Activists create Lebanese
Environment Party
Group to introduce
'green' to politics
Party committed to
closing gap between rich and poor preserve human dignity
Some 50 activists from
environmental, social and political backgrounds gathered Sunday at
"We have [been] working
on this idea for 10 years now, and we finally decided to found the party. The
environment issue in
"We are a group of
around 140 activists committed to environmentalism, nonviolence, social justice
and grassroots organizing. We will provide real solutions for real problems
whether the issue is universal health care, corporate globalization,
alternative energy, election reform or decent living wages for workers,"
he said.
Maalouf added that the party would devote its attention to
establishing a national "green" presence in politics and policy
debate while continuing to facilitate party growth and action on the national
and local levels.
The drafts presented at the
conference focused on the activists' awareness that human beings depend on the
planet's vitality, diversity and beauty and the responsibility to pass them on
undiminished to future generations.
They also recognized that
the dominant patterns of human production and consumption, based on the dogma
of economic growth, excessive and wasteful use of natural resources without
considering the planet's carrying capacity, are causing extreme environment
deterioration and a massive extinction of species.
The Lebanon Environment
Party acknowledged that injustice, racism, poverty, ignorance, corruption and
the search for maximum short-term profit are causing widespread human suffering
and an ecological debt owed by the rich nations to those that have been
impoverished.
The party is committed to
closing the gap between rich and poor and to preserve humanity's dignity and
the value of cultural heritage.
Party activists said they
will hold an organized competition, which is a pre-requisite for ensuring the
guarantee of an unspoiled natural environment.
"The need for
fundamental changes in people's attitudes, values and ways of producing and
living is much needed and we are working on introducing brand new ideas in this
field," said Maalouf.
The party's co-founder, who
is also a journalist at As-Safir newspaper, said that
the party would approach all issues from an environmental angle - even the
Arab-Israeli conflict and the Syrian presence in
"The Syrian Army based
in is less dangerous than the "Sanin: Zinat Loubnan" project for instance. Our priorities differ
immensely from those of the regular parties. We want politics in
As to the upcoming May
parliamentary elections, Maalouf said: "We will
work slowly to formulate our political general agenda and won't participate in
the elections; we are not obsessed with authority and will work slowly to
present something valuable."
By Nada Bakri
Special to The Daily Star
Tuesday, February 01,
2005