AFAS Australian Filipino Augustinian Solidarity
WHAT
IS AFAS?
AFAS is an organisation that was established at Villanova College, Brisbane, Australia in 1992 to promote solidarity between the people of Augustinian communities within Australia and the Philippines.
ORIGINS
AFAS developed as a result of what was discussed and witnessed during the 1992 APAC conference held in Tagaytay City outside Manila, Philippines.
Several
recommendations of this conference called for close communication and
networking between Augustinian communities particularly schools for
an exchange of information, ideas, friendship and mutual education.
As a result the organisation of AFAS was established at Villanova College in 1992.
AIM OF AFAS
The
aim of AFAS is to foster a spirit of solidarity on social justice issues
among Augustinian communties in Australia and the Asia Pacific region,
particularly the Philippines.
OBJECTIVES OF AFAS
- To provide an opportunity for friendships to develop within Augustinian communities in Australia and the Philippines.
- To create an awareness and appreciation of the Filipino people their culture and the struggles of a developing country.
- To create an awareness of social justice issues in the Philippines.
- To stand in solidarity with Augustinian communities in the Philippines, thus offering support wherever possible to assist in developing programs for them to become self reliant and productive.
- To arrange friendship exchanges between Augustinian communities within Australia and the Philippines.
MODELS OF AFAS
| VILLANOVA COLLEGE:- |
school based
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WHAT HAS AFAS ACHIEVED?
Since 1992 Villanova AFAS has:
- funded a total of forty-four education scholarships at the following schools and colleges: (1) Divine Love High School - Talisay, Cebu (2) La Consolacion Academy, Murcia, Negros Oriental (3) five elementary students at the outeach program of Colegio de San Agustin, Bacolod City
provided resources in the following schools: (1) at Donao art materials and surfacing a basketball court, (2) at Divine Love High School - Talisay,
Cebu the provision of library books, sporting equipment, microscopes and Internert access, (3) at La Consolacion Academy, Murcia classroom lighting, (4) at Bacolid resources for pre-school- at Donao funded co-operatives for fishing, a bakery and a piggery
- undertaken projects: cement foundation for a small health clinic at an outreach centre in Bacolid, and (2) a cement foundation for a small community-based pre-school centre outreach in Bacolid
THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFAS
| August 1992 | APAC Conference in Manila spoke of Australia-Philippines Augustinian co-operation |
| September 1992 | As a consequence, AFAS was established at Villanova |
| September 1993 | The first Villanova College friendship exchange to the Phillippines. This has continued as a bi-annual event right up to the present time (2008), involving on each occasion a number of Villanova staff members and students. |
| March 1995 | Three Filipino Lay Augustinians visited Villanova College |
| September 1995 | Second Villanova friendship exchange and commitment
to Divine Love students Established scholarships at Iloilo and Bacolod |
| September 1997 | Third Villanova friendship exchange to the Philippines Contact made with Outreach centres |
| January 1998 | AFAS (Villanova) hosted Filipino people who had attended the Augustinian Youth Festival in Sydney, Australia. |
| June 1998 | AFAS hosted a group of musicians from Regina Carmeli College in the Philippines during a concert tour in Australia |
| July 1999 | AFAS represented at Lay Augustinian Congress in Rome |
| September 1999 | Fourth Villanova friendship exchange to the Philippines |
| September 2005 | Seventh AFAS visit and friendshiop exchange by Villanova staff and students to the Philippines..... |
| September 2007 | Eighth AFAS visit and friendship exchange by Villanova staff and students to the Philippines.. |
| July 2008 | Villanova AFAS arranged sponsorship of a teacher from La Consolacion Academy at Murcia, Negros Oriental, Philippines to attend World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia |
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