The University-Community Partnership for Social Action Research Network (UCP-SARnet)- Africa takes its inspiration from the mother group UCP-SARnet global.
UCP-SARnet Global is a global network developed at the Department of Psychology, Arizona State University (USA) in close collaboration with the Centre for Community Based Research (CCBR) in Kitchener (Canada), Warsaw School of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw (Poland) and other international partners. UCP-SARnet is a member of the Global Governance Innovations Network (IGLOO.org) and is partially sponsored by the Centre for International Governance Innovations (CIGI) in Canada. UCP-SARnet is also a member of the Global Alliance for Community Engaged Research.
However, the African chapter of this community solely strives towards the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 goals in its member countries.
University Community Partnership for Social Action Research Network Africa is a community of young African leaders who share a mutual purpose: to help realize the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063 goals in their individual countries.
Our mission is to carry out community based projects and also come up with innovative methods that characterize key steps in the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the AU’s Agenda 2063 goals.
“To build an Africa where countries can effectively collaborate around a common universal development agenda.”
For us, young African leaders equipped with the necessary leadership skills to take up initiatives in their communities will help achieve the African Union’s vision of “The Africa we want” by 2063 and the United Nation’s aim to end poverty and hunger, increase access to education, address migration, combat climate change, and reduce inequality by 2030.
Our core values do not only represent what the network stands for but forms the basis that influences our work and how we engage with each other and the communities we serve.
The values that govern the strategies we employ to fulfill our mission are:
The network upholds integrity in very high esteem. We are guided by the strong principles of uprightness. We work hard and take pride in what we do. In all actions, we follow our moral and ethical convictions.
UCP-SARNet is a good steward of the resources bequeathed to her. We are guided by standards for financial procedures and internal controls. In simple terms we value every resource that we obtain hence, avoid any misuse of any financial support obtained.
It is very essential that the network remains beyond criticisms therefore it must not only pursue honorable initiatives but also conduct its activities in ethical, transparent and honest ways.
Our network believes in the potential and influence of young people. We believe that the concerns and challenges of young people can best be addressed by and through them.
We believe that we are citizens of the global community. We can achieve much when we share ideas, exchange information and work together.
Young leaders of the network are empowered with a certain degree of responsibilities for decision making to enable them to have a voice in the various projects they undertake at the community level. This is key to having full motivation in our network. We believe our vibrant leaders can handle challenging tasks as well as come up with impactful projects for the African community.
The network in pursuing important initiatives to impact the African community, cultivates and trains its members in the various areas of project execution i.e. resource persons are invited to the campus chapters of our network to equip the young leaders with skills on project initiation, planning as well as project execution.
As a network we set tangible benchmarks and we routinely succeed them. We are committed to accomplishing our mission.