About Us

The Social Awareness and Community Services Involvement (SACSI) serves as the link between the school and the outside communities to complement theories learned in the classroom with actual realities of life. SACSI is the social involvement arm of the university. Its primary concern is the holistic formation of the students.

Background

The Program on Advocacy and Development concentrates on bringing into the University’s awareness certain socio-political issues and concerns in today’s society from the local to the international level that would most immediately affect the Ateneo community. The Program’s main thrust is the cultivation of a culture of involvement in the University.

It shall also be within the Program’s area of responsibility to tackle issues relating to Human Rights, specifically gender and children’s rights.

The Program will use multi-media advocacy, and Education and Formation activities to raise the awareness and excite the community’s consciousness into involvement in discernment of resolutions and pro-active as well as reactive measures to counter the issues. These activities will be streamlined into the different units and departments in the University for better Involvement. Lastly, the Program shall provide opportunities for involvement in initiating and supporting efforts at addressing socio-political concerns, and human rights issues.

The Program shall also be the coordination point of the Program on Environment and Volunteer Program. As such, it is tasked to supervise the conduct of projects and activities of both Programs, and serve as the link of the two programs to offices and institutions, whether in the University or outside who may serve as partners, collaborators, and funders.

VISION

The program envisions individuals in the Ateneo Community who are aware of social issues and are capable of making informed choices and decisions necessary in addressing the varied concerns in socio-political structures and processes, human rights, and the environment.

Focus: the cultivation of the desire and capability to make informed choices and decisions on varied social concerns (i.e. choosing to do, not do, give, not give, act, not act)

MISSION

The Program sets the following to be its persuasions:

1. The promotion of respect for human dignity and human rights, specifically of gender and children’s rights
2. The promotion of transparency and accountability in socio-political concerns
3. The promotion and strengthening of engaged citizenship
4. The promotion and strengthening of the spirit of volunteerism for social development
5. The promotion and support of efforts aimed at protection and preservation of natural resources
6. The cultivation of a Culture of Involvement in Social Action in the University.

Rationale

The increasing loss in natural wealth, the increasing gain in a politician’s pocket, the increasing and unfulfilled demand for volunteer services, and the increasing rates of crimes against persons are all but proof of a society in a decreasing sense of responsibility over material things, others, and community. It is the proof of failure to grasp the very objects of humanism.

The observable degradation of human integrity and compassion that has promoted the “tao” to put his selfish interests before his social responsibility calls for the institution of this program. This depreciation has allowed him to destroy natural resources and remain unconcerned for its preservation; it enabled him to interfere with or separate from social structures and processes to its detriment; and lost him his sense of selfless service. This denigration is deeply entrenched in the person’s culture that it is essential to come up with advocacy and transformation programs integrated in efforts of an academic institution tasked to form young minds, to the end that this culture may be unlearned and transformed.

Bishop Socrates Villegas in a message entitled “EDSA Now!” delivered on February 25, 2008 posed a deeply related raison d’être for the existence of this Program. He thus worded that the “worst scourge the nation is suffering from” is a “culture of indifference”, that this culture has rendered the Filipinos resigned to the social inequities and problems that the country is besieged with. These culture of indifference incapacities the human person from taking part in his nation’s growth and development. As this culture is evident in the seemingly prevalent apathy towards social action in the University, the Program takes the responsibility to combat such with the cultivation of a “culture of involvement”.

The Advocacy and Development Program seeks to effect social transformation for the building of a Culture of Involvement through Formation, Information, Education, and Communication Activities, as well as Social Development and Community Development Projects. It has four – pronged focus:

1. On socio-political structures and processes relating to engaged citizenship;
2. On environmental protection and preservation;
3. On Volunteerism; and
4. On Human Rights Preservation

Objectives

1. To generate and sustain effective avenues for awareness and discernment on social issues dealing with politics and governance, environment, and human rights, within the University through formation, education, information, and communication activities.
2. To create and protract the impetus for social involvement among the students, faculty, and staff of the University through volunteer opportunities and extension services.
3. To mainstream Human Rights, Environment, Good Governance, and Engaged Citizenship Advocacy in Curriculum, Extension, and Research Services.
4. To provide community services as an involvement of the University for the Promotion of human rights and environment preservation, and socio-political transformation.