"should" and no timeframe is a way too gentle phrasing.
Political Platform: | FYEG Political Platform - Introduction + A Diverse and Feminist Europe |
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Proposer: | Swiss Young Greens |
Status: | Screened |
Submitted: | 05/21/2021, 15:38 |
Political Platform: | FYEG Political Platform - Introduction + A Diverse and Feminist Europe |
---|---|
Proposer: | Swiss Young Greens |
Status: | Screened |
Submitted: | 05/21/2021, 15:38 |
orientation, gender identity, and gender expression freely and without fear. So-called “conversion therapy”* is dehumanising and shouldmust be banned and prosecuted immediately. The relationships of same- and opposite-sex couples and their families should enjoy
We, the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG), are the movement of the
Green youth at the European level. Our individual and organisational backgrounds
lie in the social and environmental justice movements, in feminist and queer
battles, and in the defence of fundamental rights and democracy. For more than
30 years, our member organisations have joined forces at the European level,
uniting their collective voices and aspirations to learn from each other, to
debate, to campaign together, and to make the green Europe we wish to see become
a reality.
Through our shared struggles and aspirations, we see that not a single one of
our political issues is a lone priority. We refuse to choose between the
survival and well-being of the planet, our personal liberties and freedoms, and
social welfare. To be Green means to fight for all these demands simultaneously.
To achieve our goal of a feminist, diverse, democratic, sustainable, and social
Europe, we use different channels, political arenas, and tools. The institutions
of formal politics are spaces in which many decisions affecting our lives and
our politics are made. We work to be present and heard at all stages and levels,
and to make clear the urgency of Green politics.
FYEG advocates for systemic changes that cannot be achieved through a catalogue
of single-issue political measures. They require the dismantling of various
systems of oppression and the transformation of society as a whole. Therefore,
our fight is not limited to institutions. We are also active at the grassroots
level, running campaigns together, supporting local struggles, and empowering
changemakers through non-formal education projects.
Our work and practices as a movement must be aligned with what we stand for. We
must fight against the sexist, racist, ageist, ableist, class-based systems of
oppression – also within our own organisations. Only in this way can we build a
truly inclusive movement for all.
The challenges lie not only in victories within institutional politics, but also
in changing the political playing field. The dreams and actions of a small
number of committed individuals and movements can bring causes to the centre of
the political debate and, by doing so, effect much-needed change.
As the Federation of Young European Greens, we agree on the principles laid down
in this document, which should serve as a basis for our work across Europe.
FYEG fights for intersectional* feminism*, a feminism that is anti-racist, anti-
fascist, and draws from the queer* and disability rights movements. A feminism
that recognises diversity and the different ways in which privilege* and
oppression* manifest in society. Our feminism is not just about smashing the
patriarchy*, but about smashing all systems of oppression. We are against
societies that only feed the dominant power. We push for an alternative model
based on justice and equity for those devalued by systems of oppression, one
that actively undermines the dominant power.
Systems of oppression seek to divide us, control us, and harm everyone in
society. We will not let them. We fight any kind of discrimination or hate crime
on the basis of real or assumed nationality, race, ethnicity, religion or
beliefs, gender and sexual identity, ideology, disability, class, or age. We
recognise the difference and diversity among people and societies in Europe, and
see this as a richness.
We advocate for policies created with people who experience discrimination and
support affirmative action for underrepresented groups. We demand anti-
discrimination laws. Governments must take measures to ensure the safety and
health of marginalized groups.
As we work for a Europe which is truly welcoming and inclusive for all, we take
a twofold approach. First, we work for social justice* and equality now – within
the limits of the current norms, within the systems that constrain us – while
recognising that this can never be social justice for everyone and that, in this
way, only small gains are made. Second, we question the systems, we think them
anew, in order to break free from the norms and boundaries that constrain us.
Systems of oppression are a social construct and can therefore be deconstructed,
with the help of collective action and organising. We can imagine and give life
to new systems that work for all. We question human-made borders, the
arbitrariness of passports and permits, and the dichotomy of binary gender*.
Systems of inequality based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
disability, religion, and class intersect with each other. The solutions we push
for must therefore be rooted in an intersectional perspective. When approaching
a specific case of oppression, we should not lose sight of the bigger framework
in which oppression takes place, as well as other systems of inequality
associated with it.
When fighting inequality and tackling societal problems, we keep in mind that a
person’s identity has many facets and oppose approaches which define a group as
homogenous and based on a single identity.
We understand that all dimensions of a person’s identity contribute to a
person’s access to justice and equality. Inequality can take many forms, ranging
from the lack of representation of a specific identity in the public sphere to
the criminalisation of identities. Our aspiration is a world in which such
inequalities are dismantled, and people can express themselves and their
identities freely and without fear.
When new policies are proposed at all levels of governance, they should be
analysed from an intersectional perspective that ensures no one is left behind.
Today, European societies remain deeply racist. In such a context, it is not
enough to simply not be racist – we must be anti-racist. Racism is not only
about hate speech and hate crime: it is the systemic discrimination against and
oppression of people on the basis of their supposed membership of a particular
racial or ethnic group. It includes antiziganism, antisemitism*, and
islamophobia*. It is built through the perpetuation of prejudices, as well as
the belief that there are different races and that some races are superior to
others.
European societies are built on the ongoing oppression and discrimination of
racialised people*, including Black people, people of colour, Roma and Traveller
communities, Muslims, and Jews . Today, racialised people are still second-class
citizens in Europe. This oppression is visible in the institutions, on the
streets, and in culture. Racialised people face police violence and are
discriminated against in all aspects of life, from job opportunities to access
to healthcare and housing.
Race should be understood as a social construct and as a category that is used
to discriminate against people of colour and other racialised groups, and not as
a biological reality.
Racism in Europe is, among others, rooted in the colonial and imperialist
history of European countries. The ideologies and inequalities that it created
are still present today. To properly tackle racism, Europe must face up to its
colonial past and recognise the racism present in European history, societies,
cultures, and institutions. An appropriate response to this must include
monetary reparations for the former colonies of European states, as well as the
return of stolen artefacts currently exhibited in European museums.
FYEG supports mechanisms to dismantle racism and achieve justice for those who
are marginalised by systemic racism. We support the introduction of mechanisms
of affirmative action including access to higher education or public jobs.
States must fight discrimination in access to healthcare, jobs, justice, and
education. To ensure that the next generation is educated about racism,
curricula should be designed that cover white privilege, racism, antiziganism,
antisemitism, islamophobia, neocolonialism*, Black history, colonial history,
and the history of other racialised communities.
Even though racism is not an individual phenomenon, individuals must also
recognise their own privileges, educate themselves, and join in solidarity with
Black people and people of colour, Roma and Traveller communities, Muslims,
Jews, and all other racialised communities.
More specifically, FYEG strongly believes that addressing racial oppression
holds the key to achieving not only social justice but also climate justice and
equity. Racialised activists have been at the forefront of justice struggles. In
their struggles they are either made invisible by white people or have been
disproportionately targeted by state violence. It is essential for our movements
to recognise and actively fight against the mechanisms that have resulted in the
exclusion and silencing of racialised activists.
FYEG supports the rights and fights of disabled people. Disability can refer to
physical or intellectual impairments and can include mental and/or chronic
health conditions. Ableism* is discrimination or social prejudice against
disabled people, such as assuming a disabled person does not have the same
capabilities as an able-bodied person to perform certain tasks or roles within
society.
Being disabled should not limit a person's choices to be present in public
spaces, interact with the world around them, and take part in social, political,
and cultural activities. FYEG supports the social model of disability, which
sees disability as the social barriers that impair people, prevent them from
exercising their autonomy, and reduce equality, rather than the person's own
impairment.
To remove these barriers, FYEG supports a holistic approach to increasing
accessibility which puts disabled people at the centre of policy development.
Policies must be created by them and for them. FYEG recognises that disability
is unique to each individual and their own experience, and that there can be no
one-size-fits-all policy or healthcare approach.
We believe that sign language should be recognised by all states as a national
and official language, and that access to sign language, braille, and other
methods of communication should be broadened. FYEG also believes that all
barriers should be removed that prevent disabled people from accessing their
civil and political rights; these can include physical and social barriers.
When it comes to healthcare treatment for disabled people, medical professionals
should work on the assumption that individuals are capable of giving consent
unless they are informed otherwise. Medical professionals should not proceed
with any form of treatment without first seeking the consent of the person
receiving the treatment, regardless of their medical condition.
FYEG works towards a world in which people can thrive and know it is safe to be
themselves, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender
expression, and sex characteristics.
Gender-based violence* is a brutal violation of human rights. It affects people
of all social and economic backgrounds across Europe. However, women of colour,
women with disabilities, LGBTQIA+* women, migrant women, and poor and working-
class women are most likely to be at risk and face the biggest obstacles to
getting help.
The historical, systemic exclusion of marginalised genders at all levels of
political decision-making, from local to European institutions, finally needs to
stop. Different mechanisms, including quotas, can help to correct this, and
ensure the proportional representation of all gender identities in assemblies at
all levels of government in Europe.
Our long-term aspiration is a fluid world. We recognise that labels, while
helping us to identify how to fight for rights and justice in a system built
against us, cannot represent the spectrum of identities and expressions we
embody. Our short-term task is to work for LGBTQIA+ rights, to work for sexual
and reproductive health and rights* (SRHR), to fight against gender-based
violence, and to continue to advocate for gender equality at all levels of
society – at home, in the workplace, in politics, etc. We work towards a world
in which every person has the right to live freely according to their gender
identity and gender expression, and the right to self-determination* and bodily
autonomy*.
Sexual and reproductive health and rights should be part of all educational
curricula and should be effectively implemented in all schools. The sexual
education curriculum should be non-judgemental, sex positive, consent-focused,
and comprehensive enough to cover sexual orientation, gender identity, gender
expression, and sex characteristics. More funding and research should be
allocated to sexual education and reproductive healthcare.
We demand free, accessible, good quality, and safe sexual and reproductive
healthcare and services for all. Healthcare should be based on human rights,
bodily autonomy, and informed consent* for all, especially the most vulnerable
groups, such as trans people*, people with disabilities, people without papers,
and migrants.
Free and accessible sexual and reproductive healthcare should include accessible
and free contraception for all, as well as medically-assisted procreation*. Pink
tax discrimination* should end. Menstrual products should be cost-free and
freely accessible everywhere, including schools, universities, and public
toilets. Wherever there is free toilet paper there should be free menstrual
products.
Each year thousands of people die because of the criminalisation of and lack of
access to abortion. Banning abortion only causes greater harm to those who seek
it, who then undergo serious health, legal, and financial risks to have an
abortion illegally. We condemn all attempts to restrict access to abortion. We
advocate for free, accessible, non-judgemental, good quality, safe, legal, and
local abortion. The right to abortion must be included in the EU’s Charter of
Fundamental Rights*.
Certain countries require trans people wishing to access legal gender
recognition procedures to undergo forced sterilisation. This violates their
dignity and right to bodily autonomy and should be banned. Non-consensual
surgeries on intersex people* and genital mutilation* should also be outlawed.
States must ban all dehumanising practices and offer reparations to all trans
and intersex people who have been forced to renounce their bodily autonomy in
this way.
The stigmatisation of HIV* must end. HIV treatment is highly effective in
reducing the transmission of HIV and people with an undetectable viral load
cannot transmit HIV sexually. More funds should be allocated to education and
raising awareness on HIV and HIV prevention, as well as to research and
treatment. HIV treatment should be free and universally accessible.
Women and girls (cis and trans) are often exposed to serious forms of physical
violence including domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape. We demand the
legal definition of rape to respect individual self-determination. Rape is
generally defined as sexual intercourse with a person by forcible compulsion;
sexual intercourse with a person who is incapable of consent by reason of being
physically helpless or mentally incapacitated; or sexual intercourse with an
underage person. We demand for it to be defined by lack of consent, not by the
threat of violence.
All European countries must implement the Istanbul Convention*. The Convention
sets out measures to address all forms of violence against women, recognising
this violence as a human rights violation and a form of discrimination.
Countries need to provide clear and concise information for victims in a
language they understand, accessible and inclusive shelters, and telephone
hotlines.
We acknowledge the gender-based discrimination of women in the labour market. We
therefore demand equal pay for equally valuable work and an end to
discrimination based on pregnancy and parenthood.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, and asexual rights are still
under attack in our patriarchal, capitalist system. Even today, conservative
governments are trying to take away the hard-earned freedoms and rights of
LGBTQIA+ people. Homophobia* and transphobia* can fuel hate speech and hate
crime and should be criminalised.
Every person should have the right to live according to their sexual
orientation, gender identity, and gender expression freely and without fear. So-
called “conversion therapy”* is dehumanising and shouldmust be banned and prosecuted immediately. The
relationships of same- and opposite-sex couples and their families should enjoy
equal recognition. Same-sex couples have a right to family life. This includes
the right for all people with a uterus to have access to medically assisted
procreation*, regardless of their sexual orientation or relationship status.
Marriages and civil unions should be open to all couples, and those recognised
in one European country should also be fully recognised in all others.
Trans women are women, trans men are men, non-binary is valid, and trans rights
are human rights. Mandatory mental health assessments violate trans people’s
dignity and right to self-determination and should be banned. We demand legal
gender recognition procedures and the right to change names in an auto-
declarative and unconditional manner. These procedures should be quick,
transparent, accessible, free, based solely on individual self-determination,
and without age restrictions. Additionally, we call for the removal of all sex
markers in identity documents, including passports.
Pluralistic societies* depend on enabling a safe space in which each person is
free to believe or not believe, practise their beliefs, observe their beliefs,
and organise for their beliefs. We fight against islamophobia* and
antisemitism*, and condemn any kind of discrimination and hate speech against
people based on their religion. We believe in a pluralistic society built on
dialogue. The right to religious freedom and the right to practise religion
freely must be protected under national and European law. We oppose the idea
that religion is by nature a divisive issue and a source of tensions, and that
people should hide their religious beliefs or feel ashamed of them.
We stand for a secular state* in which there is a separation between religion
and government, and where religious laws are not considered to be above or
outside civil law. We believe states should not give preferential treatment to
certain religions as this creates a discriminatory system. Workers should have
the right to celebrate the holidays of their own religion without facing
discrimination or penalisation. The wearing of religious symbols should not be
used as a reason to exclude people from education, work, public services, or
public spaces.
FYEG stands for cultural rights. We defend the right of individuals and
communities, including national minorities, to practise and preserve their
cultures, including their languages, religions, art forms, and ways of life. We
support the implementation of the European Charter for Regional or Minority
Languages by all European states*.
Europe and the European Union must provide support and offer asylum to those
whose cultural rights are being violated elsewhere.
"should" and no timeframe is a way too gentle phrasing.