Standing in Berlin, a city divided by a wall for 28 years, Barack delivered a major speech yesterday in which he warned against allowing “new walls to divide us from one another” and called on Americans and Europeans to “build new bridges across the globe.”
Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century. It was this spirit that led airlift planes to appear in the sky above our heads, and people to assemble where we stand today. And this is the moment when our nations – and all nations – must summon that spirit anew.
Meredith is one of over 7 million Americans who live abroad. Born and raised in a Chicago suburb, she now lives in Lautrec, France. She's the founder of the Southwest Chapter of Democrats Abroad France, and she's excited by the prospect of having Barack in the White House.
Wanting to highlight Barack's unique background and sound foreign policy judgment to other Americans abroad, Meredith decided to generate some media attention this spring by playing off Barack’s image as a sort of bridge.
I was attending a Democrats Abroad regional primary in Brussels this past March and the idea just came to me, as I looked at all these Americans gathered from all over Europe. I'd been reading articles about Obama where journalists would often refer to his ability to bridge gaps between races, ethnic groups, socio-economic groups--so the idea of bridges was in my mind. I realized we all lived in countries with famous or beautiful bridges and the bridge would be an ideal symbol for his candidacy--especially to Americans living abroad.
So far supporters who have connected through My.BarackObama and online bulletins have snapped pictures in front of more than 76 bridges in 36 countries, on five continents. Locations include: Istanbul, Johannesburg, Vancouver, Rome, London, Vienna, Dublin, Jakarta, Berlin, Florence, Tokyo, Oslo and Brussels.
The group has succeeded in drawing attention to voters living abroad, attracting media coverage from McClatchy, The New York Times and local news outlets.
There is an enthusiasm for Obama among Americans abroad that mirrors the enthusiasm back in the States. We want to show it! The media coverage of these bridge shots also raises the profile of Democrats Abroad in foreign countries and helps us locate other Americans who may need help or advice on how to register for an absentee ballot. It's not a straight-forward process. Each state has its own rules. The good news is there is now an on-line website that makes a difficult process much simpler: www.VoteFromAbroad.org.Also, it's important that Americans back in the States hear the voices of the 7 million Americans living, working and studying overseas. We are often on the front line of American foreign policy. We have to explain it and sometimes defend it.
If you are a U.S. citizen living outside the United States, you can check out our page dedicated to Americans Abroad and sign up for Americans Abroad for Obama to recieve updates and information. It doesn’t matter whether you live on U.S. soil or abroad, you can organize support and make a difference anywhere. Find a local group, start one if there isn’t one for your area or host an event -- we’ve even added a country field, so that you can find and organize events anywhere in the world.
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