By David Feith & Andrew Morrison, with contributions from Michelle Sheather, Dominic Wy Kanak, Vivienne Glance & Cathy Peters
In 2021 the role of the Australian Greens (AG) International Secretary has been shared by David Feith and Andrew Morrison. The work has been roughly divided into outward – facing work (international); and inward - facing work (within Australia).
The outward-facing work has involved communication internationally with the Global Greens, the Asia Pacific Greens Federation, and Greens parties internationally. This has been David’s responsibility.
The inward – facing work has been facilitating the AG Global Issues Group, and following up issues that arise. This has been Andrew’s responsibility. There is overlap and connections between both areas, and David and Andrew both have some involvement with all.
Australian Greens Global Issues Group (GIG)
The Global Issues Group (GIG) is comprised of delegates from states and territories. Others are welcome as observers. This year GIG assisted the AG Policy Committee in reviewing four policies concerned with international matters and made recommendations. The policies were: Peace and Security, International Relations, Global Economics, and Global Governance.
GIG has also prepared a document suggesting guidelines for responding to international requests for donations. The purpose of this is to provide guidance to the Australian Greens and its representatives, including to Members of Parliament and member bodies, for how to respond to international requests for grants, funding or other donations.
GIG’s work with Party Room
The Global Issues Group (GIG) includes a representative from the Party Room, currently Tarek Dale. Tarek is foreign policy adviser in Senator Janet Rice’s office (Senator Janet Rice is the Greens Foreign Affairs spokesperson). GIG has worked with Tarek on several issues, including the social and environmental impact of Australian mining companies internationally, including in the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Asia Pacific Greens Federation (APGF)
The Australian Greens are a member of APGF, along with Green parties in Asia and the Pacific. Nick Cooper (an Australian) is the APGF General Secretary.
In May 2021 Dominic Wy Kanak and Cathy Peters were elected Australian Greens Councillors to APGF. For Dominic this was a continuation, as he was an APGF Councillor in 2020. Vivienne Glance, who was the other APGF Councillor in 2020, decided to step aside from the role and give someone else the opportunity.
The current APGF membership in April 2021 was 13. Full members are from the following countries: Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, India (India Green Party and UKPP), Iraq, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Taiwan. There are 8 Associate members from the following countries: Fiji, Indonesia (Sarekat Hijau Indonesia (SHI), Partai Hijau Indonesia (PHI) & Green Party of Atjeh), Jordan, Palestine, Philippines and Solomon Islands.
With a grant from the AG International Development Committee (IDC), APGF has developed 20 framework policies on issues ranging from climate change to education to water. All 20 were translated into Arabic and eight of these have been translated into the 8 key APGF languages of:
| Arabic | Bahasa Indonesia |
| Bengali | Hindi |
| Mongolian | Nepali |
| Pidgin English | Urdu |
: https://www.asiapacificgreens.org/template-policies
APGF First Nations Group
Dominic WY Kanak has been involved in discussions regarding an APGF First Nations Group. Through the APGF Policy Committee the Australian APGF Councillors have actively developed further input to the APGF’s ‘Indigenous and Tribal Peoples’ Policy’. There have also been ongoing discussions with Global Greens to hold a ‘De-Colonisation’ Session at the next Global Greens Congress, in conjunction with advocating for the reactivation of an Indigenous Global Greens Network.
The Global Indigenous Greens network was established in 2012 at the GG Congress in Senegal, following the 2008 GG Congress, Brazil, which established that every Green Party delegation to congress should include an Indigenous delegate. At the 2017 GG Congress in Liverpool a resolution to phase out nuclear from Indigenous lands was passed.
Dominic Wy Kanak writes: “The work of AG APGF Councillors has provided an opportunity to express an AG First Nations Network, AGFNN, 'Blak Greens' Solidarity with Asia Pacific Communities, often Indigenous, fighting grassroots campaigns to protect their Land Water and Sky from eco-damaging transnational corporations which are Australian registered or have an Australian branch office at which to direct possible support and focus Actions. The AG APGF Councillors support to the recent establishment of a new APGF ‘Political Activities Group’ has provided an APGF forum which may develop ’Terms of Reference’ and strategies that can increase this networking support.
APGF work has also been an AGFNN standing agenda item at the AG Blak Greens meetings, consequently showing, often new Blak Greens Members, how as Sovereign People we can connect and contribute to the Global Greens, GG, Congress structure through the Asia Pacific and other GG Federations. APGF work has also shown how via GG the Blak Greens can contribute to the broader movements of international Indigenous networks as an expression of the recent 2020 AG Constitutional changes placing Blak Greens at AG National Council\Conference and subsequently encouraging more Blakfellahs to consider The Greens as their political party of choice.”
APGF Women’s Network
APGF has a strong Women’s Network including the Australian Greens International Development Committee -funded project. Around 30 active members represent the APGF parties and their women’s national networks in the region which assist women to develop leadership skills and networks within their own countries to take up positions in their parties such as on their executive.
Asia Pacific Young Greens Network
This network is building representation amongst the APGF parties. They are hoping to work towards having a presence at a future GG/APGF Congress. The AG representative on the APYGN was Jason Fernandez to July 2020. A new representative is currently being sought.
Global Greens (GG)
Bob Hale, an Australian, and Gloria Polanco, from the Dominican Republic are the Global Greens co-convenors.
APGF/GG Joint Congress 2023, Seoul, South Korea
The joint Global Greens 5th Congress & Asia Pacific Greens Federation 4th Congress has been postponed (because of COVID 19) to 2023.
Global Greens are organising a 24 hour virtual conference called Connecting for Green Action in February 2022. All Green Members are invited to propose and run sessions; all interested members are encouraged to register to attend.
The last GG Congress was held in 2017 in Liverpool, UK.
AG International Development Committee (IDC)
The International Secretary is also a member of the AG International Development Committee, which is coordinated by the AG International Development Coordinator, Michelle Sheather. The Australian Greens annually receive a grant through the federal government Australian Political Parties for Democracy Program (APPDP).
Utilising this grant, the IDC has organised over 35 projects in the past five years, working alongside sister Green parties to support the growth of new and emerging parties in Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East. Projects over the past year have included work with Green parties in the Solomon Islands, India, Indonesia, and with Pakistan, PNG and Lebanon. In many countries the registration process is very complex and not designed for new or smaller parties but to maintain a dichotomy of the 1-3 larger governing parties. Projects are selected annually through a proposal process with APGF.
The IDC also supports the APG Federation through training initiatives, policy writing, fundraising training, and database projects, each of which is designed to strengthen and grow parties in our region and as examples for Green parties globally. The IDC works with Senator Mehreen Faruqi’s office in her portfolio of Overseas Development.
The IDC APGF women’s project includes a mentoring program of Green women now in its 4th year; national and regional , Gender Equity trainings and the training of national trainers; and online resources and policies for women. APGF is currently reviewing its Gender Equity measures both as a Federation and within member parties. Strengthening women in parliament in our region is a goal of the APPDP program. To date only one woman is a President/ Convenor of an APGF party in a non-OECD country in our region.
Other activities as International Secretary
There has been correspondence with the Global Greens COP26 working group. COP 26 will take place in November 2021 in Glasgow, and will be an important meeting for international climate negotiations. The Global Greens COP 26 working group is preparing for this important event. If any Australian Greens are interested, please contact cop26convenor@globalgreens.org
There have been questions about what Australia will do at COP26, and whether the Australian Greens can demonstrate that there are many people in Australia who want more action on Climate Change than our government proposes.
Further information
For any Australian Greens members interested in how Greens parties and environment movements are developing in other parts of the world, we recommend reading Full Circle by Scott Ludlum (former Greens Senator for West Australia, former Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens), published in 2021 by Black Inc. In his book Scott Ludlum describes his interactions with Green parties in Lebanon and Mongolia, and with environment and resistance groups other countries.
Additional information is also available at:
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the GG Facebook page
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the APGF website;