Thursday, August 23, 2012

DA Switzerland Newsletter - August 2012


Democrats Abroad Switzerland
August 2012: News and Upcoming Events

Contents:
1) Americans Abroad for Obama fundraiser in Geneva with George Clooney – Aug. 27th
2) Expat Expo Zurich – Voter registration drive and volunteer recruiting – Sept. 2nd
3) 3rd and Last Visit Behind the Scenes at Nuit des Bains: A special guided tour for Democrats Abroad in Geneva – Sept. 12th
4) Oktoberfest with DA in Munich – Oct. 7th
5) Volunteers needed and internship opportunity
6) WANTED: Help us connect with Americans in your study abroad program, workplace or social club
7) Stay in the loop



1) Americans Abroad for Obama fundraiser in Geneva with George Clooney
George Clooney will be coming (back!) to Geneva next week on Monday, August 27, 2012. This event is expected to be the single most important fundraising event of Americans Abroad for Obama in this Presidential re-election cycle. This is your final chance to sign up and be at the event everyone will be talking about. We have all been reading about the incredible sums of money the Romney-Ryan campaign is raking in from billionaires. If you cannot attend, please support President Obama and help him have the funds needed to win the election by making a donation anyway. https://my.barackobama.com/GenevaAugust27Reception

There will be a Champagne Reception, at an elegant Old Town venue in the presence of both George Clooney and Ambassador Matthew Barzun, the Chairman of the Obama Victory Fund, who will welcome all participants, share some observations on the Campaign, and answer questions from the floor. The requested contribution for the Champagne Reception is $1000 per person. During the Champagne Reception, for contributors of $5000 per couple, there will be the opportunity for a personal introduction and photograph with George Clooney. After the Champagne Reception, a smaller group will enjoy an intimate gourmet Gala Dinner with George Clooney and Matthew Barzun in a private venue. Special Note: During the Champagne Reception, George Clooney will draw the names of two lucky participants who, along with their spouses or significant others, will be invited to join in the ensuing Gala Dinner as guests of the Campaign.
Only U.S. citizens and Green Card holders may contribute to the Obama Victory Fund, and for Americans residing abroad, passport information is required to be submitted with the RSVP. Non-U.S. spouses, partners and guests are more than welcome to attend, provided that it is the U.S. citizen who makes the contribution of their behalf. Registration for this event is open until Saturday Aug. 25th: https://my.barackobama.com/GenevaAugust27Reception
As part of our goal to inform DACH members about Democratic Party and campaign fundraising activities taking place in the Switzerland, we are happy to announce such events that are made known to us. This event is not organized, funded, or conducted for the benefit of Democrats Abroad.

2) DA at Expat Expo Fair in Zurich
DA will be at the Expat Expo in Zurich on Sunday September 2nd. We look forward to meeting our members living around Zurich. Find out about registering to vote in 2012 and how to get involved in the campaign!
What: Expat Expo in Zurich, a free fair for all English-speaking expats and locals looking to know more about goods, services and clubs in the region.
Date: Sunday September 2nd
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Where:  Kongresshaus – Gartensaal, Claridenstrasse 3, 8022 Zurich

3) The 3rd and Last Visit Behind the Scenes at Nuit des Bains: A special guided tour for Democrats Abroad in Geneva Sept. 12th
Join fellow DA members and lovers of art for an exclusive pre-opening guided tour of a select number of contemporary art galleries featuring American and Swiss artists in Geneva's Quartier des Bains.
 
Date:    Wednesday September 12th, 2012
Time:    6:30 PM Cocktail (Gallery to be announced) TPG Stop: Cirque or Stand
8:30 PM, Dinner, Restaurant Ou Bien, 3 rue Bergalonne, 1205 Geneva
Participation:  Cocktail and Tour: CHF 50, with Dinner: CHF 120
**We are offering a special discount for this final tour. Bring a friend and pay CHF 70 for two people to attend the cocktail and tour or CHF 200 for two to participate in the cocktail, tour and dinner!**
RSVP: Please sign up by completing the form here http://bit.ly/NuitsSept12
***All benefits will go to DA Switzeralnd Get Out The Vote efforts for the Obama 2012 Campaign!***
Your participation will be confirmed once registration is completed. Advance payment by bank transfer to UBS bank.

This is a project organized for Democrats Abroad by the DACH Cultural Committee - Anne-Shelton Aaron, Sarah Burkhalter, Nicole De Feo, Karen Olson and Maya Samara. Please contact us if you would like to join the committee and/or if you have any suggestions, comments or requests at events@democrats.ch 

4) Oktoberfest with DA in Munich
Our neighbors in Democrats Abroad Munich chapter are planning another fun Oktoberfest event on Sunday October 7th and we encourage all of you to join the fun and have some beers with Democrats from all over Europe! There will be activities organized by the Munich chapter throughout the weekend as well so why not make a weekend break out of it! This event has been sold out every year so get your tickets soon before places run out. More details can be found here. If you have any other questions, please email oktoberfest@democratsabroad.org.


5) Volunteers needed and Internship opportunity
DA Geneva held a last minute but very successful volunteer training session for Voter Registration Drives and Phone Banking last night. We have a VoteFromAbroad, non-partisan Voter Registration team ready to respond to our growing list of Voter Registration Drives we are holding on campuses, in offices, at social events and more. (See Item 6 below for more information on how to set up a Voter Registration Drive where you work, study or socialize.)

Dems in Vaud are forming a grassroots team to get trained and mobilize for the campaign. Dates will be announced soon. Let us know if you want to be kept informed. We need people in Lugano, Fribourg, Basel and Bern to step up and get a teams going there.
Skype Voter Registration and / or Phone Banking training session will be held Sunday September 9th at 6:00pm. Email volunteer@democrats.ch if you are interested in signing up for this or any other volunteer opportunities.

Also, Democrats Abroad Switzerland is recruiting a Communications Intern for the Fall 2012 semester. This is a non-paid internship based in Geneva, Switzerland. Please see attached job description for more details and pass along to anyone you think might be interested. All enquiries and applications should be sent to chair@democrats.ch

6) WANTED: Help us connect with Americans in your study abroad program, workplace or social club
Are you here on a study abroad program? Do you work for a company or government agency that employs more than 10 Americans in Switzerland? Are you active in the local branch of your alumni association? Do you participate in any local club or social group that includes more than 10 Americans? 
Then we want your help! Would you volunteer to be either a Democrats Abroad Outreach Coordinator or put us in touch with your program/club/group? As an Outreach Coordinator you can help other Americans in your program or organization register to vote – or we will connect you to experienced voter registration volunteers. Together, we can do any or all of the following:
- Schedule an on-site non-partisan Voter Registration Drive
- Prepare a non-partisan flyer about Voter Registration to share via email to your colleagues or post in common areas
- Inform your fellow Americans of election news and voting deadlines
- Enable your fellow Americans to participate in the U.S. General Election

If you are ready to help, then fill out our online Outreach Coordinator sign-up sheet!


We will give you the information and tools you will need to connect with other Americans. If your school program, church or club is having an orientation day or community fair, let us know so we can set up a voter registration table or hand out information. All our voter registration activity can be organized in a non-partisan way.

7) Stay in the loop
We will be holding lots of events in the coming 2 months, many which will come together at very short notice. They may not all make the monthly newsletter and we don't want to bombard members with too many emails. If you want to stay in the loop and not miss an opportunity to volunteer, meet up with other Dems and follow the campaign together, you can always see our events posted at these 3 places: www.democratsabroad.org/group/switzerland - www.democrats.ch - www.facebook.com/DemsAbroadSwitzerland

I hope you had a restful summer because September and October will be busy! We need every one to do at least one thing for the campaign. VOTE! If you did not request your absentee ballot in 2012, you need to send in a new request. Go to www.VoteFromAbroad.org right now and fill in the Federal Post Card Application form. Print it. Sign it. Date it. Put it in the mail. Deadlines for many states start at the beginning of October. Do it today! Questions? Email vote@democrats.ch.

Let the campaign fever begin!

Maya Samara
Chair, DA Switzerland

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