Our congratulations to the DA 2020 Delegation to the Democratic National Convention!

On the second day of the convention, Democrats Abroad electors debated and then adopted the 2020 Democrats Abroad Platform. Our broad-sweeping, progressive new platform reflects what we believe and why, distilled through a process of over 7500 inputs from plank polls and kitchen table talks.  Thanks to the exhaustive and dedicated work of DA’s Platform Committee these last nine months, we are proud to deliver our new platform to the Democratic Party and are confident it reflects our unique perspective and priorities.  

After adjournment of the Global Convention, we proceeded with the Annual Meeting where officer reports and global committee and caucus reports were submitted. In honor of Black Lives Matter, friends of our Global Black Caucus treated us to a rendition of Langston Hughes’ poem, "Let America be America Again." We had the honor of sharing a discussion with special guests, Ambassador Bruce and Vicki Heyman, about reaching Americans abroads in this pivotal election year. 

Three important resolutions were passed during the latter hours of the meeting:

1.Reconoce y Celebra el Récord de Diversidad entre Candidatos Demócratas Presidenciales de 2020 (the first resolution in Spanish for our organization)

2. the Memorial Resolution for Steve Medeiros (DA Greece leader and great friend who recently passed away), and

3. the resolution to establish a Standing Diversity and Inclusion Action Committee.  

Finally, the 2020 Annual Meeting adjourned after the location of the 2021 meeting was designated by vote for Washington D.C.

Biden and Bernie delegates and DNC members selected 

The Democrats Abroad Global Convention weekend is upon us! 

As momentum is building towards the August Democratic National Convention and November elections, we will meet virtually to elect the final members of our DNC delegation and adopt our 2020 state platform. 

DNC Delegation

Because of the global pandemic, our three regions (Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa) met virtually in May, instead of in Toronto as previously planned, to choose their Democratic National  Convention (DNC) representatives and permanent DNC members.  

During the Regional Conventions, regional electors elected five Sanders Delegates, four Biden Delegates, and three regional DNC members to represent Democrats Abroad (one from each region).  

This Saturday, June 6, DPCA (Democratic Party Committee Abroad) members from around the world will convene online to elect one Sanders PLEO delegate (Party Leader & Elected Official), three additional Sanders at-large delegates, and two alternate delegates (one each for Sanders and Biden, respectively). They will also elect three further Democrats Abroad members to serve on the DNC from 2020 to 2024. 

Democrats Abroad sends a 26 member delegation to the Democratic National Convention, including our Global Chair and Vice Chair and three standing committee members. Your voices in shaping our platform and delegation have been heard and will be well represented. 

DA Platform

On the second day of the convention, Democrats Abroad convention electors will discuss and vote on the adoption of our 2020 Democrats Abroad Platform. 

The Democrats Abroad 2020 Platform communicates what we believe and why, on a range of issues important to us.  Our perspectives and experiences from living in other cultures enrich the Democratic Party vision and validate policies in the Democratic Party platform. The DA platform is also a key tool which we use to advocate for issues that are important to Americans abroad. With over 7500 inputs from plank polls and kitchen table talks, our platform articulates foundational principles that will guide us over the next four years. 

The Global Convention is the spark from which Democrats Abroad is poised to fire up Americans across the world to bring sweeping Democratic wins in November. 

Stay tuned for news from the convention.

Statement from Julia Bryan, Global Chair of Democrats Abroad and Angela Fobbs, DA Global Black Caucus Chair

DNC Chair Tom Perez said today, "As long as Black men and women cannot breathe, we cannot rest."

We cannot rest until justice prevails in the United States of America, until police brutality is ended, and racism is no longer supported and applauded. We cannot stay silent but instead must stay strong and shout loudly and clearly that this . is . not . right.

Statement from Julia Bryan, Chair of Democrats Abroad, on Memorial Day

Democrats Abroad traditionally spends Memorial Day commemorating our fallen soldiers and visiting their graves to honor their sacrifice. This year we cannot visit military cemeteries to lay wreaths and honor the dead. But we can and we do vow to support those who remain - families, friends and comrades who still serve and live abroad - ensuring that they receive the support they deserve to participate in democracy through the ability to vote from abroad; that their families can travel back to the US through our fight for fair immigration laws; and that they, and all Americans abroad, are able to receive the same relief that families back home are receiving thanks to the CARES and HEROES Acts.

We honor the dead, and fight for the living. Never forget.  

In normal times, Democrats Abroad’s regional conventions are festive events involving a slew of meetings, voting and debates interspersed with time to chat with old friends, make new acquaintances, network and maybe even do some sightseeing.

These are not normal times, however.

In 2020, the world was suddenly and unexpectedly flattened and made smaller and more dangerous by a microscopic virus (SARS-CoV-2) capable of causing a lethal disease (Covid-19). Travel restrictions and health concerns made face-to-face meetings impossible and, for the first time, Democrats Abroad was forced to meet virtually, rather than in person for its quadrennial regional conventions. A herculean effort by DA leaders and volunteers enabled the organization in record time of the online meetings, during which all the objectives of the convention were successfully met.

In the weeks leading up to the conventions, hundreds of electors representing our 44 country and local chapters were trained on the use of Webex and the ranked choice voting tool OpaVote. They attended online meet-and-greet sessions where they got to know the candidates running for delegate and DNC member, and were sent reams of documents to read and study in preparation for the actual event.

Beginning May 16th, in a round-the-world relay of meetings, the conventions started in Asia Pacific early Saturday morning (late Friday DC time), moved on to Europe, Middle East and Africa and then concluded Sunday evening with the adjournment of the Americas regional meeting. 

More detailed information about each regional convention
Asia Pacific Regional Results
Europe, Middle East, and Africa Regional Results
Americas Regional Results

Many congratulations to our Americas Regional Vice Chair Kathy Rothschild, and her fantastic team of volunteers for running an excellent convention - all online - and to the following representatives from Americas who have just been elected to join the Democrats Abroad 2020 DNC delegation, be a 2020-2024 DNC member, or join the DA 2020 Global Platform committee:

⭐ Ken Sherman (CA), 2020-2024 DA DNC member
⭐ Tim Ellis (CA), 2020 DA Sanders delegate
⭐ Miguel Madrigal (CR), 2020 DA Biden delegate
⭐ Rachel Eugster (CA), 2020 Platform committee member
⭐ Sam Goodman (CR), 2020 Platform committee member

Congratulations and thank you to EMEA's Regional Vice Chair Will Bakker and to all the volunteers and electors who made it possible for Democrats Abroad to hold a successful EMEA Regional convention, completely online for the first time this year. And a very big congratulations to the following representatives from EMEA who have just been elected to join the Democrats Abroad 2020 DNC delegation, be a 2020-2024 DNC member, or join the DA 2020 Global Platform committee:

⭐ 2020-2024 Democrats Abroad DNC member - Katie Solon (DE)
⭐ 2020 DA Sanders delegates - Diego Rivas (DE), Anne Dlugosz (FR), Farid Ben Amor (CH)
⭐ 2020 DA Biden delegates - Juan Cerda (AT), Marisa Grimes (RW), Onelica Andrade (BE)
⭐ 2020 DA Platform committee members - Heather Stone (IL) & Nathan Zaccai (UK) 

Beginning at 10:00 a.m. CET today, more than 200 electors logged on from around Europe, the Middle East and Africa to represent their chapters and vote for the candidates who will represent EMEA in the 2020 Democrats Abroad delegation to the National Convention. The group of individuals elected to represent DA’s EMEA region at this year’s DNC come from many countries across the region and well represent the diversity of our party and our organization. Voting started with the election of the EMEA regional DNC member, Katie Solon, and then the electors and candidates split into two presidential preference groups to vote on 3 delegates each to represent VP Biden and Senator Sanders. The Sanders room was chaired by Angela Fobbs (DE) and the Biden room by Liz Voss (CH).

While today marked a first for the EMEA region, as we held our first fully online regional convention, the voting proceeded smoothly. Following the delegate elections, the regional electors came together once more to vote on the region's two platform committee members, and discuss resolutions. Interest in resolution discussion let to several motions to extend the meeting two hours beyond the originally scheduled time, and ended with a motion to refer all 9 resolutions up for discussion to the Global platform committee, leaving an opportunity for the electors on the call to submit arguments pro and con to the Platform committee, and requiring the committee to hold a town hall to specially discuss these 9 resolutions.

Many congratulations to our Regional Vice Chair Kat Allikian, and Deputy RVC Sam Wong for running an excellent convention - all online - and to the following representatives from AP who have just been elected to join the Democrats Abroad 2020 DNC delegation, be a 2020-2024 DNC member, or join the DA 2020 Global Platform committee:

⭐ 2020-2024 DA DNC member - Aaron Kruse (CN)
⭐ 2020 DA Sanders delegate - John Baumlin (JP)
⭐ 2020 DA Platform committee member - Kent Getsinger (AU)
⭐ 2020 Platform committee member - Kiyoko Ayukawa (JP)