SVG Green Party 2005 Manifesto

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party Contents

2 3www.svggreenparty.org Vision for a sustainable future

Green Party Economic Charter· Reduce electricity prices by 50%

to all households over a five-year period.

· Provide free pre-school to everychild in SVG.

· Provide free school meals,uniforms and textbooks to everychild in SVG.

· Provide free education and skillstraining for all, from preschoolto university and henceeradicate poverty and illiteracyonce and for all.

· Provide free electricity andpiped water to the poor anddisadvantaged in our societyand abolish the tax on keroseneand the water meter charge.

· Fund a policy of inclusion for allchildren with special needs toenable them to attendmainstream schools.

· Increase pensions and doublethe poor relief given to the lessfortunate.

· Introduce Participatory Budgetsfor a transparent, corruption-free, true democracy that givespower to the population.

· Provide exemptions frompayments on prescription andother medical charges forpersons over 60 and the poorand disadvantaged.

· Provide free dental and eyesightexaminations for all.

· Build a university in SVG andmake it free to all Vincentians.

· Provide greater small businesssupport, and radically reduceunemployment by increasing theservice and manufacturing sectors.

· Cut ties with Taiwan as they havemade millions of dollars from usand not helped our country's tradeand economy. Create ties withChina.

· Boost the economy by moving froman agriculturally led economy to aservice led economy.

· Assist the agriculture sector byboosting exports of agro-productsand organic foodstuffs.

· Reduce our reliance on oil andmove towards alternative energysources that are pollution-free andrenewable.

· Promote equal opportunities,gender equality and enddiscrimination.

· Be firm with crime and the causesof crime and make our societysafer.

· Create legislation to strengthen theprotection of the environment andreduce the pollution to our land,drinking water sources, seas andair.

· Provide exemption from airportdeparture tax for people over 60.

· Increase the ratio of employeeswith disabilities in public andprivate sectors work place.

· Increase the amount ofscholarships to children of poorfamilies to go university

Contents

Introductory message from Ivan O'Neal

St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Green Party's Economic Vision

Deep-sea fishing industryThe People's Republic of China

and TaiwanNo to cross-country road Tourism

Green Party Economic Charter

AgricultureDeveloping new trade relationsOrganic farmingHemp industryAgro-processing

ManufacturingSmall Business

DevelopmentThe EnvironmentAirWaterLand, recycling and wasteMarine EnvironmentThe economics of a healthy

environmentDisaster response and relief

Social PolicyPoverty alleviationThe familyHousingEmploymentHuman capital developmentLabour relationsCommunity developmentGender issuesElderly people

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Young peopleDisabled peopleHealth systemHIV and AIDSFood and nutritionSports and leisureCulture and heritageMusic and Drama

EducationPreschoolPrimarySecondaryPost-16 educationUniversity

UtilitiesWaterElectricity

Policing and SecurityPoliceNational SecurityDrugs and crime

Public Works and TransportGood Governance,

Participation and Inclusion

TransparencyInformation gathering and

disclosure

Foreign Policy21st century visionPhilosophy, Objectives and Aims

Vote Green for real progress

In 1996, I said to the people of SVGthat the Cable & Wireless telecomsmonopoly was bad for the SVGeconomy. Almost everyone said I waswrong and that our country was toosmall for more than one telecom

company. People thought thatthe introduction of

competition would result inthe loss of jobs in thetelecom industry. I begged

to differ. I conducted arelentless, one-man protest to

abolish the Cable & Wirelesstelecom monopoly. As we all knownow, I was successful and it wasabolished. Today, SVG has threetelecom companies, competition hasreduced prices significantly, qualityhas improved, and more importantly,the poor and low-income groups are

now able to enter thetelecom market.

Today in 2005, I havea humble message. Weneed to cut loose fromthe New DemocraticParty (NDP) and UnityLabour Party (ULP)regimes, which by

design and inability, have almostdestroyed the economy of SVG. Thereis a component that is criticallyflawed in the management of the SVGeconomy. Other political parties haveput all their energy and resourcesinto winning power at the expense ofmoving the country forward. Theparties beg, borrow and squanderpublic money and scarce resources.

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party Introductory message from Ivan O’Neal

5Vision for a sustainable future4 www.svggreenparty.org

Introductory message from Ivan O'NealI am a patriot and I am honoured tolead St. Vincent and the Grenadines(SVG) Green Party. More importantly,though, I am highly-qualified,competent, disciplined person and Iam determined to bring our countryinto the twenty-first century.

SVG Green Party's policiesare based on the need forlong-term food, economicand social security of ourcountry and environmentalsustainability. We aim toencourage the development of aninclusive, safe society for all,eradicate illiteracy and poverty,empower the vulnerable, improve thehealth of the nation, create a fullyemployable workforce and reduceunemployment to single figures

We need to leavebehind last century'spolitics of short-termparty policies, createdmainly to get peoplere-elected, but whichare detrimental to oureconomy and society.We need to leavebehind 'party jobs', where people aregiven jobs based on who they votedfor. We need a society in whichpeople gain jobs based on ability andare free to vote for the party of theirchoice without fear of losing theirjob. SVG Green Party aims to bringSVG's economy and society in to thetwenty-first century with policies thatare exciting, achievable, realistic, butalso necessary to achieve a thriving,sustainable, democratic society.

The implications of this negativemind-set have been a significantcluster of capital expenditure on non-tradeables, a high rate of nationaldebt, high unemployment, theperpetuation of poverty and illiteracy,and a society polarized by partyaffiliation. More seriously, thisnegative mind-set has been trying todeal with thesymptoms of ourfailing economy ratherthan the causes.

No country can trulydevelop under such anegative mind-set. SVGGreen Party will adopta strategy of wealthcreation, sustainablejob creation, high-quality human capitaldevelopment andprudent managementof the economy.

SVG Green Party's philosophy andaims for SVG are outlined in thismanifesto. We believe that firmnessand fairness is a good approach indealing with matters. Our mission isto substantially restructure theeconomy of SVG as a going concernand protect and preserve the fragileenvironment of SVG.

We believe that power emanates fromthe people and we intend to empowercitizens so that they play a greaterpart in the way our country isgoverned. Through our policiescitizens will be significantly moreable to participate in the decisions ofhow we manage the national budget,and more importantly, theircommunity.

Our era has been marked by anincreasing disbelief in politics. It isnecessary to overcome the distancebetween governors and the governed,for citizens to stop being treated aspassive recipients of policy andinstead become active subjects ofpolitical decision-making, and tobuild a new kind of democracy.

We need to address theway the society isgoing, whereby the richget richer and the poorget much poorer. Thestruggle against socialexclusion demandspublic policies thatchange the distributionof income and power inSVG, including formsof direct participationby the population inthe administration ofpublic affairs. SVGGreen Party's vision of

social inclusion is centred on the ideathat people have the ability toorganise themselves to generate jobsand income without depending on thewhims of capital.

Finally, let us work together inbuilding our country. I ask you to giveSVG Green Party a mandate. Idemonstrated to the nation mycourage, strength and duty to SVG bytaking on the transnational companyCable & Wireless, and will utilise thesame strength and courage toempower and enrich our greatcountry and all its citizens.

Ivan O'Neal BSc (Hons), MSc, MBA.Leader and co-founder of SVG Green Party

Deep-sea fishing industrySVG's right to fish in the AtlanticOcean provides an excellentopportunity to earn over a billiondollars in revenue annually. SVGGreen Party will cancel all fishlicences given to 'flag of convenience'foreign vessels, and replace theselicences with joint-ventureagreements. Under the SVG GreenParty government, 50 per cent of allcrew members of deep-sea fishingships would be Vincentian, crew andthere would be the potential oftransfer technology in deep-seafishing techniques.

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party SVG Green Party’s Economic Vision


SVG Green Party's Economic VisionSince Independencein October 1979,The Labour Party,The New DemocraticParty and The UnityLabour Party havehad a regrettablyhigh propensity tospend large sums ofrevenue on non-tradeables as ameans of providingjobs for theirrespective partysupporters. Thiseconomic strategyhas had a profoundnegative impact onthe economy, in thatit has pushed upNational Debt at anastronomical rate.National Debt in the2005 budget was814 million dollars.Non-Tradeablessuch as the erection of traffic lightsin Kingstown do not bring in incomeor revenue to SVG treasury.

SVG Green Party strongly believesthat in order to successfully managethe affairs of SVG, we must firstsuccessfully manage the economy.When elected, SVG Green Party willpositively stimulate the economy byfocusing on increasing exports andsignificantly reducing the presenthigh-capital expenditure on non-tradeables.

The economy will be built on seven pillars:

1) High-quality fish industry;

2) A fully developed tourism industry;

3) Voluntary export of human capital;

4) The control of government spending on non-

tradeables;

5) New value-added, high-quality agricultural trade;

6) Profiling strategy of small business creation; and

7) Protection and preservation of the environment.

There will be a comprehensive and coherent economic transformation, which will be export-led.

More importantly, half the revenueearned by each ship will come to theSVG treasury. SVG Green Party willalso encourage local companies toinvest in deep-sea fishing. This hasbeen a missed opportunity under theNDP and ULP to earn billions ofdollars to stimulate the economy.

No to cross-country roadAfter careful consideration anddeliberation, SVG Green Partyconcluded that it cannot support thebuilding of the cross-country road forenvironmental and economic reasons.As stated earlier, this road threatensour source of fresh drinking water,our primary rainforest and opens therainforest up to logging companies.Extensive research has been carriedout by the international NGO BirdlifeInternational and we share theirconcerns. (see www.birdlife.org/news/pr/2004/12/st_vincent.html).

We will take court action to stop theconstruction of the middle section ofthe cross-country road.

Taiwan and SVG's relationship of twenty-four years standing has shown nosignificant benefit to the overalldevelopment of our country. Taiwan getsmore from us than we get from Taiwan.In government, SVG Green Party will cutties with Taiwan and create ties with ThePeople's Republic of China. SVG will bebetter-off financially and economically informing relations with China and willbenefit from a much larger potentialmarket. All Caribbean countries thathave cut ties with Taiwan in favour ofChina have received far greater supportas a result - much more, notably, than wehave ever received from Taiwan. TheNDP and ULP are unable to cut ties withTaiwan.

According to the CIA World fact book,''Taiwan's trade surplus is substantial; itsforeign reserves are the world's thirdlargest at US$ 207 billion.'' Taiwanimports approximately US$ 2 billion ayear of vegetable products.

During the years of the decline of SVGagriculture sector, particularly thebanana industry, Taiwan has shown howmuch it cares for SVG's citizens. Of itsUS$ 2 billion annual total of importedvegetable products, not one carrot orbanana has come from SVG - there hasbeen no help for our agriculture industrywhatsoever. (Source:http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108020.html)

Instead, Taiwan has made hundreds ofmillions of dollars a year since 1987,from fishing in the Atlantic Ocean underSVG's tuna fishing licence andcontributed to the destruction of SVG byfunding the cross-country road. Thecross-country project threatens oursource of fresh drinking water, willsignificantly damage our primaryrainforest - the habitat of the nationalbird of SVG and other endemicbiodiversity - and opens the rainforest upto logging companies.

Trade with the People's Republic of China and Taiwan

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party Green Party Economic Charter


TourismSVG Green Party will developadditional components to thetourism industry, namely sportfishing, sustainable tourism, and aniche holiday market for peoplewith disabilities. Tourism shouldnot be done to the detriment of thelong-term economic, social andenvironmental welfare of ourcountry. To encourage this sectorof the economy andsimultaneously sustain the well-being of the citizens of SVG wewill:

· ensure tourism is initiated withthe help of broad-basedcommunity inputs and that thecommunity maintains control oftourism development;

· ensure tourism provides qualityemployment to its communityresidents and that a linkagebetween the local businesses andtourism is established;

· ensure a code of practice isestablished for tourism at alllevels - national, regional, andlocal, based on internationallyaccepted standards. Guidelinesfor tourism operations, impactassessment, monitoring ofcumulative impacts, and limits toacceptable change should beestablished;

Green Party Economic Charter

We have critically analysed theeconomy in depth. We will makesubstantial adjustments to theannual budget and provide thefollowing:

· Reduce electricity prices by 50% toall households over a five-yearperiod.

· Provide free pre-school to everychild in SVG.

· Provide free school meals, uniformsand textbooks to every child in SVG.

· Provide free education and skillstraining for all, from preschool touniversity and hence eradicatepoverty and illiteracy once and forall.

· Provide free electricity and pipedwater to the poor anddisadvantaged in our society andabolish the tax on kerosene and thewater meter charge.

· Fund a policy of inclusion for allchildren with special needs toenable them to attend mainstreamschools.

· Increase pensions and double thepoor relief given to the lessfortunate.

· Introduce Participatory Budgets,for a transparent, corruption-free,true democracy that gives powerto the population.

· Provide exemptions frompayments on prescription andother medical charges for personsover 60 and the poor anddisadvantaged.

· Provide free dental and eyesightexaminations for all.

· Build a university in SVG and makeit free to all Vincentians.

· Provide greater small businesssupport, and radically reduceunemployment by increasing theservice and manufacturing sectors.

· Cut ties with Taiwan to preventvastly unfavourable terms for ourcountry's trade and economy.Create ties with China.

· Boost the economy by movingfrom an agriculturally-ledeconomy to a service-led economy.

· Assist the agriculture sector byboosting exports of agro-productsand organic foodstuffs.

· Reduce our reliance on oil andmove towards alternative energysources that are pollution-free andrenewable.

· Promote equal opportunities,gender equality and enddiscrimination.

· Be firm with crime and the causesof crime and make our societysafer.

· Create legislation to strengthenthe protection of the environmentand reduce the pollution to ourland, drinking water sources, seasand air.

· Provide exemption from airportdeparture tax for people over 60.

· Increase the ratio of employeeswith disabilities in public andprivate sectors work place.

· Increase the amount ofscholarships to children of poorfamilies to go university

We will cut all perks allowances inthe present budget by EC$ 10m tohelp offset the cost of electricity topoor and low-income families - forexample, the EC$14,000 paid to thePrime Minister annually as abarbecue entertainment allowance.

· ensure new infrastructure usesrenewable, non-polluting energiesas much as possible;

· seek to make SVG accessible todisabled people;

· develop training programs toimprove and manage heritage andnatural resources.

Free education and skills training for all,

from preschool to university, so as to eradicate

poverty and illiteracy once and for all

and give power to the population.

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party Agriculture


Agriculture

For many decadesof the twentiethcentury,agriculture wasthe mainstay of the SVGeconomy with an income ofabout EC$ 94m per annum.

In October 2004, income frombananas dived to EC$30m per annum.The banana trade now has to rely ongovernment subsidies as the fullimpact of the ruling from the WorldTrade Organisation (WTO) on theindustry becomes all too apparent.Previous governments have notassisted farmers in developing a planto ensure that they receive a decentincome from their toils in the field.Instead of developing a clear,coherent strategy, these governmentsmerely told these farmers to diversifyand ignored the hardship thatfollowed. An important priority ofSVG Green Party's agricultural policyis to consult with farmers andprovide them with a clear wayforward.

Developing new trade relationsThe program of agriculturaldiversification has provedwholly inadequate and manypeople who used to farmbananas are now much pooreror out of work. Their qualityof life has been severelyreduced and there has been asignificant impact on theirfamilies.

SVG Green Partywill:

· hold consultationsto see the extent ofthe loss of bananarevenue and discusswith farmers options

of going forward;

· look at the feasibility ofsmall, local farming co-ops

supplying their local shops, hotels,supermarkets and schools;

· provide incentives to increase localbuying and reduce imports ofgoods that can be made nationally;

· discuss with local schools, hotelsand shops the importance of buyinglocal food;

· provide support and technologicalaid to farmers so that they canincrease their ability to diversifytheir farming products;

· divert government contracts forfoodstuffs from foreign suppliersto local farmers;

· encourage more regional farmers'markets.

Organic farmingIn this day and age ofincreased awareness of thedangers of GeneticallyModified Organisms (GMOs)and of pesticides and otherchemicals used in farming,it is only prudent and rightthat we readdress ourfarming methods. This isboth for the safety offarmers and their families,and the general public thatconsumes the fruit andvegetables grown locally.

In terms of exporting food, more andmore of our trade partners, such asBritain, are demanding thatfoodstuffs are GMO-free and organic.If we are to keep up with supplyingfoodstuffs to foreign countries thenwe need to react and predict themarket demands.

SVG Green Party will:

· establish an organic farmers'agency and give free licences toorganic farmers;

· assist farmers in the transition tobecoming organic farmers;

· reduce the level of chemicalsneeded by introducing new farmingtechniques that help keep pestsaway;

· establish more foreign markets forthe increased organic output;

· ensure that all food served tochildren in schools is free fromchemicals and GMOs and is organic,and thus provide a ready marketfor organic foodstuffs.

Hemp industryAs part of the process todevelop new agricultural traderelations and reduce crime, wewill encourage the production ofhemp in order to play a significantrole in the already establishedworldwide hemp industry.

Hemp is not a drug and cannot beused to get 'high' as it lacks therelevant chemical found in marijuana.Hemp has been grown for decades inmany countries and is a thrivingindustry in some. Hemp is afoodstuff and also a highly versatilemanufacturing raw material.

SVG has the natural resources togrow hemp and make products fromit. The farming and production stageswill create many long-term jobs andenhance peoples' skills in agro-production and also business andcooperative management. Hempproduction will help reduce theproduction of marijuana. Thenutritional composition of hemp isexceptional.


· carry out a feasibility study toassess the best method of farmingand agro-production to use thatsuits our country;

· train farmers in the methods ofhemp production;

· set up a hemp co-operative so thatthe industry can be run by thepeople who work in it and theircommunities gain the maximumbenefit;

· set up a factory to processhemp products such as

body lotion, shampoo,sun block, after-sunlotion, shower gel,bubble bath, massageoil, soap, hemp oil forsalads, moisturising

cream, lip salve, snackbars, t-shirts, bags,

rucksacks, paper, mattresses,sails, tarpaulin, ropes, netting,paints, varnishes, plastics, biomassgas production for electricity, fuelfor cars, cement, roofing, plywood,door panels, flooring, non-toxiccleaning products;

· work with farmers involved in themarijuana trade to get theminvolved in hemp productioninstead.

Photo:Fairtrade

Foundation

· ensure the purchase ofgoods made in SVG bypromoting themanufacturing sector attrade fairs locally andabroad;

· assist producers inobtaining raw materials;

· set up information databases tohelp increase awareness ofmaterials and technologies abroad;

· provide incentives to encouragebanks to invest in local industries;

· provide incentives for more joint-venture companies betweenVincentians and foreign nationals;

· provide incentives for foreigninvestment in SVG;

· restructure the corporate taxsystem so that less money isrepatriated out of SVG;

· provide training grants for peopleto gain manufacturing skills andtechnical assistance;

· provide incentives to encourageVincentians abroad to return withtheir business or set up a branch inSVG;

· make it easier for producers toexport their goods.

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party Manufacturing and Small business development


Agro-processingThere are a number of commoditiesthat are not being utilised that couldbring in revenue for the country. Aswell as the many things we willprocess from a revived coconutindustry, we could process aloe vera,fruit juices, peanut butter and herbalteas. Manufacturing goods in thecountry will provide added value,thereby increasing export income.

Manufacturing

SVG Green Party willprovide support andfacilities to re-ignitethe manufacturingsector.

We will promote and encourageindustries that are compatible withthe local community and thatcontribute to the economic and socialwelfare of SVG. As part of the 'green'goal to make SVG a zero-wastesociety, there will be stimulation ofindustries for pollution-controldevices, fuel efficiency and energy-saving technology.

The increase in the manufacturingsector that SVG Green Party's policieswill create will help reduceunemployment and crime. We will:

· upgrade the technology used in thissector and ensure technologytransfer in joint ventures;

· set up a standards and qualityboard to ensure goods are made tosafe and decent standards;

Small businessdevelopment

In the last two decades the NDPand the ULP have beenparticularly weak in smallbusiness creation, and this hashad a negative impact on theeconomy.

SVG Green Party willadopt the 'profilingapproach' in smallbusiness creation. Wewill write a profile forthree hundred smallbusinesses needed inSVG and offer thesesmall businesses tosuitable persons whoare willing and able tosuccessfully operate them. SVG GreenParty strongly believes that smallbusinesses can play a pivotal role injob creation and stimulating theeconomy. The financial and servicesectors have to play a major role inour economy in the future to enableus to be a regional and world leader.SVG Green Party will:

· facilitate business parks andsymbiotic relationships for smallbusinesses that can provide forgrowth through mutual trade;

· have a continual promotion of localbusinesses to encourage the publicto support local trade. This will save on foreign exchange,keep more money circulating withinthe country and strengthen theeconomy, create jobs and reducecrime;

· provides incentives for people tostart up small businesses;

· provide internet and websitesupport to small businesses to helpthem advertise and get on withrunning the business, worry lessabout admin and finance;

· introduce a staggered level ofcorporate tax with an initial floor ofEC$ 20,000 earnings;

· redirect governmentbusiness to localbusinesses;

· encourage joint-owned businesses - localand foreignpartnerships - so thathalf the profits stay inthe country and there isa transfer of technology;

· actively work withcruise companies formore cruise ships;

· establish more SVG consulates inforeign countries to promote traderelations;

· build up our international financecentres to encourage moreinvestment in SVG;

· set up a duty-free zone for Chineseproducts and supply otherCaribbean countries;

· set up a salt refinery anddesalination plant in the southernGrenadines;

· set up a sand mining operation inCentral Leeward;

· seek greater trade relations withSouth American countries and theworld's largest emerging market,China.

A more competent and plannedapproach in utilising STABEX(Stabilising of Export Earnings fromAgricultural Commodities) will betaken. In the past we have been losingout on money from this source,because the NDP and ULP regimeshave not applied for it within time.We will set up also regional branchesof the SVG marketing corporation inorder to support local farmers.

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party The Environment


The Environment

Our environment is extremelyprecious and needs to berespected and treated with care.The protection and preservationof our physical environment iscritical to our survival andlifestyle.

We are blessed in SVG by having agood source of water, clean air inmost places, lush fertile land andbeautiful coastlines. SVG Green Partybelieves it is necessary that we allcare for our environment and lookafter our ecosystem and biodiversity.We need to reduce our carbon dioxideemissions as a country and activelyparticipate in the global struggleagainst climate change.

AirThe extent of airpollution in Kingstownis unacceptable. If thepollution levelscontinue to rise we willsee an increase inrespiratory illnessesand an increase inchildhood asthma. SVG Green Partywill install air pollution monitors inthe capital, to measure high and lowperiods and extent of airpollution. We will use thefindings to create policies toprovide Kingstown'sresidents, workers andvisitors with good-quality airat acceptable levels asagreed by the World HealthOrganisation.

WaterThe protection and preservation ofthe watersheds is paramount to thelong-term health of the environment,our people and our futuregenerations. Our watercourses arevulnerable to pollution viaconstruction upstream and bypesticides that are washed into therivers from agricultural lands. We willcancel thecross-countryroad projectwhen ingovernment.

Land, recycling and wasteWe cannot afford to keep dumping somuch of our waste in landfill sites.There will be leaching and pollutionof water courses and we will run out

of sites to bury therubbish. Where will thenext landfill ordumpsite be? Wouldyou want it next toyour house? Much ofour waste can berecycled and we shouldstart doing soimmediately.

Countries such as Holland have beenrecycling household waste for 35years. If you take out items such as

glass, paper, tins, plastics,batteries and compostablefoodstuffs from your bin,you will find that your 'real'amount of waste is severelyreduced.

We must move towards a strategy ofzero waste - stopping the use landfilland incineration and focus onreducing, reusing and recycling. Thiscould be achieved in SVG within 20-30 years with the development of newtechnology and a committedapproach. We will put in placelegislative, educative and othermeasures to achieve zero-waste by2025. SVG Green Party will:

· ensure the use of the three 'R's,reduce the amount of rubbish wecreate; recycle what we don't need;and reuse items rather thancontinually buying new ones;

· revise thedisposal of whitegoods so theyare not buried;

· say no to anyincineration ofrubbish forhealth reasons;

· start a door-to-door collectionof recyclablewaste such aspaper, plastics,glass, tins, andbatteries;

· ensure morecomposting.

Marine environmentPollution dumped into ourwatercourses end up the marineenvironment as it flows downstream.A serious concern is pesticide residueleaking into the coastal environment.Pesticides ingested or absorbed byfish end up in the human food chainwhen we consume fish from our localwaters. Also, much rubbish is simplydumped in coastal areas. SVG GreenParty will:

· ensure maintenance of beaches andcoastal waters through nationalcommunity clean-up campaigns;

· strengthen legislation and enforcemeasures to control illegal miningof sand from our beaches and otherareas that result in damage andpollution to the coastline;

· oppose the privatisation of theTobago Cays;

· mobilise a public campaign to stopfurther pollution of the marineenvironment.

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party Social policy


The Economics of a Healthy Environment The price of electricity in SVG is toohigh. As electricity prices increasethere is a directly proportionalincrease in the number of peoplewho 'drop-out' of using electricityand turn to kerosene as a source offuel. As the January 2005 high taxon kerosene begins to bite, it willpush more and more poor people tocut down trees to use the wood asfuel for cooking.

Social policy

It is unfortunate that in thesemodern times the gap betweenthe rich and the poor is stillwidening in SVG.

Many families are without basicutilities and adequate shelter, whilstat the other end of the scale, richerfamilies exhibit more wealth. There isno need for generation aftergeneration of families to grow up inpoverty and their children to beexposed to a deficit of food, healthand education as compared to theirbetter-off peers. SVG Green Party isoffering the nation better standardsof living and long-term protection tothe children of our country. Socialtransformation is therefore critical inorder to allow the majority of thepopulation, which historically hasbeen excluded, to integrate intosociety and exercise their rights andresponsibilities of citizenship.

Poverty alleviationPoverty alleviation will be asignificant focus of socialpolicy. It is necessary to makelife easier for poor and low-income families in order toenable to take an active partin society. To this end theSVG Green Party will:

· make all education free;

· provide free schoolbooks, mealsand uniforms;

· make electricity free to poorfamilies;

· make water free to poor families;

· abolish the water meter rentalcharge;

· provide support for people to findjobs;

· provide support for poorcommunities to form self-reliancegroups;

· actively encourage poorcommunities to be involved incommunity works consultations;

· encourage and support poorcommunities to bid for workscarried out in their communities.

The familyThe family is an important social unitand the best sphere in which childrenshould be raised. We all recognisethat sometimes issues arise that canaffect a family's cohesion andstability. In order to provide supportfamilies to continue living together,SVG Green Party will:

· provide counselling servicesto troubled parents andchildren;

· provide family supportservices;

· provide mediation servicesso families have a neutralplace and facilitator to workthrough issues;

· provide crèches for workingparents to ease the strain.

· strengthen the protection andpreservation of our heritage sites;

· tax environmentally damagingactivities;

· designate parts of the countryprotected areas;

· undertake an extensivereforestation program to stop

landslides, asrecently seenin Californiaand Mexico;

· makeEnvironmentalImpactAssessments afeature of allfuturedevelopmentprojects.

Disaster response and reliefSVG Green Party would implement apro-active stance, carrying out annuallive exercises to simulate ourresponse in dealing effectively withair, land and sea disasters. We willproduce flyers about what to do andnot do in an emergency and include alist of emergency phone numbers.

SVG GreenParty willstrengthenlaws to protectand preservethe nation'senvironment.We will:

· introduceanti-litter,clean air andnoisepollutionlegislation;

Since it is the roots of trees andplants that hold together the soil ofhillsides in heavy rainfall, heavylandslides and flooding are a directconsequence of deforestation. Thishas been seen on many occasions inplaces such as Haiti, causingsubstantial damage and loss of life.Equally, in the long-term,deforestation damages the delicatewatersheds in dry seasons, causingserious shortages of drinking water.

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party Housing, Employment, Human capital development and Labour relations


HousingThe level of housing in SVG is good,but major improvements are neededfor the houses of poorer people.Housing and shelter is one of ourbasic needs and we, as a society,should make sure that all aresheltered from the elements. SVGGreen Party will:

· work to ensure that all housing haspiped water and electricity;

· work to make all housing hurricane-proof;

· reduce the environmental andhealth hazards in residential areasby improving sanitation anddrainage systems;

· provide incentives for all futurehousing to install solar panels soindividual houses can still haveelectricity during times of powercuts and reduce the demand from anational grid system;

· abolish import tax on solar energypanels and other energy-savingequipment;

· offer free technical advice on do-it-yourself in house building;

· make land available for low-incomehousing projects.

EmploymentUnemployment stands unacceptablyhigh at approximately 48%. With thenew initiatives mentioned inagriculture, manufacturing and thebusiness sector, under an SVG GreenParty government, there will be asubstantial increase in job creation.

In the 1940s there was informalimmigration to Aruba and Curacao. Inthe 1960s and 1970s there wasinformal immigration to England,Canada and the USA. This informalexport of human capital (labour)helped the SVG economy - especiallythe construction industry - throughremittances. The SVG Green Partysupports the policy of export ofqualified human capital, for whichthere is a big global demand. SVGGreen Party will improve theeducation and training facilities toprovide the necessary skills topersons who wish to work abroad. Wewill create incentives for thesepersons to return and to put theirknowledge and experience back intothe economy.

Human Capital DevelopmentSVG Green Party puts priority onempowerment of civil society throughhuman capital development, werecognise that high quality trainingand retraining are crucial to theoverall development of our country.Almost full employment is our goal,but to achieve this no one individualmust be left behind in the trainingprogram.

We aim to increase thenumber of youthsentering university tenfold. We will build auniversity in St Vincentand the Grenadines. Wewill ensure that young,old and the physicallychallenged are given the opportunityto university education. We recognisethe fact that the number of malestudents entering university isunacceptable low and will createpolicies to correct it.

There will be a significantshift in the structure of theeconomy towards servicesand human capitaldevelopment, and recognisethat young people do notwant to dig arrowroot orfarm bananas. Since 79 % ofthe population is under 30years of age we have to be realistic inour economic strategy. There is ahigher financial return from service-based industries than fromagriculture. We will:

· create regional jobs centres wherepeople can register job skills andemployers can advertiseemployment opportunities.Applicants will be given help toapply for work;

· create links with colleges andorganisations abroad while seekingaccreditation forcourses taken in SVG.Our courses will thenbe recognised abroadand people will havegreater opportunitiesfor foreignemployment;

· seek to increase thenumber of foreign-basedorganisations who areable to run trainingcourses in SVG and thenoffer graduates work inthe organisations'country of origin;

· plan to locate in SVG branches offoreign colleges and organisationsfor trades such as plumbers andnannies, which are in great demandin England.

Labour relationsSVG Green Party believesthat good labour relationspromote efficiency andproductivity. We will:

· appoint a Senator in theHouse of Assembly topromote the affairs of good

labour relations;

· do a tri-annual review of wageregulations;

· promote good relations betweenemployers and employees;

· support trades unions and workers'rights initiatives;

· do an annual review of health andsafety in the workplace;

· ensure equal pay for all regardlessof gender, disability, etc.

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party Community development, Gender issues and Elderly people


Community developmentGood communities need goodstructures and good supportmechanisms. Without goodcommunity support, the breakdownin neighbourhood relations is morefrequent. Development includesactivities such as training humanrights monitors; promotingparticipation and leadership ofwomen; empowerment of vulnerablegroups; and breaking the silenceabout HIV/AIDS. To this end SVGGreen Party will:

· review the national lottery with aview to putting more in tocommunity groups;

· promote regional offices of themain credit unions, to keep moneyin the community and in thecountry, and encourage banks whouse our money to invest in SVGrather than abroad;

· involve local people inlocal planning issues;

· encourage morecommunity groupsand cohesion so thatthe public can beinvolved in decidingwhat the priorities arefor their community and howmoney should be spent in theircommunity;

· offer parents training on familyissues;

· strengthen community-basedorganisations, professionalassociations and women's groups;

· encourage integrated communitydevelopment to increase levels ofparticipation, equity, dignity andsocial justice.

Gender issuesIt is important to promote the valueof women's role in society. Genderand gender relations are criticalaspects of social policy. We mustaccept the fact that to even talk aboutdevelopment one must includegender. There is a growing consensusthat development needs women if anykind of positive process of socialchange is going to take place. We will:

· set up a consultation service forparents who need help withchildren who may become difficultfor one reason or another;

· encourage more women to occupypositions in government and otherelected leadership positions ininstitutions and provide rolemodels for young women;

· conduct analysis of households andgender relations within the

household, with anapproach that draws onbargaining-powermodels;

· break down genderbarriers that womenface in trade and wealthcreation / business;

· run programsaddressing teenage pregnancy,including sexual health and familyplanning;

· clamp down on violence againstwomen and domestic violence;

· strengthen women's groups;

· introduce policies to reduce thenumber of males dropping out ofschools and training institutions;

· research what makes girls do welland stay in education and training.

Elderly peopleThe Caribbean region has one of thehighest percentages of elderly peoplein its population, yet few policymakers here cater for the elderly intheir development strategies. We needto analyse ageing and developmentwith a view towards enabling olderpeople to continue to be productivemembers of society. Elderly peopleplay a significant role in SVG's societyand are valued citizens with much tooffer. We need to be ready to meet alltheir needs, especially health-relatedones. We will:

· create elderly supportunits to assist withwelfare and enable peopleto continue to live in theirown home when they areunable to cope on theirown;

· assess the living,education andemployment needs ofelderly people;

· provide freeelectricity and waterto elderly peopleliving on their own orwith their spouse;

· create a ministerfor responsibilitiesfor elderly people'sneeds;

· provide assistanceso that elderly peoplecan purchasedisability aids andadaptations;

· monitorinstitutions forelderly people toascertain the level of

support needed;

· ensure protection from loneliness,malnutrition, and chronic diseases;

· encourage a network of volunteersto visit and assist elderly peopleliving alone;

· support families looking afterelderly relatives;

· fund a public health research toidentify threats to the health ofolder adults;

· promote healthy behaviors andenvironments for older people;

· define standards of appropriategeriatric health servicesand monitor access for theelderly to essential healthservices;

· develop national geriatrictraining plans for healthcare workers;

· provide exemption fromairport departure tax forpersons aged 60 and over.

Young people

25Vision for a sustainable future

· establish a youth exchangeprogramme within the Caribbean,USA, Canada and the UnitedKingdom. This is an importantfeature and will help develop youngpeople's understanding of nationaland global issues. It will greatlyhelp anyone running their ownbusiness as experience of foreignplaces can stimulate innovation athome;

· promote participation in BoyScouts, Sea Scouts, Cadets Corpsand sports in primary school.Taking part in activities suchas these will enable childrento develop a multitude ofskills at an early age andincrease their confidenceand self-esteem;

· put on seminars aboutteenage pregnancy toreduce the level of teenagepregnancy and the rate ofHIV and AIDS infection inyoung people. In the long-termthe results will be a sharp reductionin teenage pregnancies as youngwomen become empowered to takemore control of their lives.

Throughout the process ofimplementing structures to helpyoung people, it is important toremember that as well as working'for' young people, we need to work'with' young people. We believe thatthe experts on young people and theissues that affect them are the youngpeople themselves.

In order to get a greaterunderstanding of the issues faced byyoung people and refine our policiesfurther, we intend to carry outresearch of the young by youngpeople.

That is, in using ParticipatoryAppraisal (PA), we will conductinterviews and surveys with youngpeople to look in-depth at issuesaffecting them.

We want to train young people in PAmethods and techniques and let themcarry out the research. Throughoutthe process they will learn anddevelop many skills. Whilst doing aParticipatory Appraisal, it isimportant to carry out a gender needs

assessment as the needs ofyoung men and women

may not necessarily besimilar. A genderedanalysis will enablesolutions to betailored better forall young people.A gender analysisexplores and

highlights theinequalities in gender

relations by asking whodoes what, who has what,

who decides and who benefits.

We want to create socio-economicsnapshot of young people - what theydo, how they survive from day to day,what they want to do and what ispreventing them from achieving whatthey want to achieve. We need to lookat what personal aspects in their lifeinfluence or determine decisions theymake about taking up or refusingtraining and employmentopportunities in and outside of St.Vincent. We need as a nation to beaware of what young people see asbarriers to 'getting on' - such as selfimage, confidence levels, educationlevels, childcare issues - and develop,with young people, ways for them toovercome these barriers.

Our young

people are our

future - we need

to invest in

them today.

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party

24 www.svggreenparty.org

Young peopleIt is unfortunatethat the presentand previousgovernments havedone little tostimulate theeconomy to bringopportunities toyoung people. Much money has beenwasted on big projects, but theeffects have not trickled down to themajority of the population, especiallyour youth. This government has notcreated income, but has just reliedupon loans and grants. There is nocoherent economic strategy in place,therefore the long-term prognosis forthe economy is more debt, and thelong-term prognosis for our youth isgreater unemployment and poverty.SVG Green Party will introducestrategic economic planning andchange the economy so it is export-led. Change for individuals will benoticeably stimulated by change atthe national level. SVG Green Partywill:

· set up community training units sopeople can gain skills or retakesecondary school exams in eveningclasses if necessary. We intend towork with young people to helpthem understand the value ofeducation and the potential itharnesses. We want to help themunderstand the significantopportunities that become availablethrough education;

· provide access to careers advice soyoung people are better placed tochoose the appropriate skillstraining and education needed topursue their careers.

We intend to establish links withforeign colleges, so young peoplehave greater prospects to work andstudy abroad. Long-term, we expectthere to be an increased movementof labour, especially withinCARICOM;

· implement a programme of regularsport activity to develop andharness the talent of our youngpeople. Young people will besupported to compete abroad andplay in foreign sports leagues;

· support the establishment of ayouth parliament and strive toprovide a knowledge-based societyand an economy for the youth;

· encourage young people to operatetheir own small business. Ourpolicies will deliberately targetempowerment of the youth with theprovision of high levels ofeducation and skills training. Webelieve that more support is neededfor young entrepreneurs. Many ofour young people have the skills torun their own business, but needadvice and support to start theirown business and be guidedthrough the processes of businessmanagement;

· look at expanding the arts culturewith the introduction of a nationaltheatre and support young peopleto export their skills. They will beassisted to perform and teachabroad;

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party Disabled people, Health system and AIDS


Disabled peopleThe days of neglect to the needs ofdisabled people are long gone. We livein a new world where equal rights andhuman rights are major componentsof a democracy. Disabled people havea valuable part toplay in society likeall other citizensand we will supportpolicies thatempower and enablethem to do so. Thecountry's way ofaddressing disabilityissues needs to bebased upon theSocial Model ofDisability which stipulates that oneshould see the person first and thedisability second.


· pass legislation to provideunimpeded access to publicbuildings and encourage access inbusinesses in the private sector thatprovide a service;

· create designated car parkingspaces in Kingstown for vehiclesdriven by or carrying disabledpeople;

· to assess the living, education andemployment needs of disabledpeople;

· ensure mainstream educationthrough an inclusion policy. Wherenecessary build special educationfacilities on the site of mainstreamschools so that integration takesplace at break and meal times;

· create a minister withresponsibilities for disabledpeople's needs;

· set up a disability rightscommission;

· provide assistance so that disabledpeople can live independently andpurchase disability aids andadaptations;

· create independentmonitors ofinstitutions forpeople with mentalillnesses and healthproblems toascertain the level oftreatment andsupport needed andgiven.

Health systemHealth is one of the most significantfactors affecting a person's ability tocontribute to society and take anactive role in citizenship. Access tohealth care, therefore, is one of themost important issues facing ourcountry. SVG Green Party willpromote community public healthcare, and our approach will be basedupon preventative health systems. Wewill:

· consult with the medical professionas to the best practice to promotehealth care issues;

· increase resources for earlyscreening of breast cancer,hypertension and prostrate cancer;

· reduce the pollution of the air inKingstown to avoid asthma andother respiratory health problems;

· reduce the long waiting times at theaccident and emergency units;

· encourage more training of nursesand encourage more males to trainas nurses;

· put into place structures that canaddress the concerns of staff andpatients;

· conduct a study of the localenvironment in which HIV and AIDSare most prevalent;

· improve the training and practicesof health sanitationworkers to upgradeinspections ofpotential healthhazards;

· increase theresources ofhospitals toenable us totreat a greaterrange ofillnesses;

· provide betterregional medicalfacilities basedon what is neededfor particularcommunities;

· upgrade Georgetown hospital andbuild a hospital in Barrouallie;

· set up programs to inform peopleabout preventative health, such asnot smoking, dangers of excessivealcohol use, eating healthy food asopposed to junk food;

· provide community health carevisitors;

· increase the number of doctors bymore training and importing themfrom other countries;

· look at greater use of preventativeand alternative medicines;

· introduce measures to increaseroad safety and reduce the numberof deaths on our roads;

· update the ambulance and fireservice to reduce loss of life intimes of emergencies.

HIV and AIDSThe continued increase in the number

of those infected by HIV andAIDS is a serious concern

to the SVG GreenParty. We believe

that the wrongvariables arebeingconcentratedon in thepresentresearch. Focusshould be onthe living

conditions andsocio-economic

factors of thepeople in areas where

the increase is mostrampant, rather than the

haphazard method used at present.After conducting research of thisnature, we will fine-tune our policiesto reduce the rate of infection andprovide better support for infectedpeople. We believe that the presentpolicy implemented by the WorldHealth Organisation does not preventthe spread of the disease effectively.We will provide free six monthlycheck-ups / blood tests to people whoconsider themselves to be at risk ofhaving HIV and AIDS.

2005 Manifesto of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party Food and Nutrition, Sports and leisure and Culture and Heritage


Food and nutritionEating a balanced diet is keyto sustaining good healthand preventing illnessessuch as diabetes, obesity,high blood pressure andvarious forms of cancer.Diet can impact upon one'schances of getting andfighting all chronicillnesses. We need a long-term approach to thesolution of nutrition issuesthat affect our country. It isimportant for us to attainfood security and ensurethat everyone has access tohealthy food.

SVG Green party will:

· consult with doctors about well-being programs;

· create a Foods Agency to checkfood standards and enforce properlabelling;

· stop the import of any GeneticallyModified Foods (GMO) and makesure all schools provide meals thatare free from GMOs;

· stop the selling of foods past theirexpiry and use-by dates;

· raise awareness about the dangersof 'junk' and processed food;

· provide incentives to encourage useof local foods rather than importedfoods from thousands of milesaway. As a country we need to doour bit in the global campaign toreduce food miles - that is, stop thewaste of energy in transportingfood from foreign countries when itcan be produced in the country inwhich it will be consumed.

Sports and leisureSport and its related industries are aproductive and potentially profitablesector of the economy. Sport has atremendous therapeutic value,teaches discipline and teamwork, andstudies in young peoples'participation in sport shows that itlessens the risk of teenage pregnancy,as well as the risk of involvement incrime and drugs. Unfortunately, manypeople are unable to enjoy as muchsport as they would like as most ofthe sporting infrastructure is stilllocalised in the Kingstown area, andmany rural areas lack quality sportsfacilities. We will:

· provide more sports equipment forpeople in areas outside ofKingstown;

· create opportunities for people tocompete in inter-island schoolsports;

· provide scholarships to up-and-coming sports people;

· provide living allowances toprominent sports peoplerepresenting the country to allowthem time to train, travel abroadand compete more effectively;

· put more resources into athleticsand provide more coaches andinter-schools competitions;

· provide better track and fieldfacilities;

· upgrade school sports facilities andmake them available to the publicafter school hours;

· encourage the private sector to getinvolved with maintaining sportsfacilities and sponsoring sportspeople and events;

· upgrade all national grounds tointernational standards;

· look at ways of extending thecapacity of the national stadiumthat is being constructed to bring itup to international standards sothat it can host internationalevents;

· increase leisure facilities in parks;

· allow sports facilities to be used fornon sports events such as musicconcerts and conferences. Thesewill bring in revenue and promoteSVG and its facilities abroad.

Culture and heritageThe protection and preservation ofour culture and heritage is important.Culture and heritage are vitalcomponents in nation building and agood sense of history provides the

foundationnecessary forfuture progress.Our culture can bea source of incometo individuals andour country. Wewill:

· put into placemechanismswhereby olderpeople can pass ontheir knowledge toyoung people;

· have an annualcultural showcaseto expose ouryoung talent;

Education


Education - the driving force of the economySVG Green Party genuinelybelieves that an educatedsociety is a skilled society. Webelieve that education is themeans to eradicating poverty,creating employment andreducing crime.

Education empowers the individualand society as a whole. Our presenteducation system is inadequate,failing for instance, the 55 per cent ofour children who do not receive thefull complement of primary schooleducation. This is totallyunacceptable. It is the children inpoor and low-income families thatmiss out most and that are caught ina cycle of poverty as a result. We willintroduce compulsory education inschool at all levels. We will workclosely with teachers to reform theeducation system to facilitate thedevelopment of every child to equipthem with the skills and knowledgeneeded to excel in the modern world.In so doing, we will deal with thesocial and economic issues that SVGfaces and help create a thrivingeconomy. Education is a universalright - we mustn't fail the children ofthe poor any longer!



· promote cultural exchangewithin the region andAfrica;

· give support to theexpansion of businesses incultural goods andservices;

· build museums, galleriesand theatres so that ourtalented artists andperformers can exhibittheir works and performcultural productions;

· encourage school trips tomuseums, galleries andtheatres so that young people canlearn more about their culture;

· seek scholarships abroad and othertraining for talented artists andperformers;

· export the skills of talented artistsand performers to other countries;

· develop protective legislation forcultural sites.

Music and dramaMusic is an integral part of our way oflife in the Caribbean. We have in ourcountry many talented artists andyoung people who are keen to learnand perform. We will:

· encourage children and youngpeople to get involved in ournation's music, such as steel pan

music, drums,flute and stringbands;

· build a nationaltheatre ofinternationalstandard;

· support dramasocieties inschools and thecommunity;

· encourage theprivate sector topromote andstrengthennational drama;

· support dramagroups to performabroad.

Pre-schoolResearch shows that the early yearsof education are crucial to the long-term development of a child. Ingovernment, SVG Green Party will:

· provide free pre-school educationto every child;

· expand pre-school education andsignificantly upgrade the pre-schoollearning environment, withstandards for pre-school buildingsand compulsory training for all pre-school teachers.

PrimaryWe will:

· provide free schools meals,textbooks and uniforms;

· put into operation parent educationtraining to equip parents to bemore proactive in the learningprocess of their children;

· introduce a program of earlyexamination of children foreyesight, hearing, speech andlearning problems in all schools;

· provide educational support andadditional tuition for childrenstruggling at school;

· set up communityhomework groups toencourage and help childrento do their homework;

· provide more and betterequipment to schoolsincluding computers;

· introduce the learning of asecond language in primaryschool.

Education



· provide university places free toVincentian nationals with the pre-requisite qualifications;

· provide bursaries to poor studentsto cover costs of books;

· set up a scholarship database ofuniversities in England, Canada andthe USA.

The knock-on effects of a universitywill be great. The economic, socialand financial benefits for NorthWindward (NW), North CentralWindward (NCW) and South CentralWindward (SCW) and beyond will besubstantial. It is projected that theuniversity will encourage theestablishment of many smallbusinesses and that a huge amount ofemployment will be created duringthe construction and the running ofthe university. We project knock-oneffects such as:

a) the need for much more rentedaccommodation providing a steady,sustainable income for those thatcan provide it;

b) the need for many more rentalvehicles, providing a steady,sustainable income for thatindustry;

c) the need for more shops andrestaurants;

d) a big demand for agriculturalproducts to supply the university,the student accommodationfacilities, shops, restaurants andhotels. This will be a big boost tofarmers who have suffered greatlywith the decline of the bananaindustry;

e) financial opportunities for streetvendors;

f) the value of the house or land of allland-owners and house-owners, willappreciate considerably in value.This will give them extra equityshould they want to move house ortake out a bank loan. They will alsohave more collateral with increasedland and property value;

Continued overleaf...



SecondaryWe will:

· provide free textbooks, uniformsand meals;

· provide careers advice in schools sochildren know what skills they needfor specific jobs;

· provide mediation services inschools to sort out problemsbetween students, teachers andparents;

· research a modular system sostudents who missed out oneducation will be able to come backto school, earn credits, and stillcomplete secondary education;

· improve the learning environmentby reducing the level of ambientnoise between classrooms;

· put a computer laboratory in everyschool;

· encourage parents to attend schoolparents' evenings to discuss theirchildren's progress;

· provide proper maintenance ofschool buildings and lands.

Post-16 educationWe will:

· increase the number of coursesavailable;

· make all examinations free;

· provide free textbooks, meals anduniforms;

· provide free transport to school;

· build two new sixth form facilitiesin Georgetown and Barrouallie;

· at the technical college, provide freemeals and transport, and upgradethe training facilities.

UniversitySVG Green Party aims to developeducation as a service industry, as indeveloped countries. We will build anational university of internationalstandards as part of the neweconomic drive to earn revenue andequip our workforce with skills. Forthe first time in our history we willlead most of the Caribbean ineducation and training. We will offerplaces in the university to fee-payingforeign students.

Fees from foreign students forcourses and accommodation willform part of the income for theuniversity. Research grants receivedby the SVG university, will also formpart of the funds required to run theuniversity.

The long-term national benefit ofhaving a university is significant.Experience has shown in countriessuch as Singapore, Brunei andMalaysia, that a national universityproduces a highly educated andskilled workforce that is adaptableand easily trainable. This in itselfencourages and attracts directforeign investment, whichenhances the nation's servicesector and increases GDP.

Utilities


ElectricitySVG Green Party will focus onalternative sources of energy to oil,such as wind, biomass, water andsolar. We need to reduce ourdependence on oil as it is expensiveand not an everlasting source ofenergy. History has shown that theprice of oil will only ever increase andnot decrease. People also need havegreater control over the production ofelectricity. We will:

· reduce the price of electricity by 50per cent over five years;

· abolish VINLEC's electricitymonopoly and fuel surcharge;

· set up a National Grid to sellelectricity at affordable prices;

· contract all producers of electricityto sell to the national grid and thenational grid will sell to the nation;

· provide incentives for people to usesolar panels for domestic water andlights;

· offer free electricity to people over60 living on their own or with theirspouse;

· introduce renewable energysupplies;

· encourage efficient use of electricityand energy conservation;

· encourage community co-opelectricity generation programs thatrun from renewable sources andinput to the national grid, providingan income for the co-op.



g) at present in the constituencies ofNW, NCW and SCW, theunemployment rate is 60 per centin some areas. Such highunemployment in this modern erais totally unacceptable andunnecessary. The university isprojected to reduce the rate ofunemployment to less than 15 percent;

h) the social effect of having thisuniversity would be to lift thespirits of the communities in theNW, NCW and SCW constituenciesin particular, as it is projected thatwith the above knock-on effects,there will be a reducedlevel of crime, poverty andilliteracy and an increase inthe level of disposableincome for the families inthese constituencies;

i) on a national level, theuniversity will increaseGDP, reduce national debtand boost the tourismindustry.

Only a green government candeliver this university - 'greengold' - to the areas of NW,NCW and SCW as it is an integral partof our economic, sustainable programto uplift the economy of SVG. Sincethe last election, neither the ULP northe NDP has put forward a coherenteconomic strategy to create revenuefor our country, and national debthas increased considerably. Theycannot fund a university or bringabout its advantages. SVG Green Partyhopes that all voters, not just ones inNW, NCW and SCW, will support thisunique opportunity for jobs andprosperity for the families of ournation, and for the economic andsocial good of the nation.

Utilities

Access to water and electricity isa basic need for all. There is nocoherent reason why everyhousehold does not already haveaccess to water and electricity.

SVG Green Party believes that pastgovernments have failed poor peopleby not making the needs of poor andlow-income families a priority. SVGGreen Party will address this issue.

WaterSVG Green Party will:

· abolish the water meterrental charge;

· offer free water to poorfamilies;

· offer free water to peopleover 60 living on their ownor with their spouse;

· upgrade the present watersystem to provide morereservoirs;

· strengthen the laws to protect andpreserve the watersheds;

· provide piped water to allhouseholds;

· stop the practice of waterdisconnection to families unable topay;

· carry out frequent checks of waterquality at the watersheds;

· upgrade the water system toinclude fire hydrants so the fireservice can fight fires moreeffectively and save more lives.

Each day more energy falls to the Earth from the sun's rays than the total amount of energy the planet's 5.9 billion inhabitants would consume in 27 years. See: www.aesystems.com

Policing and Security, Public works and transport'


Drugs and crimeRecent governments havebeen re-active rather pro-active in fighting crime. SVGGreen Party believes in thepro-active approach. SVGGreen Party believes thatinequalities in society are asignificant factor in thecauses of crime. Aspects ofSVG Green Party's SocialPolicy will help reducecrime. In addition, SVGGreen Party will:

· set up free mediationservices to resolveneighbourhood disputesbefore they get violent;

· conduct an analysis ofcrime problems in SVGand use the findings toformulate a strategy tostamp out crime;

· set up community-basedprogrammes to stamp outcrime in their community;

· work with offenders tofind out why they choosecrime and help them notre-offend;

· set up anti-drugs andcrime programs;

· work with marijuanafarmers to enable them tofind alternatives sourcesof income such as hempfarming;

· set up a Youth OffendingScheme to deal withoffending youths oryouths at risk of

offending.

Public works and transport

There is a need toreduce the inefficiencyin public works andmake systems oftransport better andsafer. In recent timesKingstown becomecongested and we needto make traffic flowthrough Kingstown moreeasily. We will:

· review the efficiency andvalue for money of theMinistry of Public Works andTransport to assess itsstrengths and weaknesses;

· put out to tender all publicworks to private companiesand GESCO to make theseworks more efficient andreceive better value formoney;

· work to get a fleet ofaccessible buses for peoplewith disabilities;

· research the idea ofproviding a renewed boatservice from Kingstown toBarrouallie and Layou;

· improve the life of theroads and reduce the cost ofmaintenance by improvingwater drainage;

· improve road safety;

· increase the number of



Policing and security

The children of our nation relyupon adults for many things,including a safe and cleanenvironment in which they canlive and play. As a nation wehave to live up to this duty andprovide effective policing andsecurity so all citizens can livewithout fear of harm. We need tooptimise the ability of the policeforce in its effectiveness ofdealing with crime.

PoliceWe will:

· review the police workload, itsworking environment, pay andpensions and upgrade policeoperations, pay and pensionsaccording to the findings of thereview;

· provide more technology andtraining in fighting crime;

· provide loans and scholarships forofficers to gain a universityeducation;

· provide opportunities for officersto gain civil qualifications;

· ensure more community policingand higher police visibility on thestreets;

· provide more police officers on footpatrol as a deterrent to crime;

· offer incentives to reduce the highexit rate from the police force;

· enable officers to respond morequickly to incidents by trackingwhere and when incidents occurand placing officers around theselocations at the appropriate times;

· encourage community andneighbourhood watch schemes.

National SecurityIn today's world there is a greaterneed to have national security undercontrol. We will:

· review present policies on nationalsecurity;

· introduce policies to protect andpreserve the national security ofSVG based on the above review;

· increase the abilities of nationalresponse teams;

· research the type of nationalsecurity issues SVG may face;

· co-ordinate agencies that make upthe various parts of the nationalsecurity team;

· improve the customs departmentsto reduce the number of gunscoming into our country andreaching the streets, and eradicategun crime.

Good governance and Transparency


This system works in Brazil and othercountries. Poor communities arebeing empowered and obtainingbetter infrastructure such as bettersanitation and drains, better schoolsand hospitals. There are reducedrates of corruption and substantiallyincreased levels of participation inelections and local decision making.

Direct citizen participation paves theway for building a new kind ofpolitical system and a newrelationship between people and thegovernment. SVG Green Party will:

· introduce legislation to establish afreedom of information act;

· promote civil service reformthrough consultation;

· foster public discussion on policybefore it is adopted;

· set up the participatory budgetsystem and the publicassemblies neededfor the massconsultationsto takeplace;

· increasethenumberofmembersofparliamentfrom 15 to 19in consultationwith the boundariescommission;

· support the constitutional reformfor proportional representation ingeneral elections.

TransparencyThe signing in December 2003 of theUN Convention against Corruption,the result of a three-year effort by129 countries, reflects a globalconsensus on the need for aninternational legal system to fightcorruption. Concern for improvedstandards of governance,transparency, and accountability isnow spreading across the globe. Inmany countries citizens groups areholding their governments toaccount. In Bangladesh, TransparencyInternational's national chapter hasinitiated the formation of Committeesof Concerned Citizens, which rateservices and lobby for reform whereservice delivery is perceived to befailing.

SVG Green Party advocates a greatersystem of transparency withingovernment in SVG and will introducea policy of disclosure of income and

assets for members of governmentand people in senior public jobs.

A Disclosure Act will show theincome and changes in wealthof individuals while theyhold public office.

The purpose of introducinglegislation for disclosure of

income and assets for publicoffice bearers are to:

· provide the basis formonitoring the wealth ofindividuals in public office;

· increase accountability of theactions of public office bearers andreduce the chances of involvementin, or encouragement to, corruptpractices in the public offices theymanage.



SVG Green Party believes thatpower emanates from peopleand wishes to give people morecontrol within the democraticprocesses in the country.

To this end, SVG Green Partyadvocates participatory democracyand participatory budgets. Within thismore democratic system ofgovernance, people are not governedby their MPs and do not relinquish somuch power to their MPs.

Within a participatory democraticsystem, people are more involved indecision-making and have controlover the regional budget particular tothe area in which they live.

Through a series of local assembliesand community meetings, the peopledecide what the priorities are in theirarea and what gets done. Thebudgets, regional and national, are onpublic display so people can seeexactly where and how money isbeing spent. Through this system, notonly is the government moretransparent and the possibilities ofcorruption severely reduced, but localcommunity groups get a chance tobid for works. Support will be givenby government to help communitygroups and co-ops bid for tendersand realise their skills.

This way, more wealth is gained bypoorer people, rather than just byrich owners of companies.

Concern for improved

standards of governance,transparency and

accountability is nowspreading across the globe. In many countries citizensgroups are holding their

governments toaccount.

Good Governance, Participation and Inclusion

Acknowledgements We would like to thank thefollowing people for their help increating this manifesto: Don O’Neal(editing), Sally Lane (editing), andStig (design).

PrintingPrinted by CPPP60a Boundary Road Extension, San Juan, Trinidad, West Indies. See: www.cppp93.com

While there may be no universallyagreed definition of corruption, we

can take it to meansomething alongthe lines of:'misuse of officefor private gain'.The office is aposition of trust,where one receivesauthority in orderto act on behalf ofan institution, be itprivate, public, ornon-profit.

SVG Green Party will increasetransparency and prevent corruptionby:

· ensuring there is no discriminationin the allocation of jobs in privateand public sectors;

· working to narrow the gap betweenthe rich and the poor;

· being firm and fair in dealing withnational issues such asappointments of governmentofficials.

Foreign policy


Foreign policy

It is important for SVG to take anactive role in the world forumsof economic, social andenvironmental development.Institutions such as the UnitedNations, World Bank,International Monetary Fund andthe World Trade Organisationmake decisions that affect ourlives.

It is necessary that we are proactivein helping thefurtherdevelopment ofthese institutionsand the globaleconomy so thatour rights and livesare not adverselyaffected.

We will:

· create ties withmainland Chinaand cut ties withTaiwan;

· strengthen ourrelations with theUSA, the UK,

Canada, the Commonwealth, andthe European Union;

· commit to a single market andeconomy of the Caribbean;

· support the policy for a singlepassport for Caricom;

· seek close ties with Africa in trade,sport and cultural areas;

· work closely with other Caribbeancountries to fight World TradeOrganisation (WTO) rulings thatimpact negatively on the people andeconomy of SVG and otherCaribbean countries;

· join other developing countries andother Green parties to campaign atfuture WTO negotiation roundsagainst policies that impoverishand reduce rights of developingcountries;

· support policies to stop corporatecontrol of the world economy andrulings that render nationalgovernments powerless to protecttheir citizens and environment;

· set up SVG consulates in Asian,African and Latin Americancountries to boost trade andcultural relations;

· revise the foreign service so that itis more proactive in creating moretrade for SVG;

· support the World Social Forums asthese meetings seek to improve thelives of poorer people.



Information gathering and disclosureThe followingprinciples areimportant inseeking andsecuring effectivedisclosure ofincome and assets:

· informationrequestedshould be notonly for theoffice holder, but also for members

· of his or her immediate family;

· there should be sanctions fordeliberate failure to provideaccurate information;

· resources should be allocated andan office established within thegovernment to monitor thedisclosures and to pursueanomalies that are observed;

· availability of this information tothe public is a key aspect of suchdisclosure.

We would welcome any spare timeyou may have to help with our boldcampaign. Tasks include: media-work, leafleting, canvassing,answering the phone, organisinglocal meetings etc.

Support SVG Green PartyPlease consider making a donation tohelp pay for further SVG campaigns.Send a cheque made payable to ‘SVGGreen Party’. Thanks.

Green PartyP.O. Box 1707, St. VincentTel / fax: 4569579Email: [email protected]

Membership ...is FREE - call, email or visit us.

Global GreensSee: www.globalgreens.info/

Get involved in the St. Vincent & the Grenadines

SVG Green Party - 21st century vision


ObjectivesOur objectives to improve the nation are to:

• eradicate poverty and illiteracy

• empower our people

• create a just and peaceful society

• successfully manage the SVGeconomy to create wealth andprovide the nation with asustainable income

• create employment and betterquality of life for all

• protect the poor and vulnerable inour society

• protect and preserve theenvironment in which we live

• move away from the old mind-set ofnepotism and ensure that peoplegain employment by ability not bywho they know

• create a mind-set of positive self-esteem, mutual respect and faith inoneself

• end SVG'seconomicdependency andbecome a net giverrather than a netreceiver of aid

• for SVG to be aleader and not afollower inregional affairs

AimsIn order to put our objectivesin to practice we will:

• provide free education and skillstraining for all, from pre-schoolto university

• provide the poor with free pipedwater and free electricity

• move from an agriculturally-ledeconomy to a service-ledeconomy



SVG Green Party - 21st century vision

PhilosophyWe, in the SVG Green Party, believe:

• that all people are equal and inthe supremacy of God

• in the right of everyone toshelter, water, food andeducation

• in freedom of speech andmovement in a democraticsociety

• that people should not live infear or under oppression

• that the environment in which welive is not just for us, but forfuture generations too, and thatit should be conserved, so thatthey can enjoy it as we do today

• in equal opportunities and accessto good health and education forall

• that we need to protect thebiodiversity of our preciousecosystem

• provide equal opportunities anderadicate discrimination

• be firm with crime and the causesof crime

• create legislation to strengthen theprotection of the environment bymaking it a critical considerationfor all future proposeddevelopments

• provide free dental and eyesightexaminations for all

Documents

SVG Green Party 2005 Manifesto