AMERICAN CITIZENS ABROAD
ACA

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A nonprofit association dedicated to serving and defending the interests of individual US citizens living worldwide.

ACA news

News from ACA -- mid-October 1999 -- Issue 66a

This is an archive, links may not work properly.


ACA Honors US Volunteers Abroad
US Census Chief Balks at Counting Americans Abroad
Section 911 Support Still Needed
US Citizenship Transmission Queries Up
Odds 'n Ends: Tougher Tax Laws, Computer Literacy, Book Review Editor
Swiss News: Geneva Expats To Meet, ACA's FUNdraiser Set For March 2000

Peruse the complete News Update Index

ACA HONORS VOLUNTEERS IN GREECE, PHILIPPINES AND BELGIUM
ACA announced on 10 October 1999 that the Eugene Abrams Citizenship Award for 1999 is to be shared by two outstanding volunteers: Trudy Boukas, residing on the island of Syros in Greece and Joan Hubbard, wife of the United States Ambassador to the Philippines. Honorable mention was also given to James Begg for his voluntary work for the American Overseas Memorial Day Association in Belgium. The award, which was established in 1994 to honor the late Eugene Abrams, former Executive Director of ACA and exceptional volunteer, is presented annually to American citizens residing outside the United States who have made significant contributions to their community.

Co-winner Trudy Boukas' voluntary work encompassed a broad range of activities. While in Saudi Arabia, she organized volunteers to bring almost five tons of warm clothing and blankets for Kurds driven into the mountains by Saddam Hussein's forces. She also organized a food and blanket action for Kurdish refugees in Pendeli, Greece. In addition, she has volunteered her help for women and refugee children on Syros, as well as helping to save the ecology of the island.

The other co-winner Joan Hubbard distinguished herself by engaging in voluntary activities which went way beyond those normally expected from an ambassador's spouse. Apart from being honorary president, chairperson or board member of numerous charities in the Philippines, she personally worked on a great many projects including the Project Smile medical mission, the International Bazaar Foundation, the American Association of the Philippines, and Habitat for Humanity which built 293 affordable houses.

James Begg was given honorable mention for his work as chairperson of the American Overseas Memorial Day Association which, since 1919 has honored and preserved the memory of US military who died during the liberation of Belgium in World Wars I and II.

C2K--CENSUS DIRECTOR PREWITT OUTLINES DIFFICULTIES COUNTING OVERSEAS AMERICANS
Kenneth Prewitt, director of the US Census Bureau, contributed a piece to the 11 October 1999 International Herald Tribune called "Americans Abroad are Uncounted" in which he questions the feasibility, currently, of the Census Bureau counting private US citizens living abroad. His summary is significant however: "...These are challenges that the Census Bureau would willingly meet, but can do so only with congressional authorization and funding. ..." It's now up to us, the private citizens residing abroad, to let Congress know how we feel on this subject. David Hamod, Exec. Dir. of the C2K Coalition, responded in a letter to the IHT: "We agree with Dr. Prewitt that counting Americans abroad will be a challenge. No one ever said it would be easy, but that shouldn't prevent the Bureau from making a good faith effort to do so.... The U.S. Government counts its own people overseas,and it's high time to end a policy that discriminates against private sector Americans overseas. These Americans abroad count, too, and there's no compelling reason why the Bureau can't count them next year."

SECTION 911--SUPPORT STILL NEEDED
Support for the proposed 911 revisions is still very much needed from private individuals as well as companies. Contact the Congress, Treasury, and White House (a full list of those to contact can be found on the ACA web site). The best hope in the aftermath of a recent veto seems to be the prospect of attaching the Section 911 provision to a separate legislative vehicle (i.e., a smaller package). Under current law,the exclusion is $74,000 and will increase $2,000 per year until 2002. Starting in 2008,the exclusion will be indexed for inflation.

TRANSMISSION OF US CITIZENSHIP QUERIES UP
ACA has had a string of requests for information on individual cases involving transmission of citizenship, green cards for family members, and marriage abroad. While we try to answer each question individually, our limited volunteer staff can only give general answers in these cases, each of which is different in its details. But the general rules remain the same: be correctly informed as to the current law and check with your US consul, especially for registration of births and marriages abroad. Even if your child is not recognized as an US citizen, it doesn't hurt to ask. At the same time, Americans who have children born abroad should ALWAYS fill out a Report of Birth Abroad at their nearest consulate. Decades down the line, this could play a crucial role in proof of citizenship or for some administrative purposes. (For information via the Web, visit the US State Dept. and Immigration and Naturalization Service sites through ACA's links.)

ODDS 'N ENDS
Tougher Tax Laws For Expats Under Review
Americans who renounce their citizenship may face tougher tax laws. The House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer wants a review of a 1996 law that was supposed to deter Americans from renouncing their citizenship to avoid taxes.

Computer Literacy To Get Diploma, Driver License
Some US colleges are starting to introduce computer literacy requirements for graduation, according to the New York Times. A similar effort in Europe, known as the European Computer Driving License (ECDL) is also in the works.

Book Review Editor, Reviewers Needed
We're looking for someone to handle book reviews as Book Review Editor. You won't have to review all the new books yourself, just oversee the work of ACA's vast staff of potential reviewers (by mail and e-mail). At the same time, ACA will welcome more reviewers who would be willing to undertake a regular commitment to regular volunteer work, which can be done by email.

SWISS NEWS
Expats To Meet
World Trade Center II in Geneva is the place to be on Thursday 18 November 1999 (6-8 pm) for the annual Community Open House where you can meet and mingle with representatives from many American and international groups in Geneva. ACA will have its table too.

Thanksgiving Dinner Dance
The Millennium Thanksgiving will be celebrated at the Bellevue Palace Hotel in Bern on Staurday 27 November 1999. Join the Swiss-American Society for dinner, dancing and music starting at 5.30 pm. Telephone (+41 31) 3317727.

ACA's FUNdraiser Set
Don't forget to mark your calendars for ACA's annual FUNdraiser auction, taking place for the second year running at Geneva's posh Richemond Hotel on the evening of 10 March 2000. Among the most popular items for the highly international crowd which attends are air tickets and hotel stays worldwide, as well as exotic handicrafts. If you or your company would like to contribute goods and services to be auctioned for this worthy cause, please advise ACA.

THIS ISSUE of ACA's News Update was prepared by Karl Jauch and edited with the help of ACA's worldwide network of correspondents. To subscribe or contribute to the News Update, contact us at acage@aca.ch.

The ACA News Update editing & publishing team:

If you would like to become part of the dynamic volunteer team which powers ACA then join us. There is a constant need for additional physical and/or electronic "staff." In addition to regular VOLUNTEERS, ACA is interested in INTERNS and in tailoring CLASS PROJECTS aimed at awakening students to issues affecting American citizens abroad. Contact ACA's Geneva office

The News Update can be maintained in the long-term only if it justifies itself in terms of membership and donation revenue for the organization.

Disclaimer: While ACA makes every effort to be accurate in the information it transmits, such information is not to be considered a substitute for specific and qualified professional advice.

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   American Citizens Abroad ACA 
   5 bis, rue Liotard 
   CH-1202 Geneva 
   Switzerland 
  
     Phone & Fax numbers: 
       (+41 22) 3400233 or (+41 22) 3400448 
     email: acage@aca.ch 
   
   or, in the USA: 
                              
   American Citizens Abroad 
   1051 N. George Mason Drive 
   Arlington, VA 22205 
   USA 
     Fax +1 (703) 527-3269

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