The Ateneo Alumni Association in 1997: A search for a new vision

 The  year  1997  began with a big "Bang" as the  members  of  the  Ateneo  Alumni  Association Canada met to assess  the  successful  results  of  the  previous year's campaign and to  plan  for  the  current year.

While  the  formula  for success seemed so simple,  it  became  a  consensus  among  the  members, led by  its  new  Chairman,  Jose  Gonzales,  Jr., that there could be more to the AAAC than  simply  more  of the same thing. It was felt that the AAAC could do  more  things  in more areas for more people and that there was a  need  for  a  refinement of its original objectives and, in  effect,  a  need to search for a "new vision."

This search for a new vision necessitated the members' reflection  on  the  meaning  of being an Atenean and  from  this  reflection  to  derive  a new and improved direction  for  the  Association's  activities. This new vision is anchored on the original motto  of  the  Ateneo, which is to do things unselfishly, to be of  service  to others "for the greater glory of God".

In  the search of this new vision, the Association explored  new  ideas  and  avenues which it could pursue in furtherance  of  its  mission  and  investigated ideas which had been raised  by  other  Ateneans or Jesuits on the same subject.

It  did not take long for it to find and consider ideas from  the  Congress  of  the  World Union of  Jesuit  Alumni/ae  in  Sydney,  Australia in July 1997.

In the speech given by the Superior General of the Jesuit  Order,  some  key  ideas or specific areas of concern  are  noted,  ideas  which flow from the Ateneans' all-encompassing objective of being  of service to others "for the greater glory of God."

These  ideas, while dwarfing the Association's own small, but  no  less   meaningful,   contribution  in  the   world,   put   those  contributions and the members' and supporters' labor of love into  the  proper perspective and allow them to view their own  place  in the scheme of things.

One idea or area of concern is the Jesuit vision which asks  each  one for a "...commitment to work for peace where vested interests  are fomenting unrest in order to sell armaments." A second vision  asks  us  to  uphold  honesty and  be  honest  in  our  dealings,  particularly  "...in  situations  where  corruption  flourishes".   Still  another  facet  of  this  world  vision  pushes  for   the  "...preservation  of the environment where opposing forces  stand  for  ever greater consumerism." 

Even in Canada, we  cannot  deny  that  the  following area of concern can be an  objective:  "...a  commitment  to  the preservation of  indigenous  peoples  against  cultural  forces  that consider themselves  superior."   In  some  countries  of the world, there is a need for a commitment  "...to equal  treatment for both sexes in a world where women are  often  given  second-class  treatment  and  are  even  destroyed  before  birth."  An  area of concern, part of the  overall  Jesuit/Ateneo  vision, which the Association has embraced as part of its mission  is the "...commitment to an equal standard of education for  all  in  situations where the majority are given poor education or  no  education at all." The Association also ascribes to the following  commitments  which  are part of the main  vision:   a  commitment  "...to  the family in an atmosphere where more and more  families  are breaking up" and a commitment to "...a just economic policy that  benefits all sections of society and not only certain better  off  sectors".  A  final  aspect  of the  world  vision  refers  to  a  commitment  to"...mass  media  that portray  values  of  honesty,  compassion, and understanding rather than values of  consumerism,  hedonism, and biased judgments."

While  all noble visions worthy of commitment, the Association is  aware  that  its  own  unique vision cannot involve  all  of  the  above  concerns, but that its vision will have to be fashioned from part of  these and from its own ideas, taking into consideration its  own  special situation in Canada and the needs of the people it knows,  and  loves,  and  hopes to help in furtherance  of  the  Ateneo's  ideals.

While  members of the  Association search for  a  "new  vision" with  the  fervor  of  those  who  originally   sought  the  Holy  Grail,  it  has  come  to   their  realization that they themselves must determine what this vision  should  be, based on our Ateneo ideals and on the thoughts of our leaders and visionaries.

Based on this realization, considering the past three years of  its existence, and considering the world vision described at  the  Jesuit  Conference, as well as its own beliefs,  desires,  needs,  and  resources,  the  Association has  identified  certain  basic  directions.

Essentially,  this  new vision covers two  main  directions:  the  continued  provision  of educational assistance in  the  form  of  scholarships for deserving Filipino Youth in the Ateneos and  the  provision  of assistance to the local community, or to  deserving  organizations here and abroad.

The  first aspect of this new vision is very  important  because,  unlike the original thrust which involved assistance to only  one  of the Ateneos, the revised objectives will now involve assistance  to various, if not all, Ateneos.  Of course, various criteria are to  be  taken into consideration as far as assistance  is  concerned,  with  the primary consideration being that the  assistance  being  rendered  would  be directed wherever it would benefit  the  most  number of scholars in as many Ateneos as possible.

The scholarship program of the Association will now involve a broader  assistance  for  all Ateneos in the Philippines and  will  depend  upon  the  involvement of other Ateneo Schools  there.  This  new  thrust  will, hopefully, attract a larger group of  Ateneans  and  their  supporters  and provide for a larger  resource  base  from  which the funds for future scholarships can be drawn.

The  involvement of the Association in assistance to  other  non- educational  causes  is  also  hoped  to  further  attract  other  adherents  to  the  main program, or simply to  provide  for  the  group's own contribution to the community.

The  current  thrust  of the Association is  to  crystallize  the  foregoing objectives and implement them over the next few  years.  It is the Association's fervent hope and desire to succeed in our  goals and by our success, to be a light or example for our fellow  Ateneans and Filipinos in Canada and in the world.