NEWS

New group aims to give young Dems a voice

By ALEX MALM
Posted 12/8/21

By ALEX MALM In October Cranston Democratic City Committee Chairwoman Maria Bucci met with Ward 5 School Committee member David A. Alden Sears and Emilia Vaziri at the Chapel View Panera Bread. The goal of that meeting? To discuss the feasibility of

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NEWS

New group aims to give young Dems a voice

Posted

In October Cranston Democratic City Committee Chairwoman Maria Bucci met with Ward 5 School Committee member David A. Alden Sears and Emilia Vaziri at the Chapel View Panera Bread.

The goal of that meeting?

To discuss the feasibility of giving Cranston’s youth a platform in the party, Alden Sears said. 

That meeting led to the creation of the Young Democrats of Cranston, which was formally announced at the Democratic City Committee brunch in November.

“The Young Democrats of Cranston was created to give students and young people in the city a springboard into the political realm, and to give them a home and a voice in the Democratic Party,” said Alden Sears who serves as Chair of YDC. “Our City Committee is a diverse group of all ages, sexes, colors and creeds, and giving our youth in Cranston a seat at the table helps our party and our platform grow.”

In addition to Alden Sears, Vaziri is also on the leadership team serving as vice chairwoman. 

“She has taken the bull by the horns with this new assignment, and without her help we would still be a mere idea sketched out on a notepad in a coffee house,” Alden Sears said. 

Vaziri who lives in Ward 6 is no stranger to Cranston politics working on Alden Sear’s school committee campaign, Bucci’s mayoral campaign against Mayor Ken Hopkins, former speaker Nick Mattiello’s re-election campaign against Rep. Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung, and worked for former Ward 4 School Committee member Vin Turchetta on his campaign.

“In 2020, 50 percent of 18-29 year olds in the USA voted in the general elections. That’s a monumental increase from 2016, but there’s still plenty of work to do,” Vaziri wrote in an email. “The YDC will be out in the community encouraging the same age group in Cranston to get out and vote, educating them on the issues, and preparing high school students for roles in state and local government.” 

Alden Sears said the YDC is looking to have their first official meeting in January, where they will elect a secretary and a treasurer.  

As an organization Alden Sears said the group is going to focus on local issues. 

“There is so much to take in on the federal level that sometimes its neglect the biggest issues facing our communities in our own backyards,” Alden Sears said. “We will be coordinating many events throughout 2022 to spread awareness of state and local issues, tailored especially to younger members of our community. In addition, we will be taking an active role in coordinating events, initiatives, and volunteer work with the Cranston Democratic City Committee and Democratic Party nominees for office. “

As chairman Alden Sears said that his most important role is to listen. 

“That’s what the YDC is all about.  We want to get to know all of our members on a personal level; we want to know who they are, their strengths, and the issues they are most passionate about,” he said. “Then we continue to enlist, educate, and mobilize. I am here only to facilitate conversations, organize events, and train our membership on how to facilitate these conversations on their own.”

Alden Sears said that every member of the Cranston Democratic City Committee between the ages of 18 and 35 are automatically ex-officio members of the YDC. In addition to that he said they had over 20 members of the Cranston community between 16 and 35 who have expressed interest in joining. He said that they would have an official roster at their charter meeting next month. 

He hopes more will join, saying “any student or younger members of the Cranston community “with a zeal for advocacy, social justice, and politics should reach out at AldenSears@outlook.com.”

At this time Cranston Republicans do not have a young Republican organization, said Matt Reilly, chair of the Cranston Republican City Committee.

Dems, young dems

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