January 5, 2004
[Ed. This is an announcement of a new project created by Peter Miguel Camejo and friends.] Mission Statement The Avocado Education Project (AEP) educates on the history of struggles for democracy in the United States and their relationship to a multi-party political system. Americans have repeatedly called for a multi-party democracy throughout our history. Since the founding of the United States of America the political establishment has rejected moving towards a multi-party framework. Related to this development is the one person, one vote issue that has also faced a long uphill battle in US history. While often accepted as the goal of democracy many US institutions such as the Electoral College and the US Senate reject the concept of one person, one vote. The AEP seeks to learn from the experience of the majority of nations holding elections where multi-party systems exists, the law protects one person, one vote and the juridical electoral forms favoring a two-party system have been rejected. Specifically the AEP is a project that focuses on the existing debate within the United States on this issue. Should the US electoral system and its electoral laws favor limiting elections to two parties or should it be opened up to a multi-party system? Should governmental electoral institutions and electoral forms that do not follow the one person, one vote rule be allowed to exist? Should entities that are not people and do not follow a one person, one vote decision making policy, such as corporations, be allowed to participate in elections through financial donations? Through its [forthcoming] website, publications, conferences and symposiums, the AEP will provide a forum where all those committed to advancing democracy in the United States can share ideas, and learn from each other. Read The Avocado Declaration · · · · · ·
Resources The Greens on Swans Peter Miguel Camejo has fought for social and environmental justice for over 40 years. He has worked to defend the rights of Latino workers in the U.S. and to free political prisoners in Latin America. In 1976 he ran for President as a socialist, gaining ballot status in 30 states. He marched in Selma, Alabama with Martin Luther King and was active against the War in Vietnam. Peter ran in the California gubernatorial elections in both 2002 and 2003 (recall) as the candidate of the Green Party. He is chair and co-founder of Progressive Asset Management, Inc., a broker-dealer firm which promotes socially responsible investments. This document is published with the verbal authorization of its author. Do you wish to share your opinion? We invite your comments. E-mail the Editor. Please include your full name, address and phone number. If we publish your opinion we will only include your name, city, state, and country. Please, feel free to insert a link to this article on your Web site or to disseminate its URL on your favorite lists, quoting a few paragraphs or providing a summary. However, please DO NOT steal, scavenge or repost this work without the expressed written authorization of Swans. This material is copyrighted. All rights reserved. |
This Week's Internal Links
America, How Did It Come To This? - by Phil Rockstroh
Colin Powell's Delirious Prophecies - by Gilles d'Aymery
Effects Of Iraq War On American Citizens - by Manuel García, Jr.
The Avocado Declaration - by Peter Miguel Camejo
Alan Furst's Red Gold - Book Review by Louis Proyect
Strengthened By - Poem by Vanessa Raney