Lately, many people have come to me and asked me how I know as much as I do about the issues plaguing the Middle East. The response is the same every time; I do my research. There's a current media blackout on foreign affairs with the current Trump administration's scandalous and "surprising" picks for his administration. Interested in the subject and in helping out? Here's what you can do!

1) Educate Yourself on the Issue.

Go out there and search for the truth yourself. Read as much as you can about the issue. Keeping yourself informed is very important. Google is your friend. Read the histories of what happened, cross-reference articles. You can read up on the issue, ask your friends and even follow people who are currently on the ground like Raml Jarrah: https://twitter.com/RamiJarrah?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

Need a crash course? Here you go!

2) Donate, Volunteer.

If you're not sure who to donate to, check out which charities are actually doing something on Charity Navigator's website: https://www.charitynavigator.org/

Otherwise, here’s a list of organizations you can donate to:

American Refugee Committee, CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Global Hope Network International Global, Giving Helping Hand for Relief and Development, International Rescue Committee, Islamic Relief USA, Mercy-USA for Aid and Development, Oxfam America Palestine Children's Relief Fund, Save the Children

You can volunteer your time with:

Syrian Active Volunteers

International Refugee Assistance Project

You can locate the different organizations helping out refugees if you want to VOLUNTEER using this link:

http://www.arcgis.com/apps/LocalPerspective/index....

3) Updates.

A refugee sponsorship program you can be a part of https://www.refugeerights.org/wp-content/uploads/2...

You can even write to them through CARE:

https://my.care.org/site/SPageNavigator/CARE_Speci...

4) Support the Caesar Bill.

“Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act” is legislation in the U.S. Congress that offers a rare and promising opportunity to hold the Assad regime accountable for its atrocities. It was aptly named for Caesar, a Syrian military defector who smuggled more than 50,000 heartbreaking photos out of the country to share the terrors Assad has inflicted on Syria with the world.

5) Speak out, protest, march, attend vigils, write letters to embassies and TALK ABOUT IT.

Spread the word. Fight the injustice. Do it any way you can.

6) Remember, Syria isn't the only country suffering by the hands of the United States.

Other countries include Somalia, Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. So, this Muslim ban, why are over half of the countries that the United States is bombing on that Muslim ban list? Is it purely COINCIDENCE? Hmm. Also, none of the bombings have been approved by Congress, so if that doesn't unveil the broken checks and balances system that the United States prides itself on, I don't know what does.

Here's a CRASH COURSE on the other countries the United States has no business bombing!