#PolicyProfile: Ali Alleile MPP ’23
Mar 03 2023
By
Brittany N. Murray
Source
Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
I grew up in the Deir Ezzor province in Northeastern Syria, near the Iraqi border. We didn’t expect the Syrian civil war in 2011. I remember the moment when my brother asked me to turn the TV on, and we saw the breaking news. As an Arabic family, we don't believe in weapons or military factions, so when the revolution began in 2011, I searched for a way to take part in the revolution without being a military member.
I graduated in 2012 from Al-Furat University with a degree in Arabic language, and the revolution needed someone who could communicate with audiences in all countries within the Middle East. From 2011 to 2013, I conducted interviews over the phone because it was too dangerous to be face-to-face; I even had to use different phones and specific SIM cards. In 2014, I had to leave Syria for Turkey because the Islamic radical groups were occupying our region.
"I was only in Turkey for a few months because it was still unsafe, so I traveled as a refugee to Germany. It was then that I had an idea to help my people."Ali Alleile MPP ’23
I worked with many researchers to create DeirEzzor24 Network, which is an independent media network that focuses on Northeast Syria and covers the violence in the region. For the past seven years, DeirEzzor24 has been able to communicate the voice of the Syrian people inside Syria through continuous coverage with a group of researchers and activists working on the ground. In 2019, I founded the Sam Organization for Development, an independent nonprofit civil society organization that works with vulnerable groups in these conflict-affected areas. Civilians are our number one mission. We’re working to improve the standards of living and human rights by tackling issues relating to food security, women’s empowerment, and educational support for Syrian children. I’m now a German citizen; I could return to my personal life and my family, but I believe this is my duty. People needed me to bring their voices out. That’s been my mission, and I think I succeeded because it brought me here.
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