Irish living abroad? Want to vote at home? Young Irish emigrant group We’re Coming Back are organising a worldwide #toastforavote this weekend, asking Irish citizens all around the world to raise a glass to an emigrant vote.
Ireland has gone from having the highest net immigration levels in Europe to the highest net emigration levels in just six years. One person leaves the country every six minutes. We're Coming Back are newer members of the Irish diaspora organising in response to this exodus and subsequent disenfranchisement: Ireland is one of only three EU countries that affords its emigrants no vote.
This Christmas weekend (20-22ndDecember) names and faces will be put to the numbers: Irish emigrants worldwide will submit their photos as they raise a simultaneous toast to an emigrant vote in the 2018 presidential election. A ‘quiet one’ will be raised by those, at home and abroad, who believe in extending genuine political rights to our emigrants.
Almost five hundred people are attending 'The Quiet One 2013' so far. We’re Coming Back have mobilized over 1500 people on Facebook at
Facebook.com/WCBIreland, and have generated over 80k page hits in two weeks. This weekend, those numbers raise a toast to greater political inclusion for the diaspora. And we all know someone who's left, so get involved.
