Avocado Declaration

Californian politician Peter Camejo initiated the Avocado Declaration in January 2004 as part of the Avocado Education Project to explain why he believed that the Green Party of the United States should adopt a firm and uncompromising identity to promote its values and combat opposition from the more powerful Democratic and Republican parties in the United States.

The name "Avocado Declaration" refers to the ideal of party members being like the avocado: "Green on the outside; green on the inside." The declaration is the principal document of the group Greens for Democracy and Independence.

The document discusses the origins of the de facto two-party system in the U.S., the roles the two major parties play in this system, the history of struggles for democracy and social justice in the U.S., the manipulation of elections through ballot access restrictions, the powerful role of money in campaigning, the shift away from the rule of law in the last decades and particularly since 2001, the attack on the Green Party by the Democratic Party, the rise of opposition to George W. Bush and his administration's policies, and a discussion of long-term vs. short-term strategic planning for the Green Party.