Arizona. Georgia. Pennsylvania. Wisconsin. Each flipped from Trump to Biden in 2020. And Julie Alderman Boudreau knows how Democrats did it. She oversaw research for Planned Parenthood Votes’ electoral program – and helped deliver them for Democrats. 

In 2022 these states host competitive races for U.S. Senate and Governor. Can Democrats do it again? Will the California Recall vote have an impact? Bring questions for Julie to our online meetup. 

Visit us on Facebook! 

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:

Want help understanding Conservative vs. Liberal Policy Agendas in US Education?

Join us on Wednesday, September 29^th, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. for an online discussion of what is really driving current wedge issues like CRT, DEI, parental school choice, private charter schools and controversial public health mandates.

DAGR members Janet Karvouniaris and Leigh Anderson will moderate. Bring your issues to the table – there is never too much food for thought – and join the conversation!

RSVP below for the Zoom link.
Read up ahead of time from our recommended list.

Let's get educated!

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.

DAGR’s first Kafeneion, a new initiative of community development spearheaded by Members-at-Large Sarajane Kidd Leone and Rebecca Lieb, was a great success! Our first conversation, ageism through the lens of the feminist book In Our Prime by Susan J. Douglas, also featured guest speaker Dr. Liz Mestheneos, founding member of 50+ Hellas. 

It's by now well-known that many foreign residents of Greece have undergone delays and difficulty obtaining the COVID vaccine due to the Greek government's requirement of an AMKA (Greek social security) number in order to secure an appointment.

Dialing for Democracy is a calling marathon
and global Democrats Abroad fundraiser.

Phonebankers will make as many calls as they can to DA members to ask them to request their absentee ballots. Calls will be made from 9:00am to 9:00pm CEST on Flag Day, June 14. Generous sponsors like yourself will push our callers to reach our calling goals and provide the critical funds to keep our voter outreach going strong through November 3! 

DONORS: If you are sponsoring a specific caller, BEFORE you select an amount, write the caller's name in the box at left!

Donate $50 and you’re sponsoring 200 calls! 
$10—40 calls   $25—100 calls   $100—400 calls 
$250—1000 calls   $500—2000 calls   $1000—4000 calls

Democrats Abroad will be making 100,000s of calls this year, and your contribution will help make this outreach possible.

Thank you! We appreciate your support!

Don’t forget to check in on how the calls are going on Facebook Live from 7:30pm to 9:30pm on June 14 on the DA Germany Facebook page.  

For a full overview of the call-a-thon, click here.

Donations will be going to the Democratic Party Committee Abroad (Democrats Abroad) and not to any candidate for federal office.

Donations for the 2019 EMEA Regional Meeting in Athens auction. 

Click below to receive periodic updates from the Taxation Task Force on our tax advocacy work.  We will message you when there are important updates and developments to report.