Message from DA Spain Chair
I’m writing to you this month from the great state of Ohio. My husband and I are here to celebrate our granddaughter’s second birthday. Don’t worry, Harriet’s being raised right: she received a “Future President” onesie soon after she was born, and she wore it to a couple of DA Spain Zoom meetings as a newborn.
I do wonder what the future holds for Harriet and other girls in the USA, though. It’s a good time to do this. March is Women’s History Month, and we celebrate the often-forgotten accomplishments of women in our nation. At the same time, though, women’s rights are under attack in unprecedented ways. One example makes the point: my two daughters have less ability to receive reproductive health care than I did.
DA Spain is doing its bit to ensure that all American women - including Harriet - enjoy equal rights under the law. Are you interested in joining this work? If so, consider joining the DA Spain Women’s Caucus. The Caucus is participating in several events to mark Women’s History Month and to advance the cause of American women. Please read on in this newsletter for more details.
As Harriet would say when she’s ready to get in the car: “Let’s go!”
Kathy Tullos (Chair)
Announcements & Calls to Action
The DA Spain Annual General Meeting will be hosted in Alicante May 19-20, 2023
Mark your calendar! The DA Spain Annual General Meeting (AGM) has been scheduled for Saturday, May 20, in Alicante. The event-filled weekend will begin with a reception on Friday, May 19, followed on Saturday with tours of Alicante, before the DA Spain presentations. We will be offering information on where visiting members can stay in the city. This will be a hybrid meeting, so if you can’t attend in person you can plan to join via Zoom. More information will be coming in a separate email announcement!
**********
Ready, Set, Run! Curious about how DA Spain works? Might you want to run for elected office in Spain? Join the DA Spain Election Committee on March 20 at 7pm to learn “Everything you have ever wanted to know about running for office in Democrats Abroad Spain. RSVP here
**********
The DA Spain elections are coming up! Would you be interested in running for an office? On March 21st, the DAS Election Committee will send out information and a form for all of those who are interested in running for an office to submit your candidacy. Click here to see the job descriptions. May 3rd is the last possible day to submit this form. Don't delay, run for office, Democrats Abroad needs you!
Caucus News
Women's Caucus
We’re already halfway through Women’s History Month. Have you heard about all the activities that the Global Women’s Caucus has organized? Click here to see what’s happening!
The Global Women’s Caucus has found many ways to honor Women’s History Month. The above link has details for these initiatives and others:
- Violence Against Women initiative update
- Make a video to support reproductive rights
- Mark the 100 years since the ERA was first introduced to Congress
- Access the Women’s History Month “living library,” which has ideas, suggestions and information, including short bios of the 31 women who are being highlighted throughout March
To round out the month the Spain Women’s Caucus is hosting a “Let’s Talk” session on March 29, at 7 pm CET. Who are your women heroes? What is going on in the US with reproductive rights? What else would you like to talk about? Join us for an informal one-hour chat. RSVP here.
Do you love to read and do you love to talk about books on women’s issues? Then don’t miss the Global Women’s Caucus discussion about the book “Lessons in Chemistry” coming up in April. RSVP here.
I hope that all of us have celebrated Women’s History month in our own way. Remember, I’d love to hear from you! Contact me at [email protected].
**********
New! The Launch of the Hispanic Caucus
Please welcome our newest caucus, the DA Spain Hispanic Caucus! The caucus is made up of DA members living in Spain who are willing and able to advocate on issues important to the Hispanic community within the United State of America and those living abroad. The Caucus will accpet any DA member. For more information, please contact [email protected].
**********
LGBTQ Caucus
The DA Spain LGBTQ+ Caucus hosted their second open event on March 15 which was a reading of DA Spain member Patrick Macfarland's new book, "Fairy Tale of a Mexican Family.” The well-attended event “Pride Reading: Fairy Tale of a Mexican Family'' was produced in collaboration with the DA's Global Hispanic Caucus and featured a short reading from the book followed by a talk with the author.
The first event of the newly formed caucus, in January, focused on the Respect for Marriage Act and was also well attended and supported. The caucus will now move on to chart out events for the rest of the year to address and counter the wave of draconian laws being passed in Texas, Florida and, just recently, Tennessee. These laws harm our community and allies while turning back the clock on hard-earned rights.
The caucus is also focusing on Gay Pride Month, which is right around the corner in June. If you would like to join the caucus in any capacity, please feel free to email co-chairs John Murphy and Hal Moskowitz at [email protected].
**********
Veterans and Military Families Caucus
Andrew Anderson, the caucus chair, has initiated development of an Active Duty/Reserve and Veterans & Military Families get out the vote effort (GOTV). Andrew has been tapped to lead this effort and he’s pulling together a plan to be reviewed and commented on in the coming months. Andrew is also working with the caucus to build a unified message on GOTV. If you have questions, would like to volunteer, or need more information, send an email to [email protected]
**********
To join any of our Spain caucuses, simply sign up with the global caucus and you'll automatically become a member. Click here to learn more about DA caucues and to join.
**********
Click here to see all the upcoming Caucus events.
Chapter and Verse
Barcelona
The DA Barcelona chapter AGM will be held later this Spring and a new excom will be elected. We trust that with new leadership, our chapter will have renewed energy – but for that to happen, we need you! Please consider if you would like to run for chair, vice chair, secretary or treasurer of the Barcelona chapter, or if you would like to volunteer in some other capacity (event planning, membership, voter registration, fundraising…. The sky’s the limit!). Send us an email at [email protected] if you’re interested in either running for office or volunteering.
**********
Join us on Tuesday, March 21, at 8 pm CET for La Lucha Continúa, where our education into the inner workings of democracy continues! This session we’ll be discussing the DNC (Democratic National Committee) and how Democrats Abroad is represented in that body: who are our reps, how are they elected, how do they represent us and what issues are they debating at this time? To learn more, RSVP here.
Madrid
The DA Madrid chapter held a different kind of event on February 24 at a new location owned by a local member: an open house for potential volunteers to speak with leadership about getting more involved, whether in one-off opportunities, in more sustaining roles or by running for office. There were multiple new faces present and the energy to tackle the upcoming political cycle was high. A big thank you to Matthew for hosting us at Cookie Karma. If you’re in Madrid, consider dropping by for some delicious homemade cookies and craft coffee/teas at Cookie Karma, c/ Hermosilla 108 / Instagram @cookie_karma01. Matthew is also a dedicated phone banker!
**********
Our next upcoming event is the DA Madrid AGM, to be held March 25 at Roll Madrid (c/ Amaniel 23, metro Plaza de España), at 4:30 PM. We will be electing new DA Madrid leadership with a live announcement of local election results, holding a round table with experts on women’s reproductive rights and, in general, just enjoying drinks and spending time together as a community.
We will also be holding a raffle to raise funds for DA. Speaking of which…
We need raffle donations! Would you like to support us? In the past, members have donated restaurant and bar gift certificates, weekend getaways in country homes, massages, beauty treatments, etc. All donations are welcome and much appreciated!
If you can help with raffle donations or have any other comments or questions, please contact us at [email protected]. Thank you in advance!
Valencia
Tired of getting your Spanish tax advice from strangers on Facebook? Join DA Valencia on Thursday, March 30, at 5 pm CET for an informative and educational seminar on the Spanish and U.S. tax responsibilities for Americans living in Spain. This seminar will be held at UPV and is available via Zoom. Link information available after RSVP. Click here for more info and to RSVP.
**********
If you’ve ever had questions about how the police work in Valencia and wonder about your civil rights here in Spain, “Understanding the Spanish Valencian Police” is the event for you. We will meet in the conference room of the police station for our presentation and then receive a tour of the facilities. Our speaker will share information on:
- The different levels of policing in Spain
- Whom do you call for what?
- Women's rights here in Spain
- Your civil rights should you be arrested
- How mediation is used by the Valencian police and the impact it has had
WHEN: May 04, 2023 at 11:00 am-12:30 pm CET
WHERE: Central de la Policía Local de Valencia, Av de Cid 37, 46018 Valencia
**********
SURVEY SAYS! The DA Valencia member survey results are in. If you’d like to see what we’ve learned check out this link.
**********
First Friday Coffee As always, you are invited to join us for coffee on the first Friday of the month. Our next meeting will be April 7 at Salad Planet (carrer del Dr. Romagosa 3, 46002 Valencia) at 10:30 am CET. Immediately following coffee please join us for the Leadership Team meeting. Everyone’s input is appreciated.
If you have questions, would like to volunteer, or need more information, send an email to [email protected]
Alicante
The Alicante team is working on the logistics and agenda for the May 19-20 DA Spain Annual General Meeting. We’ll kick off with a welcome reception on Friday, May 19, at a venue overlooking the marina, and Saturday, May 20, will be the meeting along with a member lunch during our break. This is a great opportunity to visit Alicante and hear firsthand what all the DA Spain teams are working on for 2023 and the 2024 election year. Please mark your calendars for this event and begin making plans to attend in person. You’ll have a great time in Alicante!
If you have questions, would like to volunteer, or need more information about elections, send an email to [email protected]
Seville
In Sevilla we’re excited to be on our way to becoming an official Democrats Abroad chapter! We will be holding our Chapter Formation and Election Caucus on Saturday, March 25. Hopefully there will be lots of people present, but we also have the option of absentee votes. This is another big step in building community here in Sevilla and setting a good base for the Big Push in 2024.
If you have questions, would like to volunteer, or need more information about elections, send an email to [email protected]
San Sebastian
San Sebastián is looking to get a small leadership team or steering committee going. If you’re interested, please email us at [email protected].
Spain Fun Fact
Spanish Cinema Shines at the Oscars
Spanish films have had great success at the Academy Awards over the years, with several notable wins. "All About My Mother" by Pedro Almodóvar won Best Foreign Language Film in 2000, while "The Sea Inside" by Alejandro Amenábar won the same category in 2005. In addition, "Volver" by Pedro Almodóvar and "Julieta" by the same director received nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress, respectively. Spanish cinema continues to make a significant impact on the global film industry.
In Closing
Democrats Abroad Spain continues outreach to our members in order to raise $10,000 before the elections in 2024. To date, we have raised approximately $7,000 in gifts and pledges. We’re looking to fill that gap by one-time donations and, in particular, by getting $150 more a month in sustaining donations. That’s 30 people at $5 per month! The money will be used for online membership drives, support for our chapters, and work on local projects proposed by our members, caucuses, precincts, and chapters.
Please consider donating by using this link. And thanks for your support!
If you cannot afford to make a donation, consider volunteering your time, or bringing a friend to one of our events.
To stay on top of all the news, follow Democrats Abroad Spain on social media. And please forward this email to your American friends in Spain who may not know us!
Have a great month!
Democrats Abroad Spain
http://www.democratsabroad.org/es