Archive for Participatory democracy

We need a Green foot in the door. They wouldn’t let Jim Harris into the 2006 leaders’ debates. Let’s not let that happen to Elizabeth May.  Sign the online petition to demand that the Green Party be included in the next election debates.

Ever since I’ve received the fundraising schedule from the GPC, I’ve been stunned by the relentless nature of it.  There is some form of fundraising going on every month.  Our local riding association is responsible for none of it, and benefits only indirectly.  If you have passed your name onto the central party, either by purchasing a membership, donating to the central party, or ordering a sign from the central office during the election, they have your contact information and there is currently no way for the EDA to opt out of fundraising activities.  If I got your name because you ordered a sign locally or were canvassed by phone during the election, I haven’t passed on your name, so you shouldn’t be called.

There is provision to flag supporters who do not want to be called, or who want to restrict fundraising calls.  If you want me to pass on these restrictions to the hub, please contact me at adriana@danforthgreens.ca.  I would very much like to share the lists of our supporters with the head office, and I’ve been told that when their new database is set up, the EDA will be able to add flags directly.

Just as a warning, I’ll tell you what you can expect over the next couple of months.  Right now, there are two major campaigns going on, with another about to begin next week.

On September 4, a fundraising letter was sent to all members, donors and supporters, including those with no gift history.  There is a simultaneous phone campaign to upgrade monthly donors.  On September 11, this campaign will be reinforced by an email blast to all members and supporters as well.  All this will be repeated on November 1.  In between, there will be a newsletter with solicitation attached.

Meanwhile, we’ve decided that at the EDA level, we will restrict fundraising between elections.  We will have to press for financial support when we urgently need it for signs and brochures.  Until then, we want you to enjoy your involvement in the Green community in Toronto-Danforth.

This blog is for the Green Party of Canada.  The Green Party of Ontario, while sharing the same principles, and being part of the same global Green family, is a separate organization, with separate membership, separate policy, separate leadership, separate financing and a focus on provincial issues.

I’ve been thrilled to watch the Green Party of Canada undergo a significant expansion in Toronto-Danforth over the time I’ve been involved.  The Green Party of Ontario, however, has not experienced the same growth.  Riding president Paul Charbonneau left the presidency following his run in the byelection in March and the constituent assembly has been disbanded.

Because the two organizations are linked and strong associations and candidates help each other at both levels, it is important to the development of the GPC in Toronto-Danforth that we also have a strong GPO presence.  Doug Wright, a very hardworking member of our executive at the GPC, is willing to take on a central role in the GPO, but he can’t do it alone.  So if anyone out there has been wondering how you can help, there is lot to be done at the provincial end.  Please contact Doug Wright at doug@danforthgreens.ca if you are interested.  We need to start getting this organization into shape for the scheduled provincial election in November 2007.

We are embarking on community outreach projects, and hope to participate in community events. We welcome any suggestions. If you speak any community languages or have links to communities in our riding, please contact Adriana at 416-462-3993 or maryann@danforthgreens.ca.

We welcome event listings and other contributed items from community members. If you know of an event have an item or you think would be of interest to other Toronto-Danforth Greens, please forward it to michela@danforthgreens.ca.

Upcoming events can be found, surprise, on the Upcoming events page.  All events, past and future can be found under the Events category archive.