Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) drew on her experiences living as an American abroad in speaking to the group of international Democrats Abroad leaders gathered for day one of the Democratic Party Committee Abroad (DPCA) Global meeting in Washington, D.C.
Gillibrand brought a powerful message of empowerment, calling on members to work towards democratizing the democracy in an important time of social activism.
“This is a moment in time when regular people can raise their voices to be heard,” said Gillibrand.
The New York Senator also reaffirmed the crucial role that DA plays in helping to maintain the connections of Americans abroad back home, allowing them to vote and take part in their own democracy. Gillibrand emphasized how important that opportunity is to Americans in the Trump administration, also praising the outlets that the Women’s and Climate Change marches played in allowing the world to create an intersectional moment of action.
Gillibrand said that her experiences abroad first in university and then at the start of her legal career provided her with the insight and empathy to both live with and reach out to different people and communities, a skill which she has leveraged into reaching across the aisle to work with partisan colleagues in the Senate.
The Senator’s address capped off a day full of resolutions and regional meetings and trainings for DA leaders from many of its 42 country committees. Participants had seminars on press and media relations building, fundraising, and rules of order which they can then take back to their respective countries to better empower and engage with serving Americans abroad in their communities.
Stay tuned for day two...
Courtney Hagen, DAUK/Global comms team