What is Civic Engagement?

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi 

Civic engagement defies a simple definition. It includes an underlying recognition of our ability to make a positive change in our society. It can be described as individual and collective action designed to identify and address issues of public concern. These actions include but are not limited to volunteer work, organizational involvement and electoral participation.   

What is important to recognize is that we are all members of a larger social fabric that has the potential to cause and thus work to alleviate social injustice. Civic engagement is the exercising of personal agency within a public domain. It is the recognition of issues of public concern and understanding that we have the potential to solve them.  

Here at UCSD there is a community dedicated to becoming more involved in the world around them and engaging in issues of global concern. We have the ability to create a more egalitarian world, but the work has to start somewhere, and what better place than here at UCSD. 

Plans for this Year

This year the Civic Engagement Project is dedicated to addressing social injustices and once a month actively engaging the community to become involved in their solution. Through work with various campus and community organizations and events we intend to raise awareness and broaden students’ understanding of certain issues.  

It is our hope that we may provide opportunities to students so that they may find something that they are truly passionate about. 

As of now, here are some broad issues that are being addressed:

• Global Warming
• Immigration
• Gendered Violence
• Homelessness
• Darfur
• Fair trade
• Prison Reform: Prison conditions and the treatment of prisoners
• Lesbian and Gay rights
• AIDS
• Refugees
• Any other issue that may come up through the course of the year