Speaking at a seminar-workshop, WeGen’s Social Transformation Team (ST) has begun its education and advocacy work partnership with Adamson University, specifically with the Integrated Community Extension Services (ICES), and the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). Last January 27, the two Adamson University units sponsored a Seminar-Workshop with Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) on Community Engagement Outreach Activities.
The St Team’s Christianne Santos and Ina Alleco Silverio were speakers at the activity, with Christianne giving a talk on sustainability actions students can initiate and Ina introducing students to the essential messages of Pope Francis’ encyclical and appeal to ecological conversion “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home,” specifically on the climate emergency.
The ST Team has established the partnership with the university through Fr. Rowen Z. Carlos, Director of ICES. While the mission of the OSA is to encourage Adamson students to manage their own organizations and engage in meaningful activities, the ICES mission is "Extending relevant community services that contribute to an improved quality of human life, commitment as evangelizers for the empowerment of the poor, involvement in the development of the community, and people, especially the poor."
Around 130 students representing different student organizations attended the activity. The RSOs in the university are categorized as academic, co-academic, and socio-civic.
Fr. Rowen as the main resource person gave a comprehensive talk on the mission and vision of ICES, highlighting the importance of civic engagement with marginalized communities. He said that Adamson University has a long and established history of doing outreach work. It continues to implement many socio-civic programs including a continuous feeding program, a day-care service, the provision of scholarships, and medical and dental missions as well as assistance to communities affected by calamities and man-made disasters.
Fr. Rowen was most enthusiastic when the ST Team approached him with the proposal to engage in a partnership with WeGen Energy PH on education and advocacy on issues related to climate change, solutions to the climate crisis, Laudato Si’, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We look forward to many meaningful and relevant activities with WeGen and its ST Team. We want to have our activities and outreach campaigns in the University to be guided by Laudato Si’ and the SDGs, and this partnership will be very beneficial to our mission to teach our students to be more concerned about the environment and to engage more with communities afflicted with poverty,” he said. #