WASHINGTON DC: The Association of Americans for Civic Responsibility (AACR) kicked off its Fifth Annual Conference last week with the relevant topic of the time "Voter participation - The Ultimate Civic Responsibility".
The event was held in collaboration with The Maxwell School of Syracuse University at its Paul Greenberg House at Woodley Park, Washington DC for "By Invitation Only" participants. The Conference had three leading topics: 1. Institutional Roles and Responsibilities in Encouraging Voting, 2. Increasing Voter Participation - Lessons from Around the World, and 3 Instilling the Notion of Participatory Democracy in America's Newest Voters - young voters and new Americans. The conference drew representatives from Democratic and Republican National Committees, academia, government, and corporations and civic leaders.
Chad Tragakis, Chairman of AACR Committee on Institutional Civic Responsibility moderated the First Panel that included Jack Markey, US State Department and Sara Raak, representing US Chamber of Commerce. Tragakis affirmed the institutional responsibility to ensure maximum public participation in exercising the civic responsibility of voting. For the second segment of the conference, Dr. Michael Schneider, Chairman of AACR's Advisory Committee moderated the panel.
It was one of the rare occasions where the insightful discussions happened on US involvement in election systems around the world and informative reflection on unique features that evolved in the election process in new democracies in the Eastern Europe. The luncheon speaker Frank Mickiewicz, Vice Chairman, Hill & Knowlton espoused the need for more informed electorate.
He expressed concern on too much dependence by the young and new voters on the bloggers and opinionated news outlets. This session was moderated by William Beaman, Editor-in-Chief, Campaigns & Elections Politics. During the lunch, the founder and the current President of AACR, Dr Joy Cherian recognized the contribution of Dr Michael Schneider, Chad Tragakis, and Pavlina Majorosova Joseph Melookaran, AACR Advisory Board Member, moderated the third and final session.
The participants among others included Dr Piyush Agrawal, National Coordinator of GOPIO (Global Organization of People of Indian Origin) and Parag Mehta, Director of Training, Democratic National Committee.
The discussion centered on the increasing voter participation by immigrant voters and young voters. All panelists recognized the positive effect of the current election cycle in the enhanced excitement and need for more outreach using innovative mediums.
Dr Piyush Agrawal highlighted the roles played by the Indian American organizations in bringing the Indian Americans to the mainstream political process.
"The law-abiding Asian Indians who are committed to playing by the book have carried this torch of civic responsibility in voting in the democratic society like ours in an honorable and productive manner" Dr. Agrawal said.
He listed accomplishments from the first Indian American Congressman Dilip Singh Saund to Louisiana, Governor Bobby Jindal and Satveer Chaudhury (MN), Kumar Barve (MD), Upendra Chivukula (NJ), Swati Dandekar (IA), Nikki Haley (SC), Raj Goyle (KS) and Jay Goyal (OH) in between as the testimony of the steadily progressing political participation.
Concluding this lively discussion Joseph Melookaran acknowledged that the rate of increase in the voter participation from immigrant voters does not match up with the fast increase in their respective population.
Actual voting percentages in Asian and Latino communities are lagging behind the majority community and African Americans.
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