Advocacy: A Discussion With Ryan Alsayegh

Asking an American about the current political climate is currently very polarizing. For those comfortable with a Donald Trump presidency, things are great. For those questioning what's going on, is he in the files? Or, angry over the militarization of ICE, things are dire. The latter group can do something about it. As Americans, we hear "vote, vote, vote!" Those concerned should be voting, and if they aren't, it's a good idea to start. Outside of voting, though, what can people do? We at Civics Central had an opportunity to sit down and speak with Ryan Alsayegh, a full-time democratic political consultant.

Here's an overall summary of what Ryan does straight from him:

"I've been organizing for roughly the last 10 years, and I've been a full-time political consultant since 2017. I currently serve as the campaign manager for two State Representatives from Philly and as Executive Director of Second Generation, a PAC that supports candidates from immigrant backgrounds across PA. I typically have a few side projects as well. Last year, I helped launch Riverwards Votes, a voter turnout initiative for the nearby neighborhoods here in Philly. I am also on the board of Riverwards Area Democrats, which was a key part of that coalition."

The impact of canvassing from Riverwards Votes, the organization Ryan helped put together.

Ryan, along with a colleague, has also put in a proposal to set up town halls around Pennsylvania to discuss potential service cuts with Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill". They want to have these town halls to show how federal policy can impact people locally. He also noted that these proposed town halls are bipartisan, but no Republicans have signed up yet. As of this writing, one of these town halls has taken place in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Ryan and his colleague hope to get one set up in Southwestern Pennsylvania, a very "Red" part of the state.

We asked Ryan what people can do to get out there and make their voice heard. His advice was to volunteer locally at food banks or check in with your local representative. Some organizations are a Google search away, like Riverwards Votes or larger organizations that have local chapters like Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). People can also find their local organization relatively easily online. We searched "democratic party volunteer" and the first thing that came up was a mobilize.us link to our local democratic party. Since we are located in Philadelphia, the "Phildems" link popped up.

In addition to volunteering, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the right to organize. Peaceful protests help spread a cause. The most efficient of these push a "call to action". For example, when a union goes on strike, onlookers see picket signs of the issue at hand. This can help those on the outside put the problems of that specific union into perspective.

We also asked our readers if they had any personal photos from the "No Kings" protests. Reader Tracy, along with her sister Kelly, took the streets of West Chester, Pennsylvania, to make their voices heard. West Chester is a suburb of Philadelphia. Thank you for the submissions!

Featured image via snapshot from NBC 10 Philadelphia