As states across the US review their maps and plans for redistricting, advocates against prison gerrymandering are hoping to seize a rare opportunity (happening only once every ten years), to put an end to the unjust and discriminatory practice of prison gerrymandering.  Democrats Abroad has taken a position against prison gerrymandering as detailed in our 2020 platform and made a commitment to advocate against it in a resolution adopted by unanimous consent in May 2021.  Please help elevate this issue and contribute to this advocacy work by finding out where your state stands on prison gerrymandering via Common Cause and ACLU and then calling/writing to your state legislators NOW, and over the next ten days using resist bot. You may wish to use the sample letter below and include detail about why the issue is important to you. Refer to the links in the further reading section below if helpful. If you vote in one of the 11 to 16 states who have ended prison gerrymandering, please make a special point of thanking your legislators!  Thank you for your activism, and for supporting the push to end prison gerrymandering! Sample letter to send to your state legislatorsHeadline: Please Stop Prison Gerrymandering! Please stop prison gerrymandering within the state of xxxx.  The Census Bureau has supplied data allowing states to make their own determinations on whether to count incarcerated individuals as residents of prisons, or as residents of their pre-incarceration, home communities.  Counting prisoners as residents of prisons artificially inflates the districts housing prisons and deflates the districts of the prisoners home community. This negatively impacts fair representation and local and state democracy.  I urge you to count prisoners as residents in their home community, rather than in prison for the upcoming redistricting process thus stopping prison gerrymandering.  Thank you for all that you do and thank you for representing me. Further reading Prison gerrymandering updates: https://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/news/2021/10/26/state_count/ Article (Mario Jimenez/NM specific): https://rrobserver.com/ending-prison-gerrymandering-makes-a-fairer-nm-map/ Article (Samantha Osaki, ACLU): https://www.equaljusticeworks.org/news/dismantling-prison-gerrymandering-removing-barriers-to-fair-representation/ Article, The Intercept (Akela Lacy,  November 6, 2021) As States Prepare for Redistricting, Prison Gerrymandering Will Skew New Lines https://theintercept.com/2021/11/06/prison-gerrymandering-redistricting-census/

As we move towards 2022 and 2024, Democrats Abroad’s International Executive Committee is determined to make our systems and structures even more diverse, professional, and sustainable––and ultimately more effective for our work ahead.  In order to do so, we continue building robust global teams and invite you to become a part of them through this call for applications! Our goal is to have an inclusive, transparent, and fair appointment process. We need you to be a part of our work! Applications will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. EDT on December 6, 2021, and after consulting with the DA International Committee, the DA International Chair will make appointments thereafter. All members of Democrats Abroad are encouraged to apply and to share the call for applications with other U.S. citizens who might be interested. If you are not interested in acting as the team lead but rather in a supporting role, we still encourage you to contact us at [email protected] and share a bit about yourself. Thank you!   Available Positions Charter Committee Chair Data and Analytics Director Deputy International Secretary (3 positions, one for each of DA's regions) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer Events Coordinator Get-Out-The-Vote Coordinator (Applicants from Americas Region only) International Treasurer (Applicants from Americas and Asia-Pacific Regions only)  Leadership Development Coordinator Membership Engagement Coordinator Press Coordinator Resolutions Committee Chair State Teams Coordinator Travel Fund Committee Chair   Democrats Abroad is committed to the values and practices of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, with opportunities to provide and the ability to take feedback and learn. It is our policy to recruit, train, promote, and administer any and all personnel actions without regard to sex, race, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, pregnancy, economic status, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity or expression, ethnic identity, disability, or any other legally protected basis.