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Obama supporters reaching out to Ethiopian community

Posted on by Elias Kifle

PRESS RELEASE
Ethiopians for Obama

Ethiopians for Obama, a volunteer group that supports Barack Obama, is planning an intensive outreach to the Ethiopian and Ethiopian American community in the Washington DC metro area throughout this weekend leading up to the Potomac Primaries.

The Ethiopian American diaspora represents a significant voting block in the DC Metro area. The Northern Virginia/DC/Maryland area is home to the largest community of Ethiopians in the United States. With the Potomac primaries coming into focus as a significant and potentially watershed moment in the Democratic primaries, the Ethiopian-American voters can have a big impact on the final outcome of the primaries.

Ethiopians for Obama will be fanning out to the various Ethiopian churches to reach out to potential Obama supporters. The primary church we will be focusing on is Debre Mihret Kidus Mikael Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, located at 3010 Mount Horeb Plaza, NE Washington DC. We plan on mobilizing to the site at 10:00 AM. We will also be sending representatives to churches in Maryland and Virginia.

In addition, Ethiopians for Obama will be volunteering primarily in Virginia. We plan on meeting at the official Barack Obama volunteer kick-off at 400 N. Washington St. Falls Church VA.
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For more info: Teddy Fikre, 703.798.5230.
Ethiopians for Obama

9 thoughts on “Obama supporters reaching out to Ethiopian community”

  1. YES WE CAN !!!
    AWO ENICHILALEN !!!
    SUPPORT OBAMA !!!
    DL PIPER IS SUPPORTING HILARY CLINTON !!!
    DL PIPER IS WOYANE LOBBIST FIRM !!!
    FIGHT FOR YOUR SELF !!!
    NOT FOR OBAMA !!!
    FUNDRASING IS IMPORTANT !!!
    VOLUNTEER IS ALWAYS NEEDED !!!
    ETHIOPIAN AMERICAN SUPPORTING OBAMA !!!
    GO AND VOTE FOR OBAMA !!!
    GO AND VOTE HOPE !!!
    YES WE CAN !!!
    YES HR-2003 !!!
    TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE !!!

  2. Our vote is the main power we have to influence politicians in democracies. Let’s not underestimate the impact our collective vote has on the direction the politicians take on issues important to us.

    The politicians are interested to win not only this round of the election but many more. Therefore, they cannot afford to ignore our concern because they know that we will deny them our votes next time.

    Let’s not listen to those who want to tell us that our votes do not make a difference. Each vote matters. Let’s not waste our chance to influence the outcome of the election.

  3. Ethiopians, this is really a true and practical patnership between Ethiopians and sentator Barak to match together on the same path and reach the destination. Good thinking is the tool for good ideas, hence inovation.

    The senator is clearly a visionary leader with a vibant energy to bring about change in America and in the rest of the world. We strongly believes in both countries America and Ethiopia,change the old and bad thinkers has been the motto of millions of voters;and now, change is inviatably around the corner.

  5. Dear Ethiopians for Obama, keep up the good work to help Senator Obama win the Potomac primary on 02/12/08. Encourage folks who are eligible to vote. This is grassroot social movement that is sweeping America and no better time to put your mark on history than this. He brings unity and brotherhood. If elected, i can tell America will not be the same. I think in addition to churches please distribute flyers in Ethiopian businesses around DC, MD and Virginia. I am in Washington state, big win today. I wish i could be there to contribute. I will be calling folks in VA from where I am.

    Cheers,

    Ed.

  6. I think this come too late. Whatever we do now may not have a bigger impact for two reasons. First, eventhough Ethiopian Americans reside largely in DC, Maryland & Virginia, the total number of delegates the region send to the major political parties’ convention is lesser than the vote-rich states such as California, New York, Ohio, Texas & Pennsylvania. Even if our community help the Obama campaign to win DC, VA & MD in larger margin, Ms. Clinton can easily make up those lost votes in the vote-rich states of Ohio, Texas & Pennsylvania. I would say Ethiopian Americans living in Texas, Ohio & Pennsylvania would have more weight on the outcome of the Presidential race than the large number of Ethiopians in the DC metropolitan area. There is a reason why politicians fight tooth & nail to win every vote in the vote-rich states. If our community leaders were smart they could have obtained all kind of pledges to our causes from these politicains by touting them that we have significant population in the vote-rich states which can make/break a political campaign. Some one has to disspell this myth that our political weight is in D.C. metropolitan area but not in other areas.
    Secondly, the time to make the difference was in voter-registration campaign. Particularly for a community who has not participated in U.S. political process in the past such as ours. These canvassing campaigns to Ethiopian churches & social gatherings assume too much that Ethiopian Americans are registered to vote. Without making a voter registration camapign, it is very likely the canvassers would find many, to whom it is very late to register & vote. In a way I am curious how many the volunteers/canvassers talk to, would say that they have taken U.S. citizenship? and how many would say that the have taken the required step for voting? The best thing I would hope from this canvassing campaign is a lesson to do the right thing for forthcoming elections such as the Presidential one next Novemeber. May be it is not late yet to moblise Ethiopian Americans in Ohio, Texas & Pennsylavania or other states who have yet to do their primaries.

  7. Auto Doyo,

    When some say we can’t, us proud Ethiopians say YES WE CAN!! What we need in our community is not a voice of cynicism; we need a voice of hope. We will go canvass, pass out flyers, talk to friends, and encourage all to vote for Barack Obama. If Ethiopians came together to encourage only one voter to vote, then we would have done our job. Action is the call of our day, not the seeds of doubt that some choose to cultivate inside the heads of the hopeful and the determined.

    Esgeresteln,

    Teddy

  8. Wondim Teddy,
    I don’t mean to be cynical. I meant to show readers of this forum the bigger picture. As you said it may be good to go and canvass even for a single potential voter for Obama. I meant to remind Ethiopian Americans get a lesson or two from the experiences in DC, MD and VA and get their acts together to launch voter registration drive in the states where it is not yet late to register. That way the canvassing by volunteers would bring about better results. My hope is for community leaders in these states or volunteer coordinators for Obama campaign would give serious consideration to this issue.

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