Paul Colbert
A truly remarkable thing happened in Indianapolis in the waning weeks of summer 2001, and it wasn’t another yearly rendition of the Brickyard 400. On August 3 and 4, a small but dedicated group of activists gathered in the Old Centrum auditorium just north of downtown Indy for the first state convention of the Indiana Green Party.
The story truly began during the 2000 presidential election, when people from all over the country who were fed up with the corporate-owned status quo supported a man by the name of Ralph Nader for president. Last summer a similar group of activists met at that very same auditorium and took on the monumental task of attempting to get Nader on the ballot for Indiana. Although we were not able to get him on the ballot, the seeds of change were planted in the minds of people all throughout Indiana. Locals sprouted up in places that had a nutrient-rich soil, just shouting for something green to take root; a new political force was born.
And so on a warm summer weekend, in a former church and current community center in our state’s capital, people met and exchanged ideas. Tracy Carson presented a workshop on how to prepare candidates for election. Less formal discussions ranged from the nuances of Green Party t-shirt colors to the ideological roots of the movement against globalization. We slew a crafty beast that is the bane of new organizations (The Bylaws), and we nominated the brave few who would represent us in next year's statewide election. Tom Brown of South Bend (St. Joe Valley Greens) was nominated for Secretary of State, and Jeff Melton of Bloomington (our own Monroe County Greens) was nominated for the 9th US Congressional seat. We also selected new coordinating members for the young but boisterous state party. Tracy Carson of Indianapolis and Peter Drake of Bloomington were elected Co-Coordinators; Heather Drake and Isabel Piedmont, both of Bloomington, were elected Treasurer and Secretary, respectively.All in all the convention was quite successful. But where do we go from here? Stay tuned for a final vote on the IGP Bylaws, which were provisionally adopted at the Congress. The Coordinating Committee, comprised of the newly elected officers and delegates from locals and working groups, will meet on September 8. Stay tuned for your opportunity to become an official member of this promising state party.