US Mission hosts Americans for 1st "Town Hall" meeting.

More than 60 Americans (nearly half of which were Democrats Abroad members!) from 5 major American citizen clubs/organizations met at the US Mission in Geneva Thursday night for the first of what we hope will be a regular series of "Town Hall" type meetings. Key mission staff including the Chargé D'Affairs, Marc Storella, were on hand to explain the Mission's mission here in Geneva dealing with the United Nations, World Trade Organization, and the Commission for Disarmament. Once the introductions were over, Michael Parmly, Consular chief of communications and acting Emcee for the evening moderated a lively question and answer session in which participants were invited to voice their opinions.

The most frequent questions and opinions centered on taxation issues - many feel that US citizens living abroad are subject to "taxation without representation" and that the recent US treasury department actions in the world banking sector have made it very difficult for average law abiding citizens to manage their banking affairs while living abroad. One example is that foreign banks are hesitant to open accounts or are closing accounts for American citizens.

Another example is the IRS requirement that any account(s) in the name of a US citizen that has or has ever had over $10,000, including those accounts for which the person is simply a signatory must be reported and is subject to audit. For participants with specific tax questions, the US Mission announced its intention of reaching out to the IRS european office as well as the US Embassy in Bern to organize a meeting or forum where personal tax related questions can be raised.

All the ideas expressed during the meeting will be assembled into a report which will be submitted to the US Department of State in Washington. The consensus at the end of the evening was that these types of meetings should continue and the US Mission has agreed to help facilitate these meetings on a regular basis throughout the year.

After work fun for Dems Abroad in Geneva

Democrats Abroad members in Geneva enjoy after work refreshments on the terrace of the new Brasserie des Halles de L'Ile in Geneva. The event was the first of what we hope will become a monthly tradition.  Meet us there again on July 16th from 6pm for the next after work drinks get together!

US Mission in Geneva Town Hall Meeting

On June 25^th, at 6pm, the US Mission to the UN, WTO, and the Organization for Disarmament, located in Geneva, is hosting its first ever “town hall” meeting, open to all American’s living in Switzerland.  The Chief of Communication Officer for the U.S. Mission, Michael Parmly, has reached out to all of the local American citizen groups, clubs, and organizations in hopes of increasing dialog with Americans living in Switzerland.  The goal of the first town hall is to introduce key mission staff and explain the purpose and activities of the U.S. Mission.  Subsequent meetings will focus on other topics of interest to us. 

Space is limited, so please RSVP to events@democrats.ch if you would like to attend.  Please reference “town hall” in the subject line of your RSVP so that we do not confuse it with another event.

DA Geneva After Work Cocktails

All work and no play . . .

Is no fun at all.  Join fellow democrats, once per month, in a more relaxed after work atmosphere, for cocktails and conversation.  In June we’ll kick off this tradition in Geneva at Brasserie Des Halles de l’Ile, on Tuesday, June 16^th from 6pm to 8pm. This is a great chance to introduce new members to Democrats Abroad and meet new people in the Geneva community, so be sure to bring your friends.  Members of our executive committee will be on hand to discuss upcoming events and ways that you can get involved.  

How to get there - Bus / Tram stops "STAND" on Quai de la Poste and take the small foot bridge. (When crossing the bridge, Pont de la Coulouvreniere is to your left and Bel Aire to your right.) Or Place de l'Ile can be reached from Bel Aire, by weeding your way through the road works mess and walking past Banque Safdie.

US Ambassador and Dems Abroad discuss Trade Policy in this global economic crisis

US Ambassador to WTO talks trade

H.E. Peter Allgeier, U.S Ambassador to WTO, speaks on The Obama Administration Trade Policy in the Global Economic Crisis

Intercontinental Hotel, Geneva

On May 27th, DACH launched its Global Issues Forum series in Geneva with U.S. Ambassador to the World Trade Organization, Peter Allgeier, for a discussion on trade and the state of the world economy. Ambassador Allgeier provided an engaging tour d’horizon concerning U.S. interests and policy with respect to international trade negotiations. The Ambassador noted that garnering public support for trade policy is the #1 priority for the Obama Administration. In order to bolster public support, the Administration must 1) reassure the public that Americans are competitive in the global economy, 2) reinforce the safety net for workers dislocated by international trade and competitiveness adjustments, and 3) ensure that trade agreements are commercially significant and socially responsible. 

Ambassador Allgeier expressed confidence that the current round of WTO negotiations, called the “Doha Development Agenda” can be successfully concluded. This would provide an important signal by WTO Members against protectionism, and would provide a shot in the arm for our ailing global economy. Ambassador Allgeier underlined that while U.S. economic interests in the “Doha Round” are clear, the Administration needs to work hard to explain the benefits and mitigate the costs for U.S. workers. 

DACH Switzerland is grateful to Ambassador Allgeier for sharing his insight and for engaging with the audience in an interesting question and answer exchange. After the event we were able to record several of Ambassador Allgeier's answers on video. We invite you to view these questions and his responses here below.

How can trade and labor interact in the 21st century to make the global economy stronger, more open, and more just?

Please tell us about the climate-trade interface.

See the Q&A video exchange between Bill White and Peter Allgeier here.

Please feel welcome to post your comments or questions to continue this interesting dialogue!

Additional questions and comments to consider:

From Christopher Hill - "With regards to GM and Apple, Apple is an american company that produces the majority of its products in China. So it imports its products into the US for sale. GM having received government money will file for bankruptcy, yet GM Asia (which is independent of GM US) is thriving and will start to export cars from Asia to the US. Does that mean that the US is going from being dependent on foreign oil to being dependent on foreign factories to produce so called american products?"