My Candidate Statement, Bahareh Azizi-Cand-EMEA

[Bahareh Azizi]

Hello everyone! 

I am truly honored to be considered for this position. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to contribute my skills and experience and work alongside talented and dedicated individuals in the NCCs within the EMEA region to build a more engaged and stronger NCC community.  I truly believe that we have an opportunity to work together to further enhance the work of NCCs in the region, as well as build stronger regional partnerships within the EMEA, fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and activism. I hope that you will have trust in me, to provide the support needed as we continue to bring value and inspire DA members to stay engaged, informed and make their voices heard.

Here is my full candidate statement from my application:

When Barack Obama was elected as the 44th President of the United States, I was an academic at Georgia Tech, deeply focused on research and teaching. His historic victory and commitment to service ignited a passion in me to make a meaningful impact. Inspired by his leadership, I took a bold step in 2009 and ran for a city council seat. That campaign was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life. It taught me the importance of listening to people, understanding their needs, and finding solutions that matter—whether addressing issues like pensions, inclusion, or city policies. After my move to Kuwait for personal reasons, I continued to stay engaged in local and state politics. It was only after joining DA, in which I feel that I have found a platform that will allow me to continue to actively stay engaged and promote the values and priorities of the Democratic Party. I believe my past experience of running for office, along with my expertise in strategy and policy development has equipped me to contribute to the EMEA NCC and the broader Democrats Abroad leadership. My vision is clear: to help mobilize our efforts, amplify the voices of Democrats abroad, and foster genuine engagement through connection, active listening, and providing a platform with resources that address voter needs and concerns. Specifically, I would focus on: • Supporting the growth of NCCs (and potentially their eventual transition to CCs) by championing advocacy programs that deepen engagement in the country and/or region • Drive voter participation in primaries, caucuses, and national elections from NCC members • Work on fostering policies ranging from voting and reducing barriers to absentee voting and improving the voting process to issues related to taxes, immigration, foreign policy, healthcare, etc. to ensure that Democrats Abroad are well-represented

Thank you and happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Bahareh