[Gpca-votes] Fwd: Coordinating Committee Application

[Nicole Castor]

Dear All,

I had forwarded this to the GPCA General Discussion list and so I will
forward it here, as well. This should confirm that I had sent application
on time, and according to instructions. Also note that Christopher Cruz
also had applied for male seat, and is not listed, either.

-Nicole Castor
GP Sacramento County
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Nicole Castor" <nmcastorsilva at gmail.com>
Date: Aug 10, 2017 5:07 PM
Subject: Coordinating Committee Application
To: <applications at cagreens.org>
Cc:

My name is Nicole Castor. Coming from the “#demexit” wave, I joined the
Green Party in July 2016. Having been registered Democrat for over
seventeen years, my dissatisfaction and disappointment with the
supposedly-progressive Democratic Party led me to finally realize that the
needs of common people, the planet and future generations will neither be
addressed nor met from within the corrupt and corporately-run two-party
'system'.



I was born and raised in Lakewood, New Jersey, a culturally-diverse
community which helped to shape my perspective and worldview. I had moved
to California as a teen, spent a few years on each coast, and eventually
settled down in California because of its affordable public colleges.  I
attended a community college and transferred to California State University
Sacramento, earning my BA in Sociology in 2008. My studies helped me
recognize and address key issues affecting the marginalized in our society.
Throughout college, I was active in my community, and often participated in
various demonstrations and protests. Once I started a family, after
college, my involvement toned down a bit as I dedicated my time as a
stay-at-home-mom, focusing my activism on raising a couple of little
radicals who will shape the system in their time!



As my children are growing, I am now afforded more time to come back to the
community involvement I’ve missed so much. After registering Green last
year, I have been fortunate to meet others with a common deep concern for
society. I quickly became involved in re-activating the Green Party of
Sacramento County. Because of our hard work, we became a recognized County
Council and are establishing a Green presence and visibility in the
Sacramento area by joining committees, coalitions, and participating in
events, actions and demonstrations.  We have been vocal about Homeless
Rights issues when attending City Council meetings, had been mentioned in
the local news for our participation in a recent “Reclaim MLK Day” march.
As an individual, I had also had the opportunity to speak in support of the
Green Party on the local Fox News and in an online Bloomberg View article [
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-09-23/two-
parties-aren-t-enough-for-all-u-s-voters].



I currently hold a seat on the steering committee of the Sacramento
Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights, am on Student Career Options
Committee (countering military recruiters in high schools), an adjunct of
Sacramento Area Peace Action.  I had given marginal help on the organizing
committee for the Sacramento May Day March and provided supplemental
support on the organizing committee for March on Monsanto Sacramento.  As
well as my own involvement, I strongly urge others in the County Council to
collaborate with other coalitions.



In addition to the policy side, I was chosen as our County Council
Co-Coordinator by the other Sacramento County Council members. That has
helped me to gain an appreciation of how the party itself needs to be run,
which was then further expanded when I attended the March 2017 GPCA General
Assembly in Bakersfield, where I met similarly-committed Greens from around
the state – contacts I hope to work with in the years to come.



Most recently, I was honored to host, with my county, the most recent GPCA
General Assembly in Sacramento.  The tremendous amount of work involved was
worth every minute to see such a large turn-out of our state Greens.  It
had been expressed by some that it was an incredibly productive and
positive meeting.  The council and I were incredibly proud of the results
of our work, and to see everyone attend, working in harmony.  Maybe it was
too hot to argue, or maybe it was a great mix of people who felt the love
and care which went into making that meeting possible.



What do I wish to accomplish on the Coordinating Committee?

The single-most important thing to me, in my work with my county Green
Party, always comes down to integrity: integrity of the party and integrity
of principles.  I want to make it clear, my intention to serve at the state
level is not based on petty factional politics, but rather to a commitment,
which is bigger than Green Party, but of course, Green Party is part of
this.  This commitment is to make the world a better and more equitable
place for future generations.  This will only happen through social
movements, having political diversity in Congress, engaging disenchanted
voters and non-voters, strategic growth of the party with substance, rather
than bolting growth which favors quantity over quality.  I possess a strong
ideological theoretical framework, from which I base my decisions, a mind
of my own which does not take sides.  I feel that this is crucial to our
party’s survival- to value what is right over what is popular, and to refer
to our key values and the pillars which support our platform, to guide our
decisions.  I did not come to GPCA for recognition, personal gain or to be
commissioned as an activist.  I came to do my part in facilitating the
changes necessary for social justice, by deepening my involvement with the
party.



The Green Party can be a truly transformative political party -- if and
only if it remains true to its principles.   I strongly believe in the
Green Party's Ten Key Values and see those as the most important basis of
how we should operate.



I also understand the necessity of the basic administrative work that the
Coordinating Committee is responsible for, work that empowers the rest of
the party – from ensuring our state meetings happen in a timely manner and
are well-run, to appointing people to important committees, to recognizing
new county parties and more. I am ready to attend the monthly Coordinating
Committee teleconferences and do my share of those administrative tasks.
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