The Green Party NI 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.
This requires:
● that we learn to live within the ecological and resource limits of the planet;
● that we protect animal and plant life, and life itself that is sustained by the natural elements: earth, water, air and sun;
● where knowledge is limited, that we take the path of caution, in order to secure the continued abundance of the resources of the planet for present and future generations.

 

2. Social Justice

The Green Party NI fights for the rights of the most vulnerable and excluded groups across society. We want to tackle the high levels of deprivation and poverty through commitments such as the living wage. We stand against so-called ‘austerity’ measures imposed on the least well-off, and the running down and privatisation of our public services.

We believe that today’s wealth inequality is not only morally wrong but is also detrimental to the stability and well being of the whole of society.

For us social justice does not begin and end at any border. The Green Party NI is committed to fair trade and ethical foreign policies. We are committed to tackling climate change, not least because of the impact that it will have on the poorest and most vulnerable people.

 

3. Grassroots democracy

Democracy is not just a matter of casting a vote every few years; we want to see decisions in the interests of local, inclusive communities being taken by those communities.

This means supporting our democratic structures through public funding of political parties, transparency in party political donations, and decision making at the lowest effective level. 

We believe in the need to raise the level of organised engagement in public life and to transform our democratic structures to make them more direct, participatory and legitimate.

The Green Party NI strongly opposes corruption and cronyism – we are the only party in the NI Assembly to publish all donations we receive over £500.

 

4. Non-violence & Peace

The Green Party NI is committed to the principle of non-violence. If we are to learn to live together in all our diversity we will need to work towards a fundamental change in the way we structure our institutions and relate to each other.  

The promotion of politics of non-violence means not just bringing and end to this or that particular conflict, but dismantling the structures and conditions that lead to conflict.

This means implementing measures to eradicate poverty and inequality; respecting diverse cultures; examining the context of conflict from all sides; and a commitment to resolving political differences by exclusively nonviolent and democratic means.  

Peace is not just the absence of violence; it is a willingness to resolve conflict in a constructive manner with a spirit of good will, generosity and respect.

Finally, the principle of nonviolence means living as nonviolently as possible towards our whole ecosystem, including other creatures capable of suffering.  

In short, nonviolence underpins everything the Green Party in Northern Ireland stands for.

 

5. Sustainability

The Green Party NI recognises that we need to end our obsession with economic growth, private wealth and over consumption. 

For decades we've been told that we can't invest in our public services or in addressing climate breakdown because the markets wouldn't allow it or because we can't afford it. All the while, there has never been a serious attempt to address tax avoidance.  

Our vision is for a Green New Deal which delivers a huge, positive programme of work to prevent climate breakdown and address the inequality which is rife across society. 
We recognise the limited scope for the material expansion of human society within our earth, and the need to maintain biodiversity through sustainable use of renewable resources and responsible use of non-renewable resources. We believe that to 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 and material inequity must be halted and reversed.

 

6. Respect for Diversity

The Green Party NI resolutely oppose racism, sectarianism, homophobia, misogyny and other forms of social injustice. We honour cultural, linguistic, ethnic, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity within the context of individual responsibility toward all beings. We defend the right of all persons, without discrimination, to an environment supportive of their 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.
This requires:

● recognition of the rights of ethnic minorities to develop their culture, religion and language without discrimination, and to full legal, social and cultural participation in the democratic process;
● recognition of and respect for sexual minorities;
● equality between genders in all spheres of social, economic, political and cultural life;
● significant involvement of youth culture as a valuable contribution to our Green vision, and recognition that young people have distinct needs and modes of expression;
● upholding the rights of indigenous peoples to the basic means of their survival, both economic and cultural, including rights to land and to self determination; and acknowledgment of their contribution to the common heritage of national and global culture;

The Green Party NI is committed to equal rights for all in our society.