Sisters & Brothers;
We want your resoultions and ideas
As you may be aware, in late 2008, The Ginger Project was founded with the intention of promoting a permanent and evolving Democratic Socialist electoral platform within the context of the ONDP leadership campaign. The NDP, alone among all Western Socialist and Social Democratic parties, has failed to adopt and publish a comprehensive, evolving platform that exists both during and between elections, and we felt that this needed to be rectified.
We continue to wish to stimulate discussions relating to issues of both socialist democracy as well as public policy. This will help us to promote a more leftist and socially progressive agenda for our Province.
Now, with the decision by the ONDP to cancel its constitutionally mandated convention in 2011, the ONLY existing opportunity to see a possible debate within the ONDP regarding a leftist electoral platform prior to the next election, the Ginger Project feels that that discussion, especially in light of the profound challenges facing the working people of Ontario, still needs to take place.
As a result, we have decided to hold a Democratic Socialist Election Platform Convention (Ginger Convention) in early 2011.
We want to hold the most inclusive, democratic and policy oriented socialist electoral platform convention possible. A large part of that is resolutions from socialists and citizens, as well as the broadest possible delegate participation from both within and outside the ONDP.
The first Ginger Project Convention Steering Committee meeting was held recently. The full update is printed below.
As stated below, all resolutions presented will be published for consideration and discussion and will be voted on if moved at the convention on the floor.
Every resolution passed will be incorporated into the full Democratic Socialist Election Campaign Platform Proposal to push forward with during the 2011 provincial election. Any part of the existing Ginger Platform will be modified and altered as needed. This platform can be found at www.ndpleft.blogspot.com
As such, the ONLY limitations are that resolutions must be possible in a provincial context, and that they must not violate our fundamental opposition to sexism, racism and homophobia.
The democratic socialist election agenda begins with you. Whether you want to propose as an association, a group or an individual you can make a difference in developing the full socialist platform the province has lacked.
Your voices will be heard.
Convention 2011 Update
With input from those present as well as from others who sent their ideas, the first steering committee meeting was held to begin the planning of the Democratic Socialist Election Platform Convention to be held in 2011.
A number of matters were discussed, including initial speaker's lists, venue options, panel forums, and other related logistical matters, but the most exciting and significant immediate developments to come out of our collective discussions were in the areas of convention resolutions and delegate methods, as well as in the area of group affiliations to the Ginger Project.
Resolutions
One of the key ideas behind the convention is to hold a convention that reflects how a truly democratic socialist party would want to approach formulating a full, well-thought out and comprehensive platform that incorporates ALL of the resolutions passed by the membership at the convention.
Beginning now on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=747025992&ref=profile#!/group.php?gid=33162815660) and at the blogsite www.ndpleft.blogspot.com we will be publishing all resolutions that those who seek to participate in the 2011 convention bring forward. These will be left up for discussion and review until the convention itself. A website specifically devoted to the convention and resolutions will be launched as soon as possible. At the convention every single resolution that has been proposed will go to a vote as long as it is properly moved on the floor. All resolutions passed will be fully incorporated into the Democratic Socialist Platform Document that will come out of the convention and will be put forward in advance of the 2011 Ontario election.
No resolutions passed will be left to vanish into some party vault, never to heard from again.
So bring your ideas. You will be heard.
Delegates
The convention will be open to all. Every like-minded person will be welcome to register for convention and will have full voting rights.
In addition, we will be inviting, in writing, all NDP Riding Associations in Ontario to send delegates and join the discussion. To equalize and incorporate areas that have been neglected, every riding association will be given the opportunity to register up to twelve delegates as official delegates.
As well, the Project will be actively seeking to work with movements and groups outside of the party and the established political mainstream. We want your ideas and energy, and we want to work with you to turn those ideas into an electoral vision to challenge established politics in Ontario. Groups wishing to affiliate with the Project or convention will also be entitled to delegates.
The Ginger Project is open to everyone equally, not just to those we can control or whose message we wish to co-opt. It is time for all the voices on the left to be heard.
Finally, the committee came to the conclusion that the convention should be held in Toronto on the weekends of either March 4-6 or April 29, 30 & May 1 2011.
We also are formulating plans to hold steering committee meetings in St. Catharines, Hamilton, the Kitchener-Waterloo area and elsewhere. If you would like to be involved in any future meetings, or to host one on your community, please contact us. The date of the next Toronto steering committee meeting will be announced shortly.
We look forward to working with you to build Convention 2011!