LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
We, the People of the United States…
…in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
If you are a sentient human with any empathy whatsoever, events of the past month have occupied your attention. As Americans living abroad, we have received this with a mixture of anger, hopelessness, heartbreak, fear and of course, national embarrassment. Wherever we live, people are asking the same questions: WTF is going on in America? Where is the fight? As if we were experts and had the answers.
But it makes total sense that they would ask this; America’s origin story makes us unique in the world. Our country was created in pursuit of freedom and justice. Because we were created equal, possessing these fundamental rights. Despite celebrating our country’s 250th birthday this year, we are but a child in the history of the world. Ours is not a history of tsars or kings or emperors, struggling for unity among fiefdoms or families.
America was created IN unity. Our story has certainly not been without conflict and compromises, but tackling those challenges with unity in mind is the root of our perfectly imperfect story. We emerged through resistance, gaining strength through our common purpose. We first fought off tyranny, then civil war, then fascism v1.
Yes, it’s just a story - but, as Yuval Noah Harari outlines in Sapiens, everything humans have created is a shared myth. The “myth” of human rights, for example, only exists because we as a society agreed to be bound by it. The United States is founded on a shared myth that the principles outlined in our Constitution have meaning.
The Trump administration is trying to shred that. The Heritage Foundation with its Project 2025, billionaire donors who value money over morals, and corporations who put shareholders over citizens are helping them. Sadly, now, so is the Supreme Court.
But we won’t let them do it. We won’t let them destroy the fabric that has created extraordinary science, innovation and culture. America remains a great experiment. There’s a reason so many – across nations and generations – have strived to bring their families here. America has always promised freedom, a better life, and greater opportunities. That promise will not die on our watch.
There will always be forces - namely greed and a quest for power - working against the core principles of our founding documents. But the arc of the moral universe is long, and we know for sure that it bends toward justice. This is our fight.
Next time someone asks you where the Americans are and WTF we’re doing, tell them we’re fighting and we’re not giving up. Vote, my friends.
Our midterms are a breath away. The brave citizens of Minneapolis are showing us the way. Let’s keep hope alive. Keep fighting the good fight.
Request your ballots today and make sure everyone you know is doing the same.
Nolite te bastardes carborundorum
Sally DeSipio
Chair, Global Women’s Caucus
[email protected]
KEEP PUSHING, IT WORKS
Calls work. Become a giant pain in their neck. Call everyone – from your Senators all the way down to the school board. If in doubt about what to say and what’s most urgent, go to Democrats Abroad Take Action for scripts and tips, and get those fingers dialing.
EVENTS
We have a lot of exciting events scheduled that you won't want to miss. You can visit our events page and learn details or see previews below:
Sunday, February 15, 10am EDT / 4pm CET - Books Abroad: The Wilderness by Angela Flournay. Don’t miss this month’s book club as we discuss the era-defining novel about five black women and their long friendship. RSVP HERE
Sunday, February 22, 1pm EDT / 7pm CET - The Feb Cauldron: Speaking the Unspoken — Race, Power, and What Can Be Done
Join our women’s only monthly drop-in for a frank conversation about race. Moderated by DA’s Angela Fobbs. RSVP HERE
Tuesday, Feb 24, 1pm EDT / 7pm CET - GWC Facebook Live: The Global Black Caucus
Last month we spoke to the Veterans & Military Families Caucus. Let’s hear from the GBC about the issues and rights they are fighting so hard to protect. RSVP HERE
Tuesday, March 17th, 1pm EDT / 7pm CET - Trad Wives: Rebranding the Patriarchy
Let’s connect the dots between these “lifestyle” influencers who bake cakes and tell you how great it is to be a stay at home mom, and Turning Point USA and Project 2025. We support stay-at-home moms! But we also know this rising trend is not a coincidence. RSVP HERE
THE FEMINIST HACKATHON - an all-day virtual event in celebration of International Women’s Day - March 8th, 10am-6pm CET RSVP HERE
This is our capstone event for Women’s History Month, where together, we will creatively design solutions to help get out the vote for the important midterms and amplify women’s political power. If you’re like us, you know that we need to take action as a community — before it’s too late. We can do this together through creativity, community, and commitment. For details go to the RSVP link.
If you want to help raise awareness and spread the word, here is our Sharing Kit, designed to help this event reach as many people as possible, both inside the DA community and beyond. It includes messaging and graphics which you can share on social media and with your contacts to help spread the word. SHARE KIT
INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK LIVE COLLABORATIONS
The GWC is excited to announce a new initiative - live conversations with other important caucuses within Democrats Abroad via Instagram and Facebook. Don’t miss these opportunities to learn more about policy, impact and what support really looks like beyond the talking points. Please watch your social media feeds for information on how to tune in!!
Service doesn’t end at discharge. Join the GWC and the Veterans and Military Families (VMF) Caucus for a Facebook Live on what veterans and their families are fighting for in this new administration. Tune in to GWC’s or VMF’s Facebook accounts on Jan 28, 1pm ET / 7pm CET.
VOLUNTEERS: Fill out the GWC Volunteer From
Yes, we need you to join our team! We are simultaneously sprawling across the globe and a surprisingly tight-knit crew. We have specific needs:
Content Creators: Are you comfortable creating reels or Tiktok videos? This is an important way to amplify our work. We need you.
Graphic Designers: With ambitious plans and new ideas growing daily, we need to grow our ranks of creative people.
Social Media Analytics: are you experienced in analytics? We need you on our team!!
Interviewers: Are you experienced in interviewing people, on camera and/or off? We need folks who will join our monthly LIVE Instagram events to ask smart questions that help us understand and mobilize around the critical focus areas of DA’s ten other caucuses.
A NEW SECTION: Reproductive Justice
Thanks to popular demand and because it’s so crucial to our core mission, we are happy to announce a new section of our GWC website devoted exclusively to reproductive justice. Please keep an eye for the latest news.
IF YOU MISSED IT...
GWC recently sponsored a great event that’s worth a watch! Here is the recording.
Amanda Litman, founder of Run For Something, on Building Generational Change
NEWS - READ AND LISTENS
We curate so you don't have to!
Black Women Turn to One Another as Their Career Paths Suddenly Recede - The NYT
The Right is Furious with Liberal White Women - Michelle Goldberg, NYT
How Racism Costs Everyone, with Heather McGhee, NPR
Legendary Debate between James Baldwin and William F. Buckley. Yes, you do want to watch, if for no other reason than to witness the lost art of oration at its finest.
Obama’s speech at his final White House Correspondents’ Dinner - We remember his style and his swagger. We remember his compassion. We don’t always remember how damn funny he is. And we all need a laugh these days.
And just because this remains the best short podcast series ever produced, I’m sharing this for the second time. If you listen to nothing else, hear the first episode:
1619 - Nikole Hannah-Jones, NYT
And then chase it with this:
Trump and the Power of Dissent in 2025 - Nikole Hannah-Jones and Wesley Morris
SOCIAL MEDIA
….and don’t forget to request your ballots!
