Our Core Values

Living within our Ecological and Financial Means

• The Earth’s ability to provide materials and energy to meet human demands and to absorb our waste and pollution is limited. Unlimited material growth is impossible. We must shift from today’s consumer society based on perpetual growth to one based on ecological and social sustainability.
• Present human interference with the nonhuman world is excessive and the situation is rapidly worsening. The natural world is seen as a collection of “resources” - a planet for the taking. Our primary responsibility is to learn to live within the ecological limits of the planet, providing for the needs of all people while not threatening the existence of other species and future generations.
• Just as we should not leave future generations burdened with ecological debts, neither should we burden them with large financial debts. A healthy and sustainable society lives within both its fiscal and ecological means.

Local Self-Reliance

• Communities must be in charge of their own destiny as much as possible. Resilient, sustainable communities require economies that meet local needs and are locally controlled, minimizing dependency on external forces.
• Self-reliance and resilience is built on public assets placed in the hands of local communities.

Grassroots Democracy, Active Citizenship and Self-Determination

• Citizens must have meaningful opportunities to participate in the decisions that affect their lives. We emphasize democratic participation and accountability by ensuring that decisions are taken at the closest practical level to those affected by them.
• Enthusiastic participation in the democratic process requires an electoral system in which every vote counts and results in a Legislature that reflects the diversity of political viewpoints of all citizens.

A Just Society

• A caring society ensures that every person is entitled to basic material security as a right.
• A healthy society is based on voluntary co-operation between empowered individuals in a democratic society, free from discrimination whether based on race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, religion, social origin or any other prejudice.
• The success of a society cannot be measured by narrow economic indicators, but should take account of factors affecting the quality of life for all people: personal freedom, social equity, health, happiness and human fulfillment.

A Culture of Peace

• We look for non-violent solutions to promote a culture of peace and cooperation between individuals, within communities and in relations between governments and citizens.
• We believe that local, national and global security should rest on cooperation, just economic and social structures and relations, ecological security, and vigorous protection of human rights.
• The vulnerability of women and children to violence is reduced by building caring and protective communities.