On May 11th, runners arrived in Mannheim from around Germany to Run for Democracy in the Mannheim Half-Marathon and 10K runs. Not only that, but they collected sponsors to support them, and in the end, we raised over $3,000 in pledges for global Democrats Abroad (DPCA) to use in its Get Out The Vote efforts in 2020. Nancy Schimkat organized the event and hopes that other Chapters and Country Committees will be inspired to do something like this in the future.

Thanks to the runners:

Nancy was injured this year. However, she, along with Daniel Hoever-Eckardt, Angela Fobbs, Anne Johnson-Zander, Aileen Dinin,  and, Barbara Lutes cheered on our runners.

A special thanks to everyone who sponsored our runners and thanks to our members who hosted runners at their homes. Thanks to everyone who came out even though the weather was chilly and windy!

With great sadness Democrats Abroad Munich shares the passing of John Henke, one of our most faithful and passionate volunteers. If you have been to any of our events in Munich, there is a good chance you spoke with John.

John was a most considerate man with a passion for doing good. He always had an open ear, the advice to go with it and the fitting joke to cheer you up. His way of charming the world into a better place was to make people smile and laugh. A trained clown, far-travelled veteran and electronic engineer he had immense knowledge to draw from and he was more than happy to give it on; in dance or in words…

He was the life of many a march or an evening and he embodied the spirit of reaching out to people. His tall silhouette framed by silvery long hair could often be spotted at the front of a march wearing a dapper top hat. Over the years John and his wife Kathleen sported a number of spectacular costumes always gathering and spreading good cheer. Among them John standing in for Uncle Sam during voter registration and resembling the best of him.

While Kathleen loved to work the “Get Out The Vote” stand, John thrived scouting the masses at Marienplatz. He would dive into the crowd, finding unregistered Americans by their accents. He’d then send them over to Kathleen to register to vote. His buoyant good cheer in welcoming one and all will be missed immensely. John, we thank you for your incredible dedication to our organization and us for the warmth you always exuded.

Now you are gone with the wind, travelling and exploring again…
May you rest in peace

We will see you again Mr. Galileo, in a better place - thx for being with us

This Tuesday, join us for our May meeting: Organized Labor's Role in U.S. Elections, with guest speaker Thomas J. Adams, whose research focuses on the history of American labor, political economy, and social movements as well as New Orleans.

Our U.S. tax info session will be on Wednesday, May 8th, 2019. If you haven't RSVPed yet, the venue is currently at capacity. You're welcome to come, in case there are no-shows ►Details

May political pub nightwill be at Zosch in Mitte on Wednesday May 15th, 2019. Get a beer with Americans and friends, and maybe even catch some New Orleans jazz later in the evening. ►Details & RSVP here

We're also really excited to announce the Democrats Abroad Book Clubin Berlin. The first meeting will take place on Thursday, May 30th, 2019 at Coffee Fellows in Prenzlauer Berg. We'll be discussing the novella "The House on Mango Street" and choosing books for the next few months. ►More Book Club info

Want to get involved? Drop us a line by emailing [email protected].

Updates

We need your help this summer: 4th of July & LGBT Stadtfest

Do you throw a great party? We're looking for help for our summer events, when we reach out to the greater American community in Berlin. If you'd like to help us coordinate these events (or another one), please get in touch! [email protected]

Host a Democrats Abroad Berlin meetup!

We're asking for your help to make more events happen in more parts of Berlin. If you'd like to put together a playground gathering, a letter-writing group, discussions over dinner, or anything else that helps bring Americans living in Berlin together, please get in touch. We'd love to see more diverse get-togethers in all the Berlin neighborhoods -- from Friedenau to Weissensee and everywhere in-between.

Write in with your idea or proposal: [email protected]

Democrats Abroad Germany's Volunteer Survey

Democrats Abroad's Germany-level leadership is conducting a survey of potential volunteers, to figure out what your interests, unique talents, and special skills are. If you'd like to respond, take the survey

2019 Elections in KY, LA, MS, NC, NJ, PA, & VA

There are local, state and federal elections in 2019. If you vote in Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, or Virginia, there are elections in 2019. Pennsylvania's 12th District and North Carolina's 3rd and 9th districts will have special elections for seats in the US House of Representatives. It may not be a presidential election year, but please remember to request your ballot and vote!

►Go to VoteFromAbroad.org and request your overseas ballot today!

Upcoming Events

Organized Labor's Role in U.S. Elections - May Meeting

Tue. May 7, 2019, 7:30-9pm
Begegnungsstätte Falckensteinstraße, Falckensteinstr. 6, 10997 Berlin (U1 Schlesisches Tor)
RSVP | Facebook

Taco Tuesday in Dresden

Tue. May 7, 2019, 7:30-9pm
The Evil Burrito Dresden, Bischofsweg 10 Dresden-Neustadt 01097
RSVP | Facebook

Info Session: U.S. Taxes While Living Abroad

Wed. May 8, 2019, 7:30-9pm
Cookies and Cream, Kremmener Straße 8, 10435 Berlin-Mitte (U8 Bernauer, U2 Eberswalder, M10 Wolliner)
RSVP(required) | Facebook

May Political Pub Night – Zosch

Wed. May 15, 2019, from 7pm
Zosch, Tucholskystr. 30, 10117 Berlin-Mitte (S Oranienburger Strasse, U6 Oranienburger Tor)
RSVP | Facebook

Book Club Kickoff: The House on Mango Street

Thu. May 30, 2019, 7-8:30pm
Coffee Fellows 2nd Floor, Danziger Str. 1, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg (U2 Eberswalder Strasse)
RSVP | Facebook

🌈LGBT Streetfest🌈- Save the date!

Sat. & Sun. July 20-21, 2019
Nollendorfplatz, Berlin-Schöneberg
Volunteer

We are excited to be part of the Lesbisch-Schwules Stadtfest(Motzstrassenfest) on July 20 & 21 in Schöneberg. The street festival is an annual highlight for Democrats Abroad Berlin. We will have a booth on both days where we’ll mingle with attendees, sell DA swag, and register Americans abroad to vote. We're looking for volunteers to help out for shifts of a few hours (or more) over the weekend. It's a fun festival with a great atmosphere, so grab a friend and sign up for a shift or two together: https://volunteersignup.org/48B78

May will be a busy month. We have a lot going on in DAG, and so does our democratically controlled Congress. Thank you for voting. Without the #BlueWave, we would not have any ability to investigate the Trump Administration.  If you haven't read the Mueller report, you can get a copy here. Take our poll on impeachment.

On May 4th from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, our Chair Candice Kerestan and Vice Chair Kenton Barnes will hold an online "Meet and Greet." They will discuss the structure and goals of our organization, volunteer opportunities and more. All DA Germany members are warmly invited to attend. A computer/tablet with an internet connection and a working microphone are necessary to participate actively. To receive the connection information, RSVP. See you on Saturday!

We're gearing up for 2020, and it takes a village to do all the things we need to do. Here are three opportunities to help:

1. Take our Volunteer Survey. We are looking for volunteers in all areas.
2. DA Germany is looking for members interested in heading our Black Caucus, LGBTQ+ Caucus, Progressive Caucus, and Youth Caucus. Find out more information.
3. Do you have an idea? We're looking for suggestions on how we can connect with more Americans in Germany, find places to advertise, events to have and any suggestions you have to get more people to vote.  Bookmark this link and submit your ideas at any time.

Spring has sprung, and there any many new and exciting developments happening with Democrats Abroad Germany as we gear up for the summer season, which will be filled not only with the first Democratic National Committee primary debates (June 26-27) in Miami, but also plenty of chances to get involved locally with DA Germany.

In an effort to discuss the structure and goals of our organization as well as volunteer opportunities as we head towards 2020, newly elected DA Germany Chair Candice Kerestan (Munich) and Vice Chair Kenton Barnes (Braunschweig) will be holding an online “Meet and Greet” on May 4^th, 2019, from 1:30-3:30pm. All DA Germany members are warmly invited to attend. A computer/tablet with an internet connection and a working microphone are necessary to actively participate. To receive log-in information, please RSVP.  

Don’t want to wait until then to help out or learn more about DA Germany? Here’s a quick overview of how you can get involved now as well as some updates on what’s been happening with DA both in Germany and internationally:

Phone banking: Help Call DA Virginia Voters to Help Pass the ERA!

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was first introduced in 1923. Unfortunately, although it finally passed in the U.S. House and Senate 47 years ago (March 22^nd, 1972), it has still not been ratified by the necessary 38 states. It had only 35 when it “expired” in 1982. However, based on the 27^th Amendment being ratified 203 years after it was submitted to the states, it has been deemed that the deadline was not valid. Nevada ratified the ERA in 2017 and Illinois in 2018 – meaning we only need ONE more state to ratify it for it to be written into the U.S. Constitution. 

Just a few weeks ago, Republicans stopped the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the Virginia Legislature by a single vote! We were devastated, but not defeated!

DA has just set up new global phone banking campaigns to reach out to DA voters in Virginia where the 2019 state elections will decide the majority in both the House of Delegates and the VA State Senate. Let’s take a majority in the VA legislature and ratify the ERA!

Sign up here to be on the phone banking team and join the campaign for Virginia.

Looking for more information on the ERA? Here’s a three-minute video on Why We Need an Equal Rights Amendment. One of the best articles explaining the history and current status was in last month’s Cosmopolitan article “So Here’s Something...Women Don’t Actually Have Equal Rights Under the Constitution.” You can also watch the “Legalize Equality” video, the 30-minute must-see video on ERA – just RSVP here to receive the link. Also please check out www.democratsabroad.org/era for the latest status along with ways ALL members of DA can help no matter where you vote or live. We need your help.

DA Germany Caucus Leadership

DA Germany is looking for members interested in working with a specific set of policy issues, which is facilitated through the Democrats Abroad caucus structure. Current open positions include Chair of the LGBTQ+ Caucus, Chair of the Progressive Caucus, Chair of the Black Caucus, and Chair of the Youth Caucus (35 and under). For a description of our caucus and chair responsibilities, please visit this page.   

Democrats Abroad Germany is looking for Caucus Leaders for the following Caucuses:

• LGBT Caucus
• Progressive Caucus
  
• Black Caucus
  
• Youth Caucus

General job description for all positions:

• Disseminating information to members
• Coordinating caucus-related events in Germany
• Periodically report to the global caucus steering committee
• Finding ways to add diversity to non-caucus events
• Establishing working committees on legislative or policy issues
• Running and attending meetings
• Other duties as required

Each caucus will be represented by a Chair who is responsive to both members and any requests for action or information from the DAG Executive Committee. Additional positions may be established depending upon interest within the caucus. The Caucus Chair will be appointed by the DAG Chair with the consultation of the Executive Committee for a term of two years. The Chair may be removed by the DAG Executive Committee at any time for conduct contrary to the interests of the caucus or DAG.

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

March 6, 2019

Democrats Abroad Germany Introduces Newly Elected Executive Committee

Heidelberg - Democrats Abroad Germany, the official arm of the Democratic Party in Germany, elected its new Executive Committee at their Annual General Meeting held on February 23, 2019, in Heidelberg. Incoming leaders, who will serve in their respective positions until 2021, are responsible for upholding and supporting the work of the Democratic Party Committee Abroad in Germany.

DA Germany announces the following newly elected leaders:

At-Large Positions:

As American politics has come to the forefront of global concern with the Trump administration, DA Germany aims to be the point of contact for Americans living in Germany and help actively connect them with government and civic engagement back home.

“Following the general election in 2016, we witnessed an outpouring of concern and activity from Americans living in Germany,” noted Candice Kerestan, Chair of DA Germany. “While this momentum to make a change was reflected in the recent midterm elections – where Democrats regained the House, flipped seven governors’ mansions, and picked up hundreds of state legislative seats nationwide – we must continue building upon this to take back the White House in 2020. Moving forward, the newly elected Executive Committee is determined to keep improving outreach to Americans, provide even greater opportunities for our members to learn about and engage with US politics, and make our voices heard while living in Germany.”

The elections are one facet of an ongoing program of activities for DA Germany. For more information please visit our website at http://www.democratsabroad.org/de.

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