Miriam Amer participated in Camp Wellstone in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Since then, she has been very active in utilizing her skills to encourage leadership and political participation in her community through voter registration and outreach. Miriam says,
"My experience with Camp Wellstone truly enhanced my knowledge of the political process. I've been very active working with immigrants/new Americans for the past twenty years... Our voter registration drives within the immigrant communities have succeeded in getting over one hundred eligible Christian and Muslim voters registered in Eastern Iowa, and have taught several hundred the caucus process; not to mention bringing the messages of tens of candidates to several hundred others."
Miriam has been actively working in the Muslim American community for many years, through the Freedom Foundation in Washington, DC, the Council of American Islamic Relations, and the Arab-American Institute. Her work registering voters reminds us of the complicated history which many new Americans have with voicing their opinion to the government-
"Many of the people who I've helped register to vote come from lands dominated by dictators and despots. They have come from war-torn countries where your vote will get you killed or imprisoned... During one registration drive shortly after 9-11, one Muslim man from the former Soviet Union who came here as a refugee put his signature to the application, then looked around nervously. I asked him what was wrong. He told me that he expected the FBI would be at his door the next day to escort him to prison, then back to Chechnya where he faced certain death. I explained to him that this would not happen simply because he exercised his free will. ‘This is America,' I told him. ‘Here you have a right to say who you want to represent you in the government, and you cannot be arrested just because of your opinion.'"
Melissa Michaelis and Liz Peintner were so inspired by attending Camp Wellstone in Detroit, MI that five days later, they formed a new organization dedicated to bringing volunteers together who are seeking a way to get involved in the 2004 elections.
This organization, 2004 Miles for Democracy www.2004milesfordemocracy.org, asks volunteers to commit to walking 10 miles between now and November 2nd to "spread the word about this year's most important election issues... [and] participate in lit drops and canvassing, voter registration drives and more," says Liz.
Most of the walkers which 2004 Miles for Democracy has recruited are making their first entry into the world of voter outreach. As first-time participants in Michigan's voter registration activities, 2004 Miles walkers have encountered the full range of emotions and reactions towards voting - from enthusiasm and gratitude to apathy and sometimes disdain. Melissa and Liz say, "We've registered new citizens who will vote for the first time in November. We've provided absentee ballot applications for elderly voters who won't be able to leave their homes to vote. We've seen an entire family of adults register on the spot and then chase after the volunteers to request more forms for their friends. Through all of this, we've found inspiration from the many longtime volunteers whose commitment to voter registration withstands the weather, dogs, and sometimes irate citizens." Irate citizens aside, they are creating a new vision for America, one step at a time.