About Us
The local chapter of the German Green Party (Alliance '90/The Greens) was founded on April 13th, 2008 at the Goethe Institute in Washington D.C. It is the first chapter of a German political party in the United States.
Our main goal is to provide a platform for politically active and green-oriented German citizens, in and beyond Washington D.C., to discuss and actively participate in German Green politics.
We want to tap into the expertise and knowledge of the many German citizens, who work for many international Organizations, be in cultural fields, the media, public and private foundations and non profit organizations as well as political institutions and committees. We want to foster professional and personal exchange, channeling the outcomes towards the political discourse in Germany.
We cordially invite all German Greens in the United States, within and beyond the borders of the District of Columbia, to use the forum of our local chapter to advance green politics in Germany.
For further information, please contact us: info (at) gruene-washington.de
Federal election 2009 in Germany: first political campaign in the US
As the first local chapter of a German political party in the US, the Greens in Washington DC seek to recruit German voters living in the US for the upcoming federal election. It is the first German political campaign in the US.
According to some estimates, there are at least 200,000 Germans living in the US who are eligible to vote. Their votes could help determine the outcome of the September 27 elections. The Greens see great potential here. "Germans that move to the US are often academics, cosmopolitan, urban and are able to look beyond their own concerns. The results of the European elections show that, among this group, we are already practically a people's party," says Thomas Müller, who introduced the campaign in Washington last month.
For the Greens, this campaign is also about increasing the level of interest in political participation among Germans living abroad. Of the more than 200,000 vote-eligible Germans living in the United States, only 5,000 voted by absentee ballot in the last elections, held in 2005. "That is far too few - it's almost like an entire college town simply decided not to vote," says Arne Jungjohann, spokesman for the local chapter of Bündnis 90/The Greens.
The main goal is to bring the experiences and perspectives of Germans living abroad into German society and into politics as well. "Green politics concentrate on the global perspective," says Jungjohann. "We support global solutions in climate protection, justice, security and the reform of financial markets."
The Greens are not only counting on internet campaigning and web 2.0 but also on networking within the German expat community. "Of course, we've copied a few things from the Democrats in the US. Internet, Twitter and social networks like Facebook are important tools for us," says Müller. But the Greens have something that Obama didn't have: "In their search for bratwurst and German bread, many of our fellow countrymen have already organized their own German internet groups."
Time is of the essence for the local chapter and its voters. Non-resident Germans must be registered to vote by September 6. Even those who are resident in Germany but would like to vote via absentee ballot are advised to inquire in their hometowns about when the ballots are due. This website provides all necessary information as to the registration process as well as to the absentee ballot.
You can find the local chapter of the Greens on Facebook, "Gruene Washington", and Twitter, "GrueneDC". The campaign itself ("Wahlmobilisierungskampagne") can also be found on Facebook: "I Want You for Bundestagswahl 09".
Please forward inquires to the heardquarter in Washington at info (at) gruene-washington.de
