DASO is the Democratic Alliance Students Organisation.
DASO is an ancillary organisation of the Democratic Alliance (DA) based on a tertiary campus, and therefore in itself subscribes to the vision, mission, and strategies of the DA however with its own unique focus.
We, the students of the Democratic Alliance Students Organisation, rooted in the values of constitutional liberal democracy, believe that education is the cornerstone of the liberation of all South African students and the catalyst for the full realisation of the rights and freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution (1996).
We further believe that intellectual independence and open debate are vital to the preservation of a healthy democracy. We advocate the enrichment of the whole individual – intellectual, personal, cultural and physical – at institutions of tertiary education, through the development of academic, social, cultural and sporting facilities.
We therefore commit ourselves to the protection and promotion of an open and free educational environment based on academic freedom, equality of opportunity and respect for individual worth.
We, the students of the Democratic Alliance, rooted in the values of constitutional liberal democracy, will strive to increase the DA’s percentage share of the student vote by:
- Having a visibly operational youth structure within the Democratic Alliance;
- Influencing decision making processes;
- Developing the country’s future leaders;
- Addressing issues that affect the youth and become part of the solution;
- Promoting Liberal principles and values;
- Endeavouring to become an organisation of positive change;
- Fighting against and change political racial stereotypes;
- Turning passive supporters into active members;
- Increasing our political relevance;
- Complementing our parent organization, the Democratic Alliance;
- Co-operating with and expand DASO branches;
- Working towards promoting student political involvement;
- Fighting against current social injustices and inequalities, including those stemming from our past, in the same spirit as our predecessors;
- Communicating this relevance as the way forward with a vested interest in the youth in the greater community;
- Increasing our social responsibility by implementing programmes that are sustainable, aligned to our ideology and beneficial to all participants.
We aspire to realise the above mentioned goals and set an example that embodies these principles.
