I started working on bringing Democracy Matters to GW last semester. I partnered with nationals and we discussed if GW would be a good fit for an org like this. And we both came to the conclusion that students on this campus are incredibly politically active and passionate about all sorts of issues. Because no matter what issue you're interested in- be it women's health, the environment, gun control- it all comes back to who is paying who to get what they want. And that's not right. So I needed to do something about it.
Over the summer I developed the constitution, action plan, and basically the foundation of the new organization. I recruited potential new members through social media and posted applications for the executive board. We got a surprising number of applicants (which was awesome!) and I firmly believe the executive board we have now will carry this organization into the future and secure its lasting legacy. I couldn't have done anything if it wasn't for our team of seven incredibly talented and passionate leaders.
With our team in place and the semester starting, we increased outreach and received a lot of interest. By the end of the org fair we had over 90 signatures! While waiting for the Center of Student Engagement to determine our organization's official status, we didn't waste any time. Even though there were restrictions on renting space, hanging posters, and holding events we still managed to partner with GW Dems and help register over 200 people to vote! We also had our first general body meeting on Sept. 27th where we discussed campaign finance reform and set details for our first action campaign.
I'm so proud to see this organization grow and can't wait to see what is in our future. Every monumental moment in history began with only a few voices- it starts as a whisper and grows to a shout. We plan to shout as loud as we can to make a difference. Come join us!
Our first action campaign is October 5th! We are partnering with Gelman to help people register to vote. The event lasts from 2:30 pm to 6 pm on the entrance floor of Gelman. So come out, bring a friend, and register to vote!
If you're interested in participating in our first action campaign or want to be a part of our organization and be added to the Democracy Matters e-mail listserv please email [email protected]!
"Change Elections, Change America."
Democracy Matters is a non-partisan organization that seeks to get private money out of politics. We want to engage in the community around us and educate people about campaign finance reform. Our democracy is under threat when corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money to control elections and finance their own political agenda. To fight this system, Democracy Matters holds four "Action Campaigns" per semester. These can include registering people to vote, lobbying congressmen, hosting debates and public speakers, and a lot of other fun things that get you outside the Foggy Bottom bubble.