At Samuel Olutuyi Foundation, we believe that society cannot achieve its potential without a people-oriented civic engagement and participation.
Our survey indicates that people are excluded from participating in the political, economic, and cultural systems that affect their lives. The result of this is that policies fail to address the needs of the people that need them most, instead it favors those with power and resources, therefore, deepening inequality and increasing injustice.
SOF believes that civic engagement is an antidote to inequality, and it has the potential to empower the marginalized segments of society.
Our solutions and interventions create a platform that allows citizens to speak up about important issues that ensure government and even the private sector serve the people better.
Thomas Ehrlich describes civic engagement as “working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes”. He added that “amorally and civically responsible individual recognizes himself or herself as a member of a larger social fabric and therefore considers social problems to be at least partly his or her own; such an individual is willing to see the moral and civic dimensions of issues, to make and justify informed moral and civic judgments, and to take action when appropriate”.
SOF strongly agrees with Thomas’ assertions. Our civic orientation initiative seeks to engender trust between citizens and government, create involved citizens instead of demanding customers.
Our programs and interventions will increase the awareness and benefits of volunteering, community service, impactful philanthropy, and advocacy for civic literacy to be introduced in public schools.
The social wheel of change below encapsulates SOF’s strategies that the organization believes can contribute to social change. It is adapted from the Minnesota Campus Connect, University of Minnesota
