2020 DA Germany Annual General Meeting

**Registration is now closed - please contact [email protected] for any questions concerning registration**

2020 is going to be a pivotal year for the future of American democracy. At Democrats Abroad Germany, we remain committed to mobilizing the over 100,000 Americans in Germany to restore respect, dignity, and integrity to our nation’s highest offices.

Getting Republicans out and Democrats in next year, however, is going to be a collective effort. It’s going to require us to work together nationwide like never before, keeping our eyes set on one main goal: getting each and every American in Germany to vote.

As 2020 approaches, we would thus like to cordially invite you to join us in our efforts by attending the 2020 Annual General Meeting of Democrats Abroad Germany focusing on "Getting Out the Vote - At Home and Abroad" from Friday, January 24 to Sunday, January 26 at the Literaturhaus München (Salvatorplatz 1, 80333 Munich).

A great series of events are planned to help us – Democrats across Germany – connect and discuss our voter outreach efforts in 2020. These events are outlined in our tentative

Schedule - Full agenda here (updated January 24)

• On Friday, January 24, we’ll hear from the Women’s Caucus, which has put together a fantastic panel and performance centered around the topic “Don’t Get Mad, Get Even – Electing People Who Will Create Balance” (17:00-19:30). The first evening will come to a close with a welcome cocktail reception where we can connect with each other over drinks (starting at 19:00).

• On Saturday, January 25, the main meeting focused on “Getting Out the Vote – At Home and Abroad” will be held (9:00-18:00). We will begin with an introduction to our organization and briefly highlight our activities across Germany over the past year. Our full attention will then be directed at how we can work together nationwide to get out the vote in 2020. In the afternoon, we'll hear from our caucuses as well as several presidential campaigns about why we need to vote in 2020. Representatives from the Biden, Buttigieg, Patrick, Sanders, and Steyer campaigns are expected, and we are awaiting confirmation from other presidential campaigns in the coming week. As we are committed to neutrality throughout the primaries, all Democratic presidential candidates' campaigns have been invited to join. We will round off the main meeting by reviewing our organization’s bylaws as well as vote on any suggested changes to them (for more on submitted suggested amendments, please scroll to the end of the page). Following the meeting, we’ll gather for a three-course gala dinner at the nearby restaurant Zum Franziskaner and hear from David Shor, an Obama-campaign-trained data analyst who is heavily involved in the stats behind the 2020 election (19:30-22:00).

Guest speaker bio: David Shor is responsible for research and development of political consulting practices at Civis Analytics. He is often described as the Nate Silver of the Democratic National Committee. Civis Analytics was founded by alumni of Obama's 2012 re-election campaign's analytics department, which was pioneering in their use of analytics and statistical modeling in winning elections. Civis's political practice works with political clients ranging from large scale political committees to advocacy groups to nearly every major Democratic 2020 presidential campaign, helping decision makers answer strategic questions around messaging and resource allocation. Prior to being part of the founding team at Civis, David worked on the Obama 2012 campaign, specializing in survey methodology and time series modeling.

• On Sunday, January 26, we want to make sure that those from out of town have some time to see the city and have scheduled a walking tour of Munich (11:00-12:30). Following the tour, everyone is welcome to join us at the tasty restaurant CADU for a farewell luncheon that will leave us invigorated for the election season ahead (13:00-15:00).

Cost

To attend the meeting, we are asking for a donation of 10€ for the Women’s Caucus event and 35€ for the main meeting on Saturday. The cost for meals and coffee breaks are as follows:

• Saturday lunch: 20€
• Saturday coffee breaks (includes two): 10€
• Saturday gala dinner (three-course meal): 40€ 

Under the rules of the Democratic Party and Democrats Abroad, a fee for attending the meeting is not allowed. However, we kindly ask for a donation to cover use of the Literaturhaus München, technical equipment, copies, and supplies. We ask that you donate this amount to cover the expenses of hosting the meeting and avoid drawing down the DA Germany treasury, which is devoted to getting out the vote. Participants do have to pay for meals and coffee breaks.

Stipends for Attending

DA Germany understands the accompanying financial cost of attending the Annual General Meeting. To ensure as many members are able to attend as possible, DA Germany offered eight stipends. The deadline to apply was Saturday, November 30, and applications are no longer being accepted. Applicants have been notified about the status of their application. 

Accommodation

Homestays will be available thanks to DA Germany members in the Munich area. If you are interested in having a homestay, please complete the following survey so that we can make sure you are matched with an appropriate host: “need a homestay” survey. As soon as a homestay has been found, you will be contacted via email.

For those in Munich who would be willing to host another member of DA Germany, please fill out this survey to sign up as a host: “homestay host” survey.

If you would prefer to stay in a hotel, the Munich Chapter has compiled a list of hotels, which include several hotels offering us a discounted rate.

We hope that you will join us for this weekend geared at bringing Democrats together and energizing us for the momentous 2020 election season. On behalf of the entire volunteer team already at work planning the meeting, we say:

 

Suggested Changes to DA Germany Bylaws 

The following suggested changes were submitted by the December 31, 2019, deadline, and are currently up for review by all members of DA Germany. Changed text has been italicized. A vote on these changes will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2020, at the AGM in Munich. The current DA Germany bylaws, which were last amended in 2018, can be accessed here. 

Section 3.4

Proposed by Quaide Williams

Discrimination in the conduct of the affairs of DA Germany on the basis of race, sex, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic status, philosophical persuasion, or physical disability shall be prohibited. 

Section 4.4

Proposed by Quaide Williams (as to bring DA Germany bylaws into compliance with the Democratic Party Committee Abroad's bylaws, which were amended in May 2019 in Washington, D.C.)

No Officer or elected member of the Executive Committee may serve three full terms in an office consecutively unless there are no other candidates, except for the position of DPCA Voting Representative for which no term limits shall apply as per the DPCA Charter.

WHEN

Friday, January 24, 2020 at 12:00 PM Berlin Time through January 26, 2020

WHERE

Literaturhaus München
Salvatorplatz 1
Munich 80333
Germany
Google map and directions

CONTACT

Emily Lines
[email protected]

154 RSVPs