Zürich Reading and Discussion Group
Photo: Pfister Schiess Tropeano
Join us each month in the Zürich area to discuss recent news and specific issues in a group setting. Our meetings take place at the ETH Polyterrasse. Before each meeting a handful of short optional readings will be shared.
May 2022 Global Meeting
Democrats Abroad will hold our 2022 Global Meeting online. The meeting will be held across the weekend of May 21-22.
Connection details will be emailed to all Democrats Abroad member RSVP's closer to the meeting date.
Democrats Abroad Global Meetings are possible thanks to participant donations. You will be redirected to the donation page after you RSVP.
Day One Agenda | Day Two Agenda |
Democrats Abroad Resolutions | Democrats Abroad Charter Amendments |
To RSVP, click HERE to navigate to the bottom of this page
NOTICE: This meeting will be recorded, including audio, video, and any materials exchanged or viewed during the session.
Agenda (Subject to Change)
Saturday, May 21
To check your local time, please use this Time Zone Converter here.
Time (US Eastern) |
Activity |
3:30am |
WebEx Opens/Check-In |
4:00am |
Meeting Begins, Roll Call |
4:15am |
Opening Remarks |
4:25am |
Adoption of Meeting Rules |
4:40am |
Approval of Minutes from May and August 2021 Global Meetings |
4:50am |
International Chair’s Report |
5:05am |
International Treasurer’s Report |
5:20am |
Confirmation of International Treasurer |
5:40am |
Confirmation of DA Caribbean Islands |
6:00am |
Break |
6:15am |
DA’s Task Forces: What They Are, What They’re Doing, and How You Can Help |
7:00am |
DA’s Caucuses: What They Are, What They’re Doing, and How You Can Help |
7:45am |
Break / Guest Speaker DNC Deputy Executive Director Roger Lau |
8:00am |
The Nuts & Bolts of Voting From Abroad |
8:30am |
Overview: Global GOTV Strategy and Resources for 2022 |
8:45am |
Battleground State Teams |
9:15am |
Break / Guest Speaker DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison |
9:30am |
Panel on GOTV Best Practices |
10:00am |
Reaching and Helping Voters in 2022 |
11:00am |
Break / Guest Speaker US Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) |
11:15am |
Fundraising in 2022: The Pitch, Nuts and Bolts, and Best Practices |
11:45am |
Closing Remarks for Day One |
12:00pm |
Sunday, May 22
To check your local time, please use this Time Zone Converter here.
Time (US Eastern) |
Activity |
3:30am |
WebEx Opens/Check-In |
4:00am |
Meeting Reconvenes, Roll Call |
4:15am |
Rebranding Overview: New DA Logo, DA Website Redesign, and VFA Website Redesign |
5:15am |
Membership Engagement: Volunteer Pathways in 2022 |
5:45am |
Break |
6:00am |
Resolutions |
7:30am |
Break |
7:45am |
Charter Amendments |
9:15am |
Break / Guest Speakers Former Congressman Tony Coehlo and DNC Disability Caucus Chair Kerri Evelyne Harris |
9:30am |
Charter Amendments (cont.) |
10:45am |
Closing Remarks for Day Two |
11:00am |
Democrats Abroad Resolutions
The DPCA will consider resolutions submitted by its members at the Global Meeting. Resolutions can pertain to matters of internal governance, DA's advocacy of policies, or memorializing leaders who have recently passed away. The texts of resolutions for this meeting are available as a PDF using this link. These texts are the result of a lengthy process of discussion and revisions, with all changes requiring the consent of the primary sponsors. During the meeting, a resolution may be passed, amended, rejected, or not considered due to parliamentary decisions.
Any DA member is welcome to use a form to be recognized as a co-sponsor of an individual resolution. If you'd like to be listed publicly by name and country of residence as a co-sponsor of a particular resolution, please use the following link to complete the form: https://forms.gle/6nW1vz61RmKADVgT7 This form will close 24 hours before the meeting's start.
Democrats Abroad Charter Amendments
Proposed amendments to Democrats Abroad’s Charter can be found here.
Click Here to donate in support of the Global Meeting and DA's GOTV activities.
Click Here to donate to the Democrats Abroad Travel Fund.
Request Your Absentee Ballot @ ETH!
Get registered to vote or request your absentee ballot for the upcoming 2022 midterm elections! It's a quick and easy process, and we are available to answer any questions you may have about voting or being politically engaged from abroad.
We have a table reserved at Kleine Freiheit, located very near the main ETH Zürich campus. We look forward to seeing you!
Request Your Absentee Ballot @ EPFL Lausanne
Photo: Morgan Gray
Come meet our team and get registered to vote or request your absentee ballot for the upcoming 2022 midterm elections! It's a quick and easy process, and we are available to answer any questions you may have about voting or being politically engaged from abroad.
4th of July - Together Again!
Join Democrats Abroad Switzerland for a nationwide celebration of 🇺🇸 Independence Day 🇺🇸!
We are securing an indoor/outdoor space near Bern for a potluck cookout and we would love to see you there!
We will provide soft drinks and grill(s). Bring something to throw on the BBQ and a side or dessert to share.
Plan for fun and games for the whole family, as well as some brainstorming on how to Get Out The Vote for these all-important 2022 Midterms!
More details will be announced soon, but please mark your calendars 🗓️!
Caring for Our Mental Health While Living Abroad
Join us for a discussion on the mental health issues commonly faced when loving abroad with Caitlan Siegenthaler, MA, LPC, NCC.
Our team of mental health professionals has experience working with adults and young people both in the US and in Switzerland, and will be providing insight into their own work helping Americans both at home and abroad to address the feelings of loneliness, isolation, culture shock, and other obstacles that come with starting a new life in a new place. After presenting some background information on their professional histories and on these themes, we will be holding a Q&A session with the audience.
This event is a collaboration between MeWell Community and the Global Youth Caucus at Democrats Abroad.
About Caitlan Siegenthaler, MA, LPC, NCC
Caitlan is an ex-corporate marketing manager turned licensed therapist who is passionate about making mental health more accessible. She specializes in anxiety, stress & burnout and has helped hundreds of clients across the globe find ease and clarity again. She primarily works with expats and lived abroad in Switzerland from 2019-2022.
Caitlan received her Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of Northern Colorado while working full time in marketing.
Caitlan also loves speaking on mental health topics to help remove the stigma around mental health. She has been invited to speak at companies like Salesforce and FlyVictor.
When she isn’t guiding clients or speaking about mental wellness she can be found somewhere outside in search of sunshine. After three years abroad she now lives in Virginia Beach, VA USA (originally from Denver, Colorado) with her husband and their dog, Henry.
Summer Walk in the Jura Mountains
Mountain/forest walk in the Jura Mountains above Nyon. Bring the family and join other Dems for a day of good exercise, Swiss fresh air and mountain grandeur. Route TBD (5-9 kilometers). With break for lunch or snacks. Wear layers and good walking shoes.
RSVP not required, but we do recommend that you join the regional WhatsApp group for easy coordination. See May or June newsletter for link, or email Michael.
Access by public transport on the St-Cergue/La Cure train from Nyon.
Questions? Contact Michael Williams at [email protected].
Bacchus Caucus: Old and New World Red Wines

After devoting 17 years to emergency and critical care veterinary nursing, Steph decided to leave medicine and turn her much loved wine hobby into a second career. She began working at a Finger Lakes winery where she immersed herself in every aspect of wine making: vineyard experience, harvest and crush, and the tasting room where she honed her skills in food and wine pairing. While working in the winery, she joined a company which provided small, semi-private, educational wine tours within the FLX region. Within this time she also became beverage manager and wine captain of a high-end catering company, where she was able to continue her work with local winemakers in putting together tasting menus for private events.
Donation Declaration
- I am a United States Citizen; and
- This contribution is not made from the general treasury funds of a corporation, labor organization, or national bank; and
- This contribution is not made from the treasury of a person or entity that is a federal contractor; and
- This contribution is not made from the treasury of a joint account for which one or more account holders are not US citizens; and
- The funds I am donating are not being provided to me by another person or entity for the purpose of making this contribution; and
- I am at least 18 years old, the funds I am donating are my own personal funds, and I am donating these funds knowingly and voluntarily.
Democrats Abroad Switzerland is a volunteer organization that relies on donations to be able to provide outreach, voter education, and voter registration services. With the critical nature of the 2022 midterms, we need to raise funds to allow us to reach, register, and motivate as many American voters living in Switzerland as possible.
Basel 4051
Switzerland
Google map and directions
Let's Do it Again! Geneva Botanical Gardens Walk
Join us for a lovely, leisurely walk through the Geneva Botanical Gardens and along the lakeshore. One year after the 're-birth' of DACH in-person gatherings, we are delighted to come together again this May 21st. Walk, talk, catch up on our GOTV plans. Meet us at the main entrance (Place Albert Thomas) of the Botanical Garden at 12 noon.
Meet us at the main entrance (Place Albert Thomas, just opposite WTO gate) of the Geneva Botanical Gardens.
Your RSVP isn't required, but we do recommend that you join the regional WhatsApp group for easy coordination.
Chemin de l'Impératrice 1
Pregny-Chambésy 1292
Switzerland
Google map and directions
The Zurich Monthly Issue - June 2022
Join Democrats Abroad Zürich members for our monthly meeting! We are currently holding our meetings via Zoom. All members are welcome to join! We will spend the first half of the meeting planning and organizing for upcoming events. The second part of the meeting will be to discuss current events and other compelling issues.
Can't make it this meeting? We have planning meetings every month. If you can't make our regular meetings but still want to help, please get in touch with Zurich Chapter Chair, Zachary Bailey, at [email protected].