Theme Go Social – Collaborating to magnify civil society action

Venue St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai

Date 14^th-15^th April 2012

Congress website http://mumbai2012.jaaiwest.in/

As India grows on the world stage and as globalisation and social technologies make the world a smaller place, the need for community action has never been greater nor more relevant. The relentless pace of development in our society drives and is driven by people seizing the opportunity to improve their lives and those of their loved ones. However, in this fast-paced environment there are number of  challenges that need to be addressed and overcome, most of these are too complex to be lifted by individuals acting alone. Acting together, these challenges can also represent opportunities for establishing social enterprises.

The theme of the 2012 West Zone Congress in Mumbai is about collaboration. About social engagement. About entrepreneurship. The focus for the congress is about acting and doing. At the congress, we will share examples of success in the different alumni communities and discuss and plan on replicating some or all of these successes across the region. In presenting our successes we learn from them and we celebrate our efforts - and collaborate to magnify the impact these initiatives. We as individuals and as communities gain from sharing this knowledge - and ultimately the people of our respective provinces and region.

About JAAI

Background

The Federation of Jesuit Alumni Associations of India (JAAI) http://www.jaaindia.com/ is an association of all alumni associations of Jesuit academic institutions in India. It hopes to bring together all Jesuit alumni in the country together and direct their energies for the betterment of the society.

Today, in India the Jesuits conduct not less than 38 university colleges, 5 Institutes of Business Administration and 155 high schools spread throughout the country, almost all of them among its most reputed (for example: St. Xavier's, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ranchi; Loyola, Chennai, Vijayawada; St. Joseph's, Bangalore, Trichy; XLRI Jamshedpur; XIM, Bhuvaneshwar). In them, more than 250,000 students belonging to every religious, linguistic and socio-economic group, receive their education.

JAAI was conceived at the Jesuit Alumni Congress in Chennai in 1995. Since then it has taken shape as an organisation, with a Governing Council, Constitution and a rotating Secretariat in place. It has also hosted five national congresses and an international congress. The 6th National Congress was held between February 4-6, 2011 in Patna on the theme "Public–Private Partnership for better Education"

JAAI has four zones

·         North: Calcutta, Patna, Darjeeling, Delhi and Kohima Provinces

·         South: Kerala, Karnataka, Andra Pradesh and Madurai Provinces

·         West: Goa, Pune, Bombay and Gujrat Provinces http://jaaiwest.in

·         Central: Dumka-Raigunj, Madhya Pradesh, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur and Ranchi Provinceses

JAAI is an affiliate of WUJA – The World Union of Jesuit Alumni

Motto: “To give and not to count the cost”

Purposes and Objectives

• To bring all Jesuit Alumni/ae Associations of India together for consolidating the voice and efforts of the Jesuit Alumni/ae of India and to provide a forum for networking, interaction and exchange of ideas and thoughts between different Alumni/ae Associations of India.
   
• To encourage formation of Alumni/ae Associations in Jesuit Institutions in India where such Associations are not existing and also to revitalize the existing Jesuit Alumni/ae Associations and to make them active.
   
• To foster links with Aulmni/ae Associations in other parts of the world, to act as the voice of the Jesuit Alumni/ae of India and to represent them before world bodies like the World Union of Jesuit Alumni/ae and to participate in the World Congress.
   
• To pay a constructive role in shaping of public policies in favour of secularism, alleviation of poverty, empowerment of women, upliftment of the marginalized, safe guarding of human rights, preservation of the environment and spread of literacy.