasions during the Congress.

Among the outcomes of these sessions was the adoption of mechanisms for consolidating the structure for the APGN itself. As a result two email lists were created to support ongoing discussion. The Delegates group served Full Members only, 3 delegates per country. An APGN forum, served as a discussion space for the general APGN community.

2010: 2nd APGN Congress: Taipei, Taiwan.  

Over 200 people attended, including representation from 17 Asia Pacific countries, 22 organisations from 15 countries who were undergoing the process of applying for APGN Membership.  There were also many individuals and organisations attending from sympathetic political parties, community groups, governments or businesses – these people were interested to learn more about Green Parties in the region and the issues being discussed during the three day Congress; and over eighty young Taiwanese assisting the Congress in every possible way as volunteers.  Specifically, attendees to the congress originated from Taiwan, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Tuvalu, Tibet, the Federated States of Micronesia and Fiji; and a number of observers from Greens Parties in Egypt, Germany, France, UK, Switzerland, and the USA.

The Congress provided an opportunity for people interested in the growth of green policies and reform to discuss how to build a new generation of green decision-makers in the region and how to develop the influence to promote reform.

The goals of the APGN gathering were:

  • To lay groundwork for the growth of vibrant Green parties and elected decision-makers in the region.
  • To empower Green parties and groups through meeting and exchanging ideas with a vibrant network of peers.
  • To formalize new rules for the operation of the Network and to develop an ambitious but achievable 5-year strategic plan.
  • To promote understanding of the differing political contexts in which groups are working. 
  • To discuss region-wide collaborative partnerships and campaigns that can strengthen the network. 
  • To generate more reform action by policy-makers in the region.

 See APGN Congress Outcomes for detailed reports.  Outcomes include:

2012: APGN at the 2nd Global Greens Congress: Dakar, Senegal

Over 400 Greens from 76 countries attended Dakar 2012, the third ever Global Greens Congress - and the first in Africa.  Delegates discussed issues such as democracy, biodiversity, climate change and the future of the Global Greens movement, and adopted a series of resolutions (http://www.globalgreens.org/dakar2012/resolutions) to pave the way to a stronger and more cohesive green politics worldwide by shaping policies made by the 296 Parliamentary seats held by Greens at the national level in 2012 and will shape the ideology of nascent green grassroots movements around the world.

In the lead-up to the congress an important and first-ever census was conducted of Global Green members, including interviews with key stakeholders, a review of party international best practices, a review of academic literature, and produced a strategic report on the future function, structure, and resourcing of their organization, see report attached below. 

In response to the upcoming Rio+20 Summit, Greens emphasized the imperative to move quickly towards a Green economy globally, and on climate change, pushed for the adoption of international instruments to curb impacts of air and sea transport on climate.

Solidarity towards world populations like Tibetans and Syrians was unanimous, underlining democratic society and respect for human rights as central to green politics. The Global Greens also addressed the issue of Bhopal in a workshop, which resulted in a resolution accepted unanimously asking for the full accountability of Dow Chemical for the 1984 gas leak, one of the world's worst ever industrial catastrophes.

The Global Greens Charter was amended as well to include opposition to war crimes and sexualized violence.

The Congress generated a critical propulsion for the next stage of the Asia Pacific Greens Network’s (APGN) development.  A full-day APGN meeting was held to address strategic issues for our region, and new dimensions in the APGN emerged with resolve to establish:

  1. An APGN Secretariat office equipped with staff dedicated to professionalizing our nascent institution, scaling up work through structures that ensure accountability, transparency and learning. The Secretariat would be responsible for the operational and administrative affairs of the APGN.
  2. An Asia Pacific Green Foundation dedicated to fundraising and expanding the diversity and quality of services to Greens in our region.
  3. Priorities for the next three years were identified as listed below:

*Organizational Development:

  • Generate a Funding Mechanism
  • Promote the APGN’s image
  • Develop a Green Institute
  • Strengthen APGN administrative resources
  • Establish a collaborative platform to facilitate more Green electoral wins.
  • Establish an APGN office to coordinate ideas and resources.
  • Establish an Asia Pacific Greens Foundation to raise money and give support to members and fledgling Green movements.

*Membership Development:

  • Build unity & trust among all Green parties.
  • Meet every 3 years.
  • Strengthen the AP Young Greens Network
  • More support for new parties
  • Get all Associate members to be Full members
  • Increase the number of members and supporters of Green parties.

*Capacity Building for Political Engagement:

  • Provide election support to APGN members.
  • Training: 1. Candidate & Campaigning, 2. Fundraising
  • Build closer ties between our organizations. 1. A well informed APGN; 2. Ability to work locally, nationally and Internationally.
  • Stronger parties through training & information: 1. Membership recruitment, 2. Running Elections.

Knowledge Sharing:

  • Better leverage the existing website to share resources and expertise.
  • More exchanges between parties in the APGN.
  • Effective database / e- library in various languages.
  • Case studies: 1. Sharing obstacles & ideas, 2. Mentorship exchanges.
  • Mobilize a research group to bring information and discussion.
  • Increase & share resources (with focus on political representation)
  • Improve information, resource and document sharing.

Ideology & Action:

  • Enable better policy coordination.
  • Greening the world campaign.
  • Identify main priority issues of the region and jointly raise our voice.
  • Be clearer on our Green political ideology: 1. Turn ideas into credible policies & laws, 2. Create achievable & inspirational political goals.
  • Help each part identify, develop & execute their political strategy. 
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