APGN 2010 - Fair Share For A Green Future

2nd Congress of the Asia Pacific Greens Network

Taipei, Taiwan.
A gathering of internationally renowned environmental activists and scholars, as well as delegates from Green Parties and NGOs spanning 20+ countries.
Sharing KNOWLEDGE of, and RESPONSIBILITY for, environmental and social issues in the Asia Pacific region.
Enhancing linkages and improving communications between Asia Pacific Greens Network members.
Employing Open Space Technology techniques for enhanced participation.
Taiwan’s first “Green conference.”

Background

The Asia Pacific Greens Network (APGN) is a federation of national Green parties, social and environmental organizations from countries across Asia and Oceania (see the Network page for links and more details).
The APGN is a member of the Global Greens and occupies three seats on the 12-member Global Greens Coordination (GCC) panel. The current APGN represenatives are Ms Margaret Blakers (Australia), Ms Satoko Watanabe (Japan) and Mr. Solomon Fifita (Tonga).

Brief History & Aims

  1. Facilitate information exchange and networking between APGN members.
  2. Work towards implementation of the Global Greens Charter.
  3. Participate more fully in Global Greens’ organizational and political activities.

The Second Congress of the Asia Pacific Greens Network will comprise a formal APGN meeting where we review our rules, elect representatives to the Global Greens Coordination steering committee and APGN membership panel, and discuss other organisational priorities. Groups who wish to be part of the decision-making process, but are not yet members, should apply to become APGN members in a timely manner prior to the Congress in May 2010. Information on how to go about this is available from Miriam Solomon of the APGN Membership Panel at miriams@iinet.net.au, or from the Membership Panel email list,APGN_membership@yahoogroups.com. Groups which have already been granted full membership should nominate three delegates as soon as possible so they can join the delegates email list.

The Network

The following is a list of APGN member nations and organisations:

Full Members:

Associate Members

Friends of the APGN:

APGN in the Global Greens Context

Back in the 1980s, Green Parties were organized almost exclusively in Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and a handful of countries in the Americas (Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.). Since then, Green Parties have spread across the globe, appearing today in approximately 90 different countries.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Green growth has gained pace over the last five to eight years with the founding of an Asia Pacific Greens Network (APGN) in 2000 and the groups’ subsequent formalization in 2005 at the first ever APGN congress in Kyoto, Japan.

Of the four Global Green federations or networks around the globe, the APGN is the only one that explicitly provides full membership for both Green political parties and Green political movements that are not yet full political parties.

This reflects the nature of the Green movement in the Asia-Pacific region where the number of Green Parties is growing, but where there are also many countries in which there is not yet a formal Green political party.

Today, the Greens continue to grow and prosper around the globe, across cultural differences and despite legal and political challenges, suggesting a collective will and common resolve to act on key issues facing us as a species and the planet as a whole.

A Green Perspective: 6 Core Values

Ecological Wisdom:

We acknowledge that human beings are part of the natural world and we respect the specific values of all forms of life, including non-human species. We acknowledge the wisdom of the indigenous peoples of the world, as custodians of the land and its resources. We acknowledge that human society depends on the ecological resources of the planet, and must ensure the integrity of ecosystems and preserve biodiversity and the resilience of life supporting systems.

Social Justice:

We assert that the key to social justice is the equitable distribution of social and natural resources, both locally and globally, to meet basic human needs unconditionally, and to ensure that all citizens have full opportunities for personal and social development. We declare tha tthere is no social justice without environmental justice, and no environmental justice without social justice.

Participatory Democracy

We strive for a democracy in which all citizens have the right to express their views, and are able to directly participate in the environmental, economic, social and political decision which affect their lives; so that power and responsibility are concentrated in local and regional communities, and devolved only where essential to higher tiers of governance.

Nonviolence

We declare our commitment to nonviolence and strive for a culture of peace and cooperation between states, inside societies and between individuals, as the basis of global security. We believe that security should not rest mainly on military strength but on cooperation, sound economic and social development, environmental safety, and respect for human rights.

Sustainability

We recognize the limited scope for the material expansion of human society within the biosphere, and the need to maintain biodiversity through sustainable use of renewable resources and responsible use of non-renewable resources. We believe that ot achieve sustainability, and in order to provide for the needs of present and future generations within the finite resources of the earth, continuing growth in global consumption, population and material inequity must be halted and reversed. We recognize that sustainability will not be possible as long as poverty persists.

Respect for Diversity

We honor cultural, linguistic, ethnic, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity within the context of individual responsibility toward all beings. We defend the right fo all persons, without discrimination, to an environment supportive of the dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being. We promote the building of respectful, positive and responsible relationships across lines of division in the spirit of a multi-cultural society.

Congress

Join us in Taipei, Taiwan!
On April 30th to May 2nd, 2010, Taiwan will play host to the second ever Asia Pacific Greens Network Congress. Green leaders, activists, scholars and interested members of the public will converge on Taipei to discuss the issues concerning our region; On the agenda will be tackling climate change, regional governance and accountability, democracy, peace, energy, and what the transition to a greener economy might mean for us.

Among the attendees will be renowned Indian author and activist, Vandana Shiva, as well as a likely appearance by the inspirational Australian Greens leader, Bob Brown. This will truly be an exciting opportunity to showcase Taiwan and it’s people, including the work of local environmental groups and community members who are assisting us in making this Taiwan’s first ever green conference.

Congress aims

Additional Aims:

Program

APGN 2010 provisional schedule
Below you’ll find a provisional Congress program for the offical Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 proceedings. Please note that the program is subject to change based on the priorities of the Organising Committee and the feedback we receive from APGN member groupings.

Pre-Conference - 04/29/2009 Thursday
14.00-18.00 Registration & Asia Pacific Young Greens Network Conference
Day 1 - 04/30/2009 Friday APGN 2010
08.00-09.00 Entry & Registration
09.00-10.00 Opening Welcome: Indigenous song, welcome, introduce Congress theme, logistics, expected outcomes and Green conferencing aspects, and announce decision making rules for this meeting.
10.00-10.30 Break
10.30-12.30 Stream A: Open Space Meeting
Setting the agenda, create topics by participants, begin small group discussions.
Discussions include how to reflect these issues in the “Fair Share” Declaration and Resolutions.
Stream B: APGN into the future workshops

Workshop 1 - Development of rules for the APGN
Workshop 2 - The APGN 5-year development plan
12.30-13.30 Lunch
13.30-16.45 Stream A: Open Space Meeting continues
Small group discussions continue
News wall - reading small group discussion reports
Stream B: APGN into the future Workshops (until 17.30)

Workshop 1 - Development of rules for the APGN
Workshop 2 - the APGN 5-year development plan
16.45-17.30 Reflection on Fair Share & Closing the Circle
17.30-18.00 Plenary - Stream A & B progress reports
18.00 Welcome Party
Performance
Food
Film showing
Day 2 - 05/01/2009 Saturday
FORUM: Asia Pacific debates - What next after Copenhagen?
A forum to explore next steps for action on climate change
08.30-09.00 Registration open for Asia Pacific debate - what next after Copenhagen? A forum to explore next steps for action on climate change.
09.00-10.30 Opening keynote speeches - setting the scene
Vandana Shiva
Senator Bob Brown- “Coming Clean: We need to tackle burning coal and forests in the Asia Pacific”
10.30-10.45 Break
10.45-12.00 Panel discussion - Mitigation of Climate Change (prevention)
Asia Pacific’s major mitigation challenges
Policies and solutions that are working in the Asia Pacific
Four Panelists featured from among APGN Full Members
12.00-13.00 Lunch
13.00-14.30 Panel discussion - Impacts of Climate Change
(living with its consequences)
What climate change means for natural disasters
Empowering communities to demand climate justice
14:30-15:00 Break
15.00-17. Discussion Workshops
The forum breaks into workshops to discuss actions that could be taken across the region in response to the challenges raised by the keynote speakers and panel discussions.
17.00 Closing Address
Moving forward on climate change by working together around the Asia Pacific
Day 3 - 05/02/2009 Sunday APGN 2010 reconvenes
07.30-08.45 Taichi morning exercise
09.00-10.30 Formal APGN meeting
Election of Officeholders - procedures explained, nomination speeches, ballots allocated.
Revised rules explained & discussed
10.30-10.45 Break
10.45-11.30 Draft 5-year plan
Recommendations discussed
11.30-12.30 Fair Share Declaration and other Resolutions presented
12.30-14.30 Lunch
14.30-15.30 Decisions
Rules adopted
5-year plan adopted
Fair Share Declaration adopted
Resolutions adopted
15.30-15.35 Announce election results
15.35-16.00 Next steps workshops
Setting up action groups for ongoing campaigns
Brainstorm desired outcomes for next Global Greens conference
16.00 Closing

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Vandana Shiva

Winner of the “Alternative Nobel Award”

Brief Introduction:

Vandana Shiva is an eco-feminist, physicist, and author from India. In 1993, she was awarded the “Right Livelihood Award,” also known as the “Alternative Nobel Award”. She is a leader of international forums on globalization and an internationally renowned environmental activist.

Dr. Shiva heads the Navdanya Foundation in India, which operates its own seed bank and organic farm, which was established with the aim of researching cultivation techniques that do not damage biodiversity and that protect the earth and small-scale farmers. The Foundation’s biodiversity protection plan seeks to support local farmers and save disappearing crop and plant species, while also establishing direct-to-farmer marketing channels to sell farmers’ agricultural products.

Dr. Shiva’s books include “Soil Not Oil” and “Biopiracy”, the Chinese editions of which have been published in Taiwan this year (2009) by Green Formosa Front.

Senator Bob Brown

Australian Greens Leader

Brief Introduction:

Bob Brown is the current leader of the Australian Greens (Australia’s third largest political party), as well as a long-standing member of the Australian Senate.

determined and energetic activist, he was instrumental in helping to halt construction of the Franklin am in Tasmania, in 1992, and continues to work tirelessly in and outside his home state for the preservation of Australia’s plant and animal species.

Bob Brown’s time in the Tasmanian Parliament saw him introduce legislation on a wide range of issues, including Freedom of Information, the lowering of parliamentary salaries, gay law reform, and opposition to nuclear energy.

Most recently, and at the federal level, the Australian Greens together with other opposition parties and legislators voted down a flawed carbon trading bill in the Senate.

Taiwan APGN 2010 Organizing Committee

Position Name Organization
Convener
文魯彬 Robin Winkler

Winkler Partners
博仲法律事務所所長
Wild at Heart
台灣蠻野心足生態協會理事
Taiwan Friends of the Global Greens
全球綠人台灣之友會理事長
Convener
彭渰雯 Sandra Peng

Taiwan Green Party
台灣綠黨中評會召集人
Department of Policy and Management, Shih Hsin University
世新大學行政管理學系助理教授
Taiwan Environmental Action Network
台灣環境行動網常務監事
Congress member 張宏林 Leo Chang
Taiwan Green Party
台灣綠黨共同召集人
Taiwan NPO Self-Regulation Alliance
台灣公益團體自律聯盟秘書長
Congress member 鍾寶珠
Taiwan Green Party
台灣綠黨共同召集人
Taiwan Environmental Protection Union台灣環境保護聯盟花蓮分會會長
Council for Hakka Affairs
行政院客家委員會顧問

Congress member
潘翰聲 Pan Han-Shen

Taiwan Green Party台灣綠黨發言人
Congress member
崔愫欣

台灣綠黨中執委

Congress member
吳咨杏 Jorie Wu

CP Yen Foundation 朝邦文教基金會執行長
Congress member 顏克莉 Keli Yen
CP Yen Foundation 朝邦文教基金會
Congress member
唐敏 Tammy Turner

Pristine Communications 精粹有限公司創辦人之一
Congress member 許志權 Jason Hoy Freelance Translator and Editor
自由編輯、翻譯
Congress member
孟磊 Peter Morehead

Earth Passengers 大地旅人工作室負責人

Congress member Frank LaMacchia Researcher at National Cheng Chi Univeristy 國立政治大學環境運動公民社會團體研究生
Congress member Karl Haby Researcher at National Cheng Chi Univeristy 國立政治大學環境運動公民社會團體研究生

Supporting Organizations

Host organizations:

Executive Body:

Associate Organizations:

Supporting Organizations:

Philosophy

On subsequent pages you will find more detailed information on our APGN 2010 philosophy, including:

Open Space

Broadening the dialogue at Congress 2010 with Open Space Technology
Open Space Technology (OST) is an approach for hosting meetings and conferences, focused on a specific and important purpose or task, but beginning without any formal agenda beyond the overall purpose or theme.

As visitors to this site will be aware, the theme for Congress 2010 in Taipei will be “Fair Share.” The general concepts bound up with this theme will be the jumping off point for our many plenary session and Procedures Committee dicussions, with specific issues and topics to be raised by the Congress attendees themselves.

Such an approach allows us to keep the Program agenda flexible, provide for the greatest number of voices to be heard, and also reflect the collective will and creativity of those gathered.

How does it work?

OST uses five basic mechanisms or tools:

  1. A broad, open invitation that articulates the purpose of the meeting.
  2. Participant chairs arranged in a circle
  3. A “bulletin board” of issues and opportunities posted by participants
  4. A “marketplace” with many breakout spaces that participants move freely between, learning and contributing as they “shop” for information and ideas
  5. A “breathing” or “pulsation” pattern of flow, between plenary and small-group breakout sessions.

What are the rules?

There are no rules per se’, rather, some general principles to keep in mind while participating at Congress 2010.

  1. Whoever comes is the right people: simply put, attendees of a given session are the “right” people because they care to attend.
  2. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have: concentrating on what’s going on rather than worrying about what might happen.
  3. Whenever it starts is the right time: speaks to the lack of any given schedule or structure and emphasises creativity and innovation.
  4. When it’s over, it’s over: encouraging participants not to waste time, but to move on to something else when fruitful discussion ends. The “Law of Two Feet” encourages people to be autonomous in where, when, and in what capacity they interact with others.

Green Conferencing

Taiwan’s first ever Green conference

Hosting the 2010 Asia Pacific Greens Network (APGN) Congress in Taiwan is both an honor and a privilege. Part of that privilege, we believe, extends to ensuring that the conference is as environmentally sound as possible, especially in a country like Taiwan with a relatively small land mass and limited natural resources. So, what will this more sustainable or ‘Green’ approach to conferencing look like? The Organizing Committee has identified the following priority areas, below:–

Key Areas of Intervention

  1. Accommodation; on-site accomodation and distribution of “Green” hotel checklists.
  2. Travel; promoting public transport use & zero carbon alternatives.
  3. Communications; reducing paper waste through website development and online communication tools.
  4. Measurement and off-setting; taking concrete steps to minimize and off-set our environmental impact.

Site management

  1. Installations and modifications; permaculture and resource efficiency strategies with an emphasis on 5 key local resources – water, energy, soil, plants, and human knowledge/skills.
  2. Waste management; optimizing waste and recycling handling procedures at the venue.
  3. Catering; promoting vegetarian meal options, organic, and locally produced foods.

Modeling and linkages

  1. Reaching out to local and international NGOs and service providers in the planning and implementation stages.
  2. Education and promotion; building awareness of “Green” values among Taiwan’s schools, universities, governments and private citizens.
    More details on specific APGN 2010 Green conference projects will be provided on this website as they come to hand.

The Venue

Welcome to Tien-Mou Convention Center!

The venue selected by the Organising Committe for Congress 2010 is the Tien-Mou Convention Convention Center, located in the northern district of Shi-lin, Taipei.

Address:
No.113, Section 7
Zhong-shan north road
Shi-lin district
Taipei city

Why Tien-Mou Convention Center?

Apart from it’s superb conference facilities and amenities, the Tien-Mou Convention Center boasts ample accomodation for Congress 2010 attendees. This was an important consideration for the Organising Committee when thinking of ways to cut down on transport time and costs.

As an added advantage, participants staying at Tian-mu have the chance to continue the Congress dialogue and decision making processes outside scheduled session hours.

Finally, on-site catering and spacious dining and recreation areas allow delegates to sample Taiwanese hospitality and cuisine in relative ease and comfort. For those looking to get off-site and explore, the Tian-mu business and entertainment areas are only a short bus ride away.

Tien-Mou Convention Center and Green conferencing

The Organising Committee, in the lead up to Congress 2010, pledge to work with the management at Tien-Mou, it’s relevant supervising agencies, as well as local community groups in helping to bring about Taiwan’s first ever Green conference.

Among the priorities, for example, will be to institute a comprehensive waste management and resource efficiency plan. See the Green conferencing page for more details.


Taiwan APGN 2010 Organising Committee
5F, No. 13, Sec. 1, Jhongsiao E. Rd.
Jhongjheng District, Taipei City 100
Taiwan
Email: apgn2010@gmail.com