By Richard Gomez
The Green Party of California will hold its next General Assembly in Fresno on Dec. 7 and 8. The General Assembly is the primary decision-making body of the state’s Green Party and consists of delegates from each active county organization.
In addition to finalizing next year’s budget and addressing the role of gender in the party and the future, there will be a Q&A with Green Party Presidential candidates Howie Hawkins, Dario Hunter and possibly more.
Hawkins, the original Green New Dealer, was the first U.S. candidate to campaign for a Green New Deal in 2010 and is one of the original Greens in the United States, having participated in the first national meeting to organize a U.S. Green Party in August 1984.
Hawkins became active in “The Movement” for civil rights and against the war in Vietnam in the 1960s as a teenager in the San Francisco Bay Area. Repelled by the racism and warmongering he saw in both major parties, he asked, “Where is my party?”
Hawkins has been a constant organizer in peace, justice, union and environmental campaigns. When his draft number was called in 1972, he enlisted in the Marine Corps while continuing to organize against the Vietnam War. He remains a member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
Hunter (www.dariohunter.com) is a member of the Youngstown, Ohio, Board of Education, a former environmental lawyer, a former teacher and an anti-fracking activist. Black, openly gay, the son of an Iranian immigrant and Jewish, he has been described “as diverse as candidates come” by the New Republic.
As an ordained rabbi, Hunter has attracted national and international attention for his stance against Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people. His campaign advocates for an eco-socialist Green New Deal that will transition the country to 100% renewable energy, and his Green Path Forward aims to bridge international divides to save our planet.
Hunter’s platform covers everything from single-payer universal healthcare to ending privatization in our school districts and includes a People of Color Bill of Rights to tackle the many ways people of color continue to experience unequal treatment.
The General Assembly will take place in the Backroom of the Revue Coffee Shop (620 E. Olive Ave.) in the Tower District. A vegan or vegetarian lunch will precede the Assembly, and a Saturday night entertainment event is planned.
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Richard Gomez is a council member of the Fresno County Green Party. Contact him at 559-412-3424 or firebaughrick@gmail.com.
