Join Kenton Barnes, DA Germany Chair, and Emily Lines, DA Germany Vice Chair, for an online "Meet and Greet" on Sunday, August 29th from 3:00pm to 4:30pm. We'll discuss our organization's structure and goals, introduce ourselves as the leaders of DA Germany, and discuss ways you can get involved as a volunteer with DA Germany and with your local chapter.

Whether you're a long-time member or completely new to DA Germany, we warmly welcome all members to join us for this afternoon event. We hope to answer any questions you may have about DA Germany, as well as foster a lively, productive discussion with each other. 

To actively participate in the event, you will need a computer with an internet connection as well as a working microphone. 

Please RSVP to the event if you'd like to attend. Once you have RSVP'd, you will receive the login link. We hope many of you can join us! 

On Saturday, July 10th, the AAPI Caucus hosted Mingway Lee, an artist, who spoke about his experience during the COVID-19 crisis through a presentation of his drawings chronicling his evacuation to Travis Air Force Base, his stay under the first federally mandated quarantine in decades, and his eyewitness account of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.

His drawings recreated a vivid image of what it was like to be in Wuhan as the COVID-19 pandemic began and how uncertain this period was for everyone. Attendees expressed their gratitude for his willingness to share his experience. We all were able to gain an understanding of what he went through and were reminded of how no one knew what was going on or what was going to happen as we entered the pandemic.

If you missed it, you can see the recording here:

About the Artist

Mingway Lee is an artist living with his wife and two sons, Max and Rex, in New York City. He moved from Beijing to New York in 2012. In 2019, he graduated from Pratt Institute with an MFA degree.

Collaborating with an established writer/director, Clayton Broomes, Jr., he is writing a memoir with more than 100 of his drawings about how he went into the coronavirus crisis in China, escaped the coronavirus from Wuhan to Travis Air Force Base, and relived the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.

Democrats Abroad will hold our follow-up August 2021 Global Meeting entirely online.
The meeting will be held across the weekend of August 21-22.

Democrats Abroad Global Meetings are possible thanks to participant donations. You will be redirected to the donation page after you RSVP.

** If you are not logged into your Nation Builder account, please make sure you enter your NationBuilder email for the RSVP.

Links to the meetings will be emailed to all RSVPs during the week of August 9th. The tentative agenda is here. 

Click Here to donate in support of the Global Meeting and DA's GOTV activities.

Click Here to donate to the Travel Fund for the 2022 Global Meeting.

“In some ways, our libraries or what we read hopefully reflect a world we wish we saw - maybe a world beyond what we are in right now.” - Shuli de la Fuente-Lau, founder of @AsianLitForKids.

Shuli de la Fuente-Lau of @AsianLitForKids sat down virtually with Angela Chen from Democrats Abroad Lion City to discuss the intersection of children’s books, racial identity, and the anti-racism journey.

Did you know that Hawaii has its own contemporary music scene? In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the Global AAPI Caucus will be listening our way through Donna Lum’s (DA Indonesia) Hawaiian music playlist. Join us as we listen to the easiest, breeziest music all the way to the Global Meeting. Listen to the playlist on:

• Spotify
• Apple Music

You can also listen/view the playlist on Youtube

“Perpetual foreigner” is a common term associated with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. This sentiment can be traced back to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which made it illegal for Chinese workers to come to America and for Chinese nationals already in the U.S. to become citizens, and is also associated with the establishment of Japanese Internment Camps (aka Japanese concentration camps) during World War II. Individuals of Asian descent have historically been “othered” and this treatment continues today.

With the 2021 Global Meeting quickly approaching (May 14-16), Democrats Abroad Germany hosted two sessions on May 1st to give the candidates running for a position on the Global Executive Committee (ExCom) an opportunity to introduce themselves and answer questions from our voting representatives.

During the Global Meeting, DPCA (Democratic Party Committee Abroad) voting representatives elected at the county committee level (15 from Germany) will elect the Global Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Legal Counsel. These individuals will lead Democrats Abroad for the next two years, guiding and supporting all of our leaders, volunteers, and members around the world.

All members were welcome to attend, as well as other DPCA voting representatives from other country committees. The Q&A session gave priority to DPCA Voting Representatives from Germany, and when time allowed, other questions were taken from other voting representatives in attendance.

Kontaktinformationen
Anya Leonhard
[email protected]
+49 1783265691

BERLIN, 26. April 2021

Am 30. April wird Präsident Biden seit 100 Tagen im Amt sein. 

Nach einer historischen Wahl hat mit Bidens Amtseinführung eine neue Ära der US-amerikanischen Politik begonnen – sowohl in den USA als auch international. Er stand zu Beginn seiner Amtszeit vor zahlreichen Herausforderungen, insbesondere die COVID-19-Pandemie und deren wirtschaftliche Folgen. Auch wurde Präsident Biden mit der präzedenzlosen politische Spaltung der USA und der Unterminierung unserer Demokratie konfrontiert. 

Dennoch hat Präsident Biden bereits eine Reihe von bedeutungsvollen Erfolgen hinter sich. Innenpolitisch hat er das vielfältigste Kabinett der amerikanischen Geschichte aufgestellt, ein Corona-Hilfspaket mit einem Budget von 1,9 Billionen Dollar bewilligt, die Impfungen von mehr als 150 Millionen US-Amerikaner:innen ermöglicht und viele der gefährlichen Fehlentscheidungen seines Vorgängers rückgängig machen können. 

Auf internationaler Ebene hat er mit dem Wiedereintritt in das Pariser Klimaabkommen die Rückkehr zur multilateralen Diplomatie signalisiert und ein klares Datum für den Abzug aller US-amerikanischen Truppen aus Afghanistan festgelegt. Auch macht Biden den Klimawandel zu einer Priorität der Außenpolitik. Die Financial Times bezeichnet all dies als: „Joe Bidens leise revolutionären ersten 100 Tage.“   

Democrats Abroad Germany gibt der deutschen Presse gerne deutsch- und englischsprachige Interviews zu den ersten 100 Tagen der Biden-Administration. Anfragen bitte an Anya Leonhard, [email protected] / Mobil +49 1783265691.

Pressesprecher:innen: 

• Englisch und Deutsch: Kenton Barnes (Chair), Emily Lines (Vice Chair), Anya Leonhard (Pressesprecherin)

Wenn Sie eine/n Pressesprecher:in aus einer unserer Ortsgruppen wünschen, geben Sie dies bitte in der Anfrage an. Wir verfügen über 14 Ortsgruppen in allen Regionen Deutschlands. 

Über Democrats Abroad 

Democrats Abroad ist die offizielle Auslandsorganisation der US-amerikanischen Demokratischen Partei und ist für 9 Millionen außerhalb der USA lebenden US-Amerikaner:innen verantwortlich. Democrats Abroad wird von der Demokratischen Partei als Staat anerkannt und gibt US-Amerikaner:innen im Ausland  eine demokratische Stimme in unserer Regierung. 

Democrats Abroad Germany ist eine von 48 Ländergruppen weltweit. Die Ländergruppen informieren US-Amerikaner:innen  im Ausland über ihre Rechte und helfen ihnen, am politischen Prozess teilzuhaben.

On March 25th, the Global Hispanic Caucus hosted the event “Immigration Reform: Farmworker and Dreamer Justice” in collaboration with the Global AAPI, LGBTQ, and Youth Caucuses as well as DA Canada, DA Spain, DA Mexico, and DA Germany. The event focused on the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, as well as the separate American Dream and Promise Act (HR-6) and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (HR-1603), which are currently being discussed in Congress. 

The first speaker was Tawheeda Wahabzada, a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient and the co-founder of Departed Dreamers, a group on social media to gather other DREAMERs & DACA recipients who left the country to provide a personal and professional support group for those who are starting a new chapter of their life in a foreign environment. She was raised in Carson City, NV, and moved back to Toronto, Canada in early 2020. Due to the restrictions put in place by the Trump Administration, she was unable to travel for her job and faced difficulties when talking with politicians, which contributed to her decision to leave. By leaving, it was a “way to finally reclaim [her] agency”. This decision to leave also meant that she cannot re-enter the U.S. for ten years. With the Dream and Promise Act, it will provide a streamlined pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, as well as for those that do not qualify for DACA, and those with temporary protected status. As the bill moves to the Senate, Tawheeda stressed the importance of pressuring our Democratic Senators to preserve the original language in the Dream and Promise Act.

Eun Suk “Jason” Hong is an ex-DACA recipient from NY/NJ who moved to Madrid, Spain, in August 2019 to pursue a dual Masters degree. He co-founded Departed Dreamers with Tawheeda. Eun Suk shared his story and the sense of relief provided by the passage of DACA, which allowed him and fellow DREAMERs to step out of the shadows and feel like they may be accepted in their communities. For him, “The Dream and Promise Act isn’t about providing a legal status or paper or documents. It’s about giving people their freedom and their humanitarian rights. [...] The Dream and Promise Act is the vaccination that every DREAMER needs.”

Edgar Franks is the Political Director of Familias Unidas por la Justicia. He has worked on a variety of initiatives that led to greater protections and treatment of farmworkers and their families. This union is the only farmworker union to be founded in the last 30 years in the U.S. and is made up of indigenous Mexican people. Edgar spoke to us about the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which was drafted during the Trump Administration and negotiated without much consent from farm labor groups. He pointed out some of the red flags of this bill and why this is not a bill farm workers actually want. This includes making e-verify mandatory, which requires the need of a valid social security number to allow someone to work, and the expansion of the H-2A program or guest worker program that allows employers to limit and control their movements and cap wages, among others.

Nicole Salgado moved into voluntary exile in Central Mexico in 2006 with her husband Margarito Reséndiz. Due to her husband’s immigration record, they had to leave the U.S. and wait ten years to apply for re-entry due to his permanent ban status. She wrote about it in her book Amor and Exile and shared with us the story of her and her family as they tried to re-enter the U.S. This included the psychological toll life in exile took and the stress of the process to re-apply for re-entry. She stressed the need for legislation to include families that are affected by exile and to help build awareness that families are being impacted in this way.

The event ended by the speakers answering some questions from the audience. A recording of the entire event can be viewed here. For those interested in participating in the “DREAM with Us” challenge, presented by the Global Hispanic Caucus, more information is available here.

**Main quote from Nicole Salgado during her talk at the event.

The AAPI Caucus was thrilled to host DA member and author Karen Kao for our discussion of her novel The Dancing Girl and the Turtle. The first part of her Shanghai Quartet, The Dancing Girl and the Turtle is a harrowing, immersive story of loss, violence, and power during one of the most tumultuous times of Chinese history.

Tofu Kofta… Mapo Tofu… Crispy Tofu Sisig… spicy, flavourful, mouthwatering!

Our diverse AAPI heritage offers up not only a banquet of tofu, but also a myriad of other delicious vegetarian and vegan dishes to entice us and satisfy our taste buds. A predominantly vegetarian or vegan diet is both healthier for us and for our planet as a whole.

That’s why we’re collecting your favorite vegetarian and vegan recipes for Tofu Tuesdays! We don’t have to go cold turkey (on turkey), and we don’t even have to eat tofu. But going meatless just one day a week helps to reduce our carbon footprint from food, as livestock contributes a whopping 14.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

With Climate Month and Earth Day right around the corner in April, we need your vegetarian and vegan recipes. So lend us Grandma’s tofu miso soup. Entice us with your veggie Poke Bowl. Make our taste buds cry for joy from your spicy Saag Paneer. Submit your recipes here.

Help us make Tuesdays more Tofu!

Photo by Eiliv-Sonas Aceron on Unsplash

I only learned a few years ago that women did not have equal rights under the law. When I heard this, I was truly shocked that this was even possible. Thanks to the women's movement, much progress has been made and women have gained a lot of ground over the years. But there is still a ways to go and the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment would be a huge step forward. This should not be a partisan issue. When the rights of one group are taken away, we are all affected. We will all benefit by ensuring that no one can be discriminated against based on their sex. It is up to us to continue the work that began in 1923 when Alice Paul first introduced the Equal Rights Amendment and was continued in the 1970s and 80s. We cannot give up and stop now. There is no other choice, but to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment once and for all. I am an Indiana voter that lives in Berlin, Germany.

"A rebellion is an outburst of anger, but it is not revolution. Revolution is evolution towards something."

    -- Dr. Grace Lee Boggs

To celebrate Black History Month and honor AAPI and Black solidarity, the AAPI caucus hosted a screening of American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs in both EMEA and AP regions. Dr. Grace Lee Boggs (1915-2015) was a Chinese-American author and philosopher,

Candice Kerestan's 2021 Birthday Fundraiser

As many of you know, Democrats Abroad has been a big part of my life since I moved to Germany seven(!) years ago, and it’s remarkable what the organization has accomplished in that time! This past election cycle, we engaged Americans abroad like never before and delivered decisive votes in races across the United States.

But as they say, “after the election is before the election”, and it’s important to me that we continue setting up Democrats for success in 2022. As I start this next year of my life, I invite you to join me in making a contribution to Democrats Abroad, an organization near and dear to me.

Donations are made to Democrats Abroad (Democratic Party Committee Abroad) and not to any candidate for Federal Office.

Donations to Democrats Abroad are not tax-deductible.

Descriptions of Democrats Abroad Berlin Open Positions 2019-2021

Chapter Chair

• Vision for chapter growth & development
• Managing local leadership team
• Liaison to national country committee (DAG)
• Liaise with local (American) organizations
• Represent chapter to public and members
• Responsible for precincts
  • Finding & training precinct captains
  • Coordinating with precinct
• Respond to member inquiries
• Project management/deadlines
• Manage interns
• Organize and facilitate meetings
• Fundraising
• Perform either Secretary or Treasurer function

Vice Chair

• Represent the chapter and perform chair duties as needed
• Perform either Secretary or Treasurer function

Communications and Press Officer

• Communications
  • Create events on Nationbuilder/website
  • Create events on Facebook
  • Send regular email newsletters to membership (event info)
• Social media
  • Post relevant political news to Twitter & Facebook
  • Post chapter news and updates
  • Respond to inquiries on Facebook
• Press
  • Maintain list of & relationships with media contacts
  • Maintain list of press coverage
  • Write and distribute press releases
  • Coordinate with national/international press officers
  • Train local members in talking points and press

Membership/Volunteer Coordinator

• First contact to new members
• Maintain list of active volunteers
• Communicate volunteer opportunities to members
• Develop new volunteer opportunities
• Match tasks to volunteers

GOTV Coordinator

• Coordinate phone banking
• Organize voter registration events
• Prepare materials for voter registration
• Local resource on voter registration details
• Train voter registration volunteers
• Support fundraising efforts in non-election years

**All board members are also expected to participate and attend regular board organizing meetings**

As amended on December 17, 2018

The Executive Committee of Democrats Abroad Germany has developed and adopted the following rules, which shall apply to ALL chapter elections.

1. Position

2. Term of office.
1. A Chapter Chair’s term of office shall begin at the time of his or her election and shall end upon the election of a new Chapter Chair or the removal or resignation of such Chapter Chair in accordance with the bylaws of DAG.
2. Subject to section 2c below, no person may serve three full terms consecutively. Any term of office of more than 15 months shall be deemed to be a full term.
3. In the event that a chapter cannot obtain a qualifying replacement for a Chapter Chair who has served two consecutive full terms, a third term may be authorized by a 2/3 vote of the DAG Executive Committee.

3. Dates of Election. Elections for Chapter Chair shall be held during the first calendar quarter of each odd numbered year, but in no case later than 7 days prior to the DAG Annual General Meeting for such odd-numbered year.

4. Eligibility to serve as chapter chair. No person may be elected to the position of Chapter Chair who:
1. at the time of the election has been a registered member of the relevant chapter (as determined by the official DAG membership database as of the date of the election) for fewer than 28 days or
2. has been removed for cause from an elected position within DAG during the 24-month period preceding the election date and has not obtained the approval of a majority of the DAG Executive Committee for his or her candidacy.

5. Election procedures.
1. Robert’s Rules of Order: Elections shall be held in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order and these rules. These rules shall take precedence over Robert’s Rules of Order in any and all cases of conflict.
2. Announcement of Election:
1. The current Chapter Chair (or, in the absence of a Chapter Chair for a chapter, the Chair of DAG) shall via email notify the membership of the relevant chapter (as determined by the official DAG membership database for such chapter as of the date of such notice) of the election date no earlier than 60 and no later than 28 days in advance.
2. The announcement will attach a copy of these rules.
3. The announcement will include the location, directions to the location, and the date and time of the election.
4. The location of the election shall be a place reasonably accessible to the members of the relevant chapter.
5. If an election is held on a weekday, the election process shall not begin before 1930 or later than 2100 (7:30/9:00 pm) that day. If an election is held on a Saturday or a Sunday, the election may not begin before 1300 or later than 2100 (1:00/9:00 pm).
3. Nominations.
1. Any member of the relevant chapter may be nominated or may self-nominate without a second for the position of Chapter Chair so long as the nomination or self-nomination is made no later than 14 days prior to the election date. Nominations may also be made from the floor at the election, if supported by a second from among the membership. Persons nominated must agree to the nomination to be an eligible candidate. Only persons nominated in accordance with the procedure set out above shall be eligible for election.
2. Nominations or self-nominations made 14 days or more prior to the election shall be communicated by the DAG Secretary or Chapter Chair to the entire membership of the relevant chapter no later than 10 days prior to the election in the same manner as the election announcement and may be accompanied by a statement of no more than 250 words supporting the candidacy. Alternatively, a link to a statement posted on the official Democrats Abroad website may be provided. In all cases the nominated person must approve the candidate statement.
3. The notification of nomination and the candidate statement do not have to be included in the same communication, but if they are not, the message that does not contain the candidate statement may only state the name of the individual and the fact that he or she has been nominated for the position.
4. Campaigns.
1. Individual campaigns for the position of Chapter Chair are allowed and encouraged, but in no circumstance may the chapter membership be contacted using the official DAG membership database for such chapter except for the nomination notices and candidate statements set out in section 5.c. above.
2. Personal information from the official DAG membership database, including the names, email addresses, physical addresses, phone/fax/cell phone numbers or other contact details of any member of the chapter, shall not be disclosed to any candidate or any supporter of a candidate and shall be subject to all the restrictions on the use of the membership database as have been established in the bylaws or by the DAG Executive Committee.
3. Candidates may distribute flyers or campaign literature at meetings of the relevant chapter without restriction so long as the conduct of the meeting itself is not interrupted or disturbed.
   
5. Eligible Voters. All qualified members of a chapter shall be entitled to vote. Qualified individuals may join DA on the day of the election.
1. Voters are presumed qualified to participate in the election if (1) they have joined DAG before arriving at the voting center or (2) at the voting center they join DAG and establish their identity by objective documentary evidence (including passport, residence card, military or student ID, etc.). Persons who appear on the membership rolls of their DAG chapter do not need to provide any form of identification (ID) to be qualified to vote.
2. Persons are not qualified to vote if it can be established by positive proof that: (1) the person is not a U.S. citizen, (2) is not a member of Democrats Abroad, and/or (3) is a member of a Country Committee of Democrats Abroad or DAG Chapter other than the one in which the voter is seeking to participate.
3. Any prospective voter who is deemed unqualified to vote under these criteria may still cast a provisional ballot.
6. Election Day procedures.
1. All elections shall take place at the time, date and place specified in the election notice distributed pursuant to section 5.b. above. The current chapter chair shall ensure that adequate election materials are available, e.g. ballots, pens, displayable sheets for candidate names, etc.
2. A minimum of 12 members present and voting shall be required to hold an election if there is more than one candidate for Chapter Chair. Only members present at the meeting may vote; no proxies or prior/later balloting shall be allowed. If an election is held in the absence of the necessary quorum but otherwise in accordance with these rules, the Chapter Chair so elected may apply to the DAG Executive Committee for certification of the election results. As long as no member of the relevant chapter has challenged the election, the DAG Executive Committee by a 2/3 vote may certify the results of such election, in which case the election shall be deemed valid as if it had been held in the presence of a quorum.
3. If the current Chapter Chair is a candidate, the election meeting shall be temporarily chaired by an individual who is not a candidate or acting for a candidate (the “Temporary Chair”). The Temporary Chair shall be nominated by the current Chapter Chair and serve if a majority of those present approve by voice vote or hand count.
4. The Chapter Chair (or Temporary Chair, as the case may be) shall call for any nominations, including self-nominations, from the floor; however, as stated above in Rule 5(c)(1), a second from among the members present and voting must be obtained prior to the name being added to the list of eligible candidates. Votes for write-in candidates shall be invalid and shall not be counted.
5. Prior to any vote being taken, each candidate shall be allowed to address the chapter for ten minutes on her/his candidacy. A candidate not present may be represented by another member of the chapter, but that member must have been designated by the candidate, in writing/email or by telephone, prior to the election meeting and verifiable at the time of the meeting. No seconding speeches shall be allowed. The order of speeches shall be determined by lot.
6. The Chapter Chair (or Temporary Chair, as the case may be) shall name two election monitors, who shall ensure that only eligible voters obtain ballots and shall be responsible for counting all ballots. No monitor may be a candidate or a person representing a candidate. Each candidate shall be allowed to name one witness (other than himself or herself) to the counting of ballots.
7. Elections shall be conducted by written ballot with the names of all candidates who have been nominated prior to the meeting as well as a space for candidates nominated from the floor.
8. A majority vote (that is, 50% plus 1 of the members present and voting) shall be required for election. If, after counting all ballots, no majority exists, the person with the lowest number of votes shall be disqualified and a new round of balloting conducted. This process shall continue until a candidate receives a majority of the ballots cast.
9. If there is only one candidate for Chapter Chair at the time of the vote, a voice vote may be conducted, and no paper ballots will be necessary.
10. The results of each ballot shall be announced by the election monitors; once a candidate has received a majority of the votes cast, the winner shall be announced by the Chapter Chair (or Temporary Chair, as the case may be). The results shall be certified by the signature of the Chapter Chair (or Temporary Chair, as the case may be) and the two election monitors and communicated to the Chair, or in the absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair, of DAG within 24 hours.
11. Upon the announcement of the election winner, the current Chapter Chair shall turn over conduct of the meeting to the new Chapter Chair.
12. For all contested elections, all ballots shall be retained by the Temporary Chair and made available in case of a challenge to the election.

6. Challenge to Election Results. Any challenge to the announced election results must be made by two members present and voting and the reasons for the challenge must be communicated to the Chair or Vice Chair of DAG within 72 hours of the election. The DAG Chair or Vice Chair shall investigate the challenge and report to the Executive Committee. The DAG Executive Committee shall consider the report of the DAG Chair or Vice Chair, as the case may be, and, by majority vote without the current Chapter Chair of the affected chapter voting, shall determine whether the result shall stand, someone other than the announced winner be declared the winner, or a new election be held. If a new election is mandated, the DAG Executive Committee may name an observer for the conduct of the new election. The determination of the DAG Executive Committee on any challenge shall be final. The DAG Executive Committee by a 2/3 vote may annul any election where, in its judgment, improper electoral activity has occurred. This shall include, but not be limited to, the infiltration of a chapter by an outside group that the Executive Committee, in its judgment, believes does not support the DNC as per the DNC bylaws.

7. DAG Bylaws. In the event of any conflict between these rules and the DAG bylaws (not including these rules), the DAG bylaws shall prevail. Any capitalized terms used but not defined in these rules shall have the meanings assigned to them in the DAG bylaws.

16 December 2006
Amended, 17 December 2018