Gulf South for a Green New Deal

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At the Bi-annual Fall meeting, the congregation voted to sign on to the Gulf South for a Green New Deal (#GulfSouth4GND) platform. The platform is support by 7 key principles

  • Advance equity: Consider and repair historical harm against those who have contributed the least to climate change and suffered the most. Advance solutions to the climate crisis that center those most impacted.
  • Follow the Frontlines: The voices and needs of Indigenous and frontline communities must be prioritized in a Green New Deal. The sovereign rights and treaties of all tribal nations must be acknowledged and honored.
  • Build Community Wealth & Health: For too long, workers in Gulf South communities have been forced into a false choice between a living wage and their health. Jobs associated with a Green New Deal must offer living wages, prioritize sustainable farming, transitioning to renewable energy, and investing in the next generation who will live on a further changing planet.
  • Invest in Visionary & Transformative Change: Urgent transformative action capable of addressing the full scope and complexity of this moment is needed. Now is the time to invest in systems and institutions capable of bringing forth a more just, equitable, and sustainable world.
  • Advance Community & Local Control: Power must be shifted away from large corporations and to local communities. We demand pathways towards affordable housing and sustainable homeownership, public control of natural resources, renewable energy sources and utility services.
  • Use an Intersectional Approach: The challenges facing frontline communities are not rooted in a single issue but rather the consequence of intersecting breaks and injustices in our social fabric.
  • Value All Humans Equally: Every human being has value and the inherent value of our humanity is not measured by our economic output. We deserve an economy rooted in the dignity and self-determination of communities, from the bottom up.

Learn more about how you can support the work of the Gulf South for a Green New Deal (#GulfSouth4GND) and Mississippi for a Green New Deal (MS4GND).