The short story is, DAGR raises money to stay legal as a non-profit organization in Greece, so that we can Get Out The (Democratic) Vote for US elections.

The annual ‘budget’ for DAGR is about €3000 now. It covers ongoing and optional expenses, all of which are geared at our goal of getting Americans in Greece informed, engaged, registered and sending back those ballots. Of course, our hope is that they’ll also become members of DAGR and help spread the word further.

How we do that is the longer story. Read on if you have time.

Key reasons we raise money: 

• DAGR Budget Overview
• 2017 Field Plan, carried forward
• How DAGR fits into the ‘big picture’
• US Federal Election Commission law
• The Democrats Abroad (global) Charter
• DAGR and Greek Law

Voting will begin Friday to elect two members to the Executive Committee. They will fulfil the terms vacated by officers elected at the 2021 Annual General Meeting.

by Sarajane Kidd Leone, DAGR At-Large Representative
Kissos, Greece - Oct 27, 2021

Starting from a proposed virtual book discussion on DAGR Women’s Caucus FB page by Member-at-Large Sarajane Kidd Leone, the Kafeneion was born. With the support of fellow former Member-at-Large Rebecca Lieb, the single discussion cascaded into a regular series of events. These discussions were aimed at community development and exploration of policy issues facing US voters.

The DAGR Kafeneion now comes together regularly on a Wednesday every month, and reflects in name and spirit, the Greek time-honored tradition of coming together in a community space … but in a thoroughly modern way: online!

Special elections called

Nominations/Elections Committee appointed

At the September session of DAGR’s Executive Committee, two resignations from the board were accepted. Rebecca Lieb, Representative At Large submitted her resignation, as well as Richard Jackson, Athens Chapter Representative. Both individuals will be leaving Greece for professional commitments.

The Executive Committee approved the following members to serve on the Nominations/Elections Committee for the special election filling the vacancies: Nikki Fellouris, Chair; Daniel Roberts and Anna Haughton. The Nominations and Elections committee for this special election will be receiving electronic or telephone nominations from now through November 1. Electronic elections will run from November 5 to December 2. If you are interested in serving on the Executive committee, please contact these individuals.

By email: [email protected]

Nikki Fellouris:  6936 618 493, 210 722 9654

Below are the descriptions for each position.

Representative At Large

{Preferably lives outside Athens/Thessaloniki chapter areas}

• Plans and organizes activities and events outside of Athens and Thessaloniki.
• Membership development. Maintains outreach to non-Athens/Thessaloniki Chapter members.
• Solicits a pool of volunteers to assist with events and activities.
• Participates in GOTV activities/efforts outside of Athens/Thessaloniki.

Athens Chapter Representative

{Lives IN ATHENS}

• Plans and organizes chapter-specific activities and events.
• Maintains outreach to Athens Chapter members.
• Coordinates with DAGR Secretary and Treasurer.
• Solicits a pool of volunteers to assist with Athens Chapter events and activities.
• Coordinates with DAGR Events Chair, Volunteer Chair. Assigned by Chapter Chair with focus on developing neighborhood groups around ‘precinct captains’

When Jennifer von Estorff and Teresa Ritterhoff began looking at a Texas state team last spring, little did they know how crucial it would become. Now, with TX’s anti-choice law riddled with illegalities, a voter suppression law worst among more to come, TX is in the spotlight. And, the Dems Abroad ‘states teams’ idea has taken off.

As co-coordinators, Jen and Teresa are helping other state teams get up and running. Kick off events -- online for worldwide join-in – are filling in the fall calendar.

The idea of state-specific outreach isn’t new in DA. There have been state groups on Facebook, with varying levels of energy and activity, since 2012. They’re still there, a platform to share news and views. Just type in your state’s moniker with ‘abroad’ after it, e.g. Californians Abroad.

States teams, however, will focus on state-specific issues while building co-operation between activists in the home state and abroad.

2022 brings states to the forefront! Here’s why:

Athens, June 30, 2021

Dear Ambassador Pyatt,

by Robin Rafaelidys, Mytilini

In a marvelous turning of the tables, the former president's ill-fated rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June   2020, woke a great many Americans up to historical events they had never heard of.  Originally slated for Juneteenth, (June 19) in an arena near the Greenwood District of Tulsa, it inspired an immediate out-pouring of dissent.

by DAGR Chair Stacey Harris-Papaioannou
Country Chair and Vice-Chair of DA Greece spent May 15^th and 16^th attending 10 hour sessions of the 2021 Annual General Meeting of Democrats Abroad. On a schedule friendly to the Asia-Pacific Region this year, the virtual sessions started in the wee hours, Greek time.

Editor’s Note: It has come to our attention that the DA Greece membership roster holds a wealth of skills, life experiences, and viewpoints. Our hope is to introduce as many as we can to inspire the rest of us. We started with Athens/Tulsa poet Paul Hickman, and here we capsulize the long, amazing, life and works of Athens member, Judy Blish. Your suggestions of someone to interview are welcome.

Our DAGR member and long-time activist, Judy Blish, has just published her collected short stories. Most went to print under her nom de plume, J. A. Lawrence. Sci fi fans recognize both names. And that’s just the surface of The Other Side of the Surface. Robin Rafaelifys' very-compressed interview with Judy follows, as well as the video chat with Judy and her step-daughter, Beth Genly. Beth is an activist and author in her own right, and incidentally, the daughter of the late sci fi name, James Blish.

Juneteenth parade in Austin, 2020 courtesy TheBlackDetour

- by Robin H. Rafaelidys, Mytilini

I learned about Juneteenth in 1989, the year we bought our first house. I was a teaching assistant at the school my son attended, Garfield Avenue; a magnet school back before George W Bush tore into the Department of Education with a bulldozer. Garfield, a K-5, which earned a National School of Excellence in 1987, was one block west of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Drive – 3^rd Street renamed by the Milwaukee Common Council in 1984. Our house was three blocks to the east.