YALLA VOTE ‘08 Our Voice. Our Future.

David Munir Nabti is flying back to the US for the Democratic Convention this August. He is the first ARAB AMERICAN to be chosen as a delegate to the committee for the Democrats Abroad Europe-Middle East-Africa region. The LA Times posts a fabulous blog about our overseas Get Out The Vote hero…

Despite moving to Lebanon in 2004 to bond with his roots and work in the development field, Nabti never really lost his connection with the U.S. It is in California, where he grew up and later studied political science.

So last year, with a small group of like-minded people, he decided to start the Lebanon chapter of Democrats Abroad, which is the official overseas branch of the U.S. Democratic Party with members in 164 countries.

We hope that all Americans, at home and abroad, cast a ballot this November 4th.

AAI President Dr. James Zogby spoke on July 18, 2008 at the City Club of Cleveland– “U.S. Middle East Policy & the 2008 Elections: A Critical Moment” (click here to hear Dr. Zogby’s speech). Later that day, he met with members of the local Arab American community, including members of C.A.M.E.O., AACCESS-Ohio, and AAI Ohio members. Dr. Zogby encouraged the community to become involved in this year’s election and answered questions about his talk that he did not get to answer earlier at the City Club.

St. George Festival in Toledo

St. George’s Church in Toledo, Ohio held its annual festival that same weekend. Although it rained on and off, hundreds came to experience Middle Eastern culture and socialize. And Yalla Vote was there with a table and volunteers collected signatures for the National Declaration and registered voters.

C.A.M.E.O. Annual Picnic

On July 20 in Cleveland, the Cleveland American Middle Eastern Organization had its annual picnic at German Central Farm, inviting members of the Arab American community and local elected officials and candidates. I, along with a few volunteers, was also present collecting signatures and telling people about the Yalla Vote campaign.

Until next time…Yalla Vote!

-Nadia

Florida in July is hot, and Yalla Vote is heating it up even more this summer! With so many ways to get involved this July, you may need to sit in front of the fan just to read this!

Platform Plank Events

Remember when we said that this was OUR VOICE, and OUR FUTURE? Well, Obama and the GOP are putting that to the test by letting the people get involved in the platform writing process. Want to host an event in Florida? Contact Community Relations and me! There are directions on the AAI website that make it very easy to get involved! Want to take part in an existing event in your city? E-mail me at aai-florida@yallavote.org for the latest Florida information.

Sign the Declaration

Chances are, if you’re reading this you’ve already signed the Declaration, but if not, click here to sign it now! And of course, forward it along!

Register to Vote

Here in Florida, the last day to register to vote in the primary election on August 26^th is July 28^th. You can find all the information about elections at the Florida Division of Elections’ website.

Attend a local party meeting

So you’re already registered to vote, holding or attending a plank event, and you’ve gotten the Declaration around to everyone you know? Do some research on your local Democrat or Republican club and go to a meeting. Be sure to let AAI know, and take pictures!

Some links to local political parties follow below. For the most part they meet once a month, and have other events throughout the month.

Volunteer

If we want to make our voices heard, we can’t do it alone! Volunteers are so important to getting the Yalla Vote message out to the community! Whether you have an hour a week or twenty, there is something you can help with! E-mail me at aai-florida@yallvote.org for more information about volunteering - or if you’re not in Florida, e-mail your local organizer!

However you choose to make your voice heard this election, remember, YALLA VOTE!

-Mia

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AAI is hosting a bi-partisan platform plank event next week… the details are coming together even as I type. What AAI wants to know is…

ARE YOU?

Let us know. Drop us a comment here on this post, or send an e-mail to cr@aaiusa.org and let us know the whens and wheres. AAI will be happy to send you Arab American Democrat or Arab American Republican buttons and signs, and Yalla Vote materials, to help you host your event.

We’ve made it so easy for you, with checklists, sign-in sheets, agendas, all branded for your Democrat or Republican event. Visit the Yalla Vote section of the AAI website for the complete low-down on this incredible opportunity to really make a difference.

The Yalla Vote campaign is truly grateful to all of the sponsoring organizations that endorse it, and lend support. Recently, a Yalla Vote volunteer named Thomas Zraick paid a visit to one of our endorsers, the American Mideast Leadership Network at their Astoria office. The occasion was a pair of workshops for Arab Americans looking for help getting their resumes together, and making some networking connections. A number of the attendees were recent immigrants, and Yalla Vote was there stressing the importance of civic engagement and voting in the upcoming election. The event was very successful, and allowed for some great collaboration between the AMLN and Yalla Vote in building a strong and prosperous Arab American community. It’s always gratifying to see a Yalla Vote representative getting hands on with the community, but it’s even better when it’s one of our volunteers…and it’s EVEN BETTER when it’s a volunteer representing Yalla Vote in conjunction with one of our amazing sponsoring organizations. Bravo all around.

With all the media attention on Obama and McCain, sometimes we forget that voting means more than just selecting our next Commander in Chief. In the American three branch system, who we elect to the legislature is just as important as the executive and judicial branches. They all have to work together to make changes. Moreover, for many Americans, your local representatives have just as much of an impact on their lives as those at the top.

Although the Presidential Preference Primary in Florida has passed, there are still other candidates to choose in many Congressional Districts throughout the state. In the eighth district, there are seven candidates: five democrats and two republicans. Many other districts throughout the state also need to decide who their candidates for the General Election will be.

If you are not registered to vote in Florida, or you would like to change your party affiliation to vote in the Primary Election, the deadline to do so is July 28. The Primary Election will be held on August 26, 2008.

Between now and then, I recommend checking out the Florida Division of Elections’ website to check out the candidates in your area. And remember, this is OUR voice, OUR future.

-Mia

As an American Expatriate it is important for you to stay engaged in the electoral process. Globalization turns local matters into global concerns. The issues we will address in this election will not only affect you upon your return, but affect your life while still abroad.

As an expat, you will need to request an application for an absentee ballot, known as the “Federal Postcard Application.” It also serves as a voter registration card for U.S. citizens who have not yet registered. There are three ways to apply for an absentee ballot:

• Download the application at the Federal Assistance Voting Program Web site: http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/fpca.html
• Get this form by visiting the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your host country
• E-mail your request for the Federal Postcard Application to: vote@fva.ncr.gov

Registration deadlines vary by state; to be safe, register to vote at least 30 day prior to the election. For information on registration in your state please visit the AAI’s CapWiz site, which will help you through the process.

For more information about Absentee Voting please visit theAbsentee Voting Assistance Program at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/fpca.html.

The other day, I had an opportunity to go around Steinway St. in Queens and meet a few of the local businessmen, and see the churches and mosques that make up the Arab American community here. First, let me just say that this neigborhood is truly vibrant and beautiful. There is a tremendously diverse Arab American community here that meshes together into one unique whole. Morroccans and Palestinians next to Lebanese, Yemeni, Egyptians, and Syrians- truly a beautiful thing. However, when discussing this neigborhood with Mr. Rami Nuseir, who heads the American Mideast Leadership Network, I came to understand that despite the positive environment, and strong community, there is very little in the way of political organization out here. This realization was at once troubling and encouraging.

On the one hand, trying to get large communities of Arab Americans to do anything at the same time can feel a bit like herding cats, and the prospect of recruiting volunteers, and getting signatures for the Yalla Vote National Petition seems daunting. On the other hand, the community that already does exist is so proud of its various cultures, and open to sharing it with the rest of the world. I see the potential in this neighborhood to utilize the network of good will and the true commitment to Arab American values that already runs deep in Queens. As a field organizer, I need to take what already exists in this cultural and social community and figure out how to transform that energy and enthusism into a cohesive political force to be reckoned with. I feel that the microcosm of Steinway Street in Queens examplifies the struggle for Arab American political assertion on a national scale. We’re here, we are proud of who we are, but for some reason we have difficulty banding together, organizing, and using the channels available to us as Americans to galvanize positive change. Hopefully, by the end of the Yalla Vote campaign, my hefty contact lists and business directories, which will eventually manifest themselves as signatures and actual voters, and serve as a new start for Arab American political empowerment in Queens and beyond.

Yalla Vote field interns visit the DNC…

…and the RNC…

… and our nation’s Capital.

To see more photos of their Washington adventure, please visit our Flickr photostream.

Hassan Abraham was born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan, where he has been a committed community activist and student leader. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 2005, and he obtained his J.D. From Wayne State University Law School in Spring 2008. Hassan has previously interned with the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, and he was a Vice-Chair for Students Allied for Freedom and Equality, a social justice student organization at the University of Michigan. Recently, Hassan has been active in the presidential primary, traveling to several states to campaign on behalf of his preferred candidate. He has also worked in legal aid in Detroit, providing family law and disability law services to indigent clients.

If you’d like to email Hassan, he can be reached at: aai-michigan@yallavote.org

Hear what Hassan has to say:

Hail to the Voters: Michigan Campaign Begins

Well, the Michigan staff of AAI is back in our Dearborn office this week, energized and fired up for an exciting summer and fall in Michigan. Our office is now fully operational, preparing the groundwork for a successful Yalla Vote campaign, and planning ways to make a powerful presence in the largest Arab community outside of the Middle East.

The training we experienced in Washington D.C. was incredibly informative, and we’ve already incorporated many of the great ideas that we learned at out training sessions in D.C., including the creation of a goal thermometer for the National Petition, and posting photos of our volunteers in our office.  We look forward to developing this office much further, so that it becomes a true community hub, where activists, students, local leaders, and residents stop by and utilize the resources of the Yalla Vote campaign. Help make this office yours, come by to chat, pick up signs, tshirts or buttons, give us feedback, or sign the petition… this is your campaign, Yalla Vote!