After the election Tom Nichols wrote in The Atlantic, “….Americans must stay engaged and make their voices heard at every turn….”  Liz Cheney tweeted, “….Citizens across this country…must now be the guardrails of democracy.”  But most Americans still wonder how, and even if, they can make a difference between elections.  What are the options?  1) Protesting?  Vital, but usually not the long game, 2) Signing email form letters, which only 3% of Congressional staff says is highly effective? Just gestures, 3) Taking a 2-year nap until the next election?  Sadly, the preferred route for many.  But few know about #4, which can make a big difference:  transformational advocacy which helps you change an issue and changes you in the process.  

In Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen’s Guide to Transformational Advocacy, Sam Daley-Harris writes about people who met with officials on the other side of their issue, stories like these: 1)  Ellie Sparks who went from experiencing what she called “climate trauma” to meeting her members of Congress and calling the experience “sacred and profound”, and 2) Lisa Jordan who, after meeting with Congressional offices in Washington, DC, said “….This work is the best medicine for when you’re feeling hopeless or have sleepless nights. It’s the best way to avoid despair….”