Education
And Liberation
Foreword
This book, WSCF Asia Pacific Book 6, although a bit delayed
in coming out of the press, carries the life and vibrancy of the Asian
Secretaries Formation, '78. ASFOR '78, the second to be held so far, was held
in Indonesia, centered in two main places: Satya Wacana Christian University in
Salatiga, Central Java, and at Wisma Mahasiswa Kuningan (Kuningan Student
Centre) in the Jakarta area. There was
also a brief stay in Jogyakarta. The
theme of the second ASFOR was Education and Liberation.
We were very happy for the warm hospitality of the heads of
Satya Wacana, Dr. Sutarno, Rector, and Dr. Willi Toisuta, Vice-Rector, who were
our formal hosts, and who also provided inputs for the participants on the
topics discussed during the program. The President of GMKI (Indonesia SCM),
Tony Waworuntu, and the General Secretary, Frans Allolerung, together with the
Local Organizing Committee and a host of SCMers, did much to ensure the
efficient and fruitful running of the program. We thank all the speakers and
the lecturers, including our very own General Secretary, Emidio Campi, who led
a seminar on the WSCF, and most especially, the Rev. John England, of the Tao
Fung Shan, for his invaluable presence and insights on liberating education and
Christian formation.
The main actors, as it were, in the whole program were the
twenty-five full participants representing the movements in the region and
church-related bodies like the Christian Conference in Asia and the National
Council of Churches in Indonesia. Coming
from very diverse backgrounds, the participants had to hurdle a good number of
gaps, social and cultural, even among themselves, not to say with the vast
socio-economic-political realities in the host country. Although there was an
issue on language problem, the participants felt that there were basic areas of
contradictions, which should be faced with and struggled with. And, the staff
could see why a program like ASFOR can provide the much needed arena/forum for
a more in-depth analysis of what divides peoples in the region, and what can
unite them, looking into common aspirations and hopes for liberation.
I would like to thank the support staff who worked on the
documents of ASFOR in Indonesia; Jack Lackavich, a fraternal secretary of the
Philippines SCM, Chris Stevenson of Australia, and colleagues in the office,
Ruth Cortez and Wiwil Supardan. I would also want to, publicly express my deep
appreciation to Supardan, my dear colleague, with whom I shared five years of
inspired working relationship for and with the national movements of the
Federation in the Asia Pacific region, including the implementation of the
ASFOR. For the production of this book, acknowledgement should go to Ruth,
Luchi Karagdag and Brian Taylor.
Once again, through this book, I on behalf of the outgoing
staff (Supardan and myself, Wiwil and Ruth), would thank our supporters and
friends for their unstinting solidarity with us through ASFOR, as a program.
With them, and with you all, our readers and friends, we believe that we are
partners in the great hope we have in Christ that in Asia, as everywhere in the
world, the struggles for Justice, peace and liberation may reign!
Nael Cortez
WSCF Asia Pacific
Hong Kong
1 August 1979
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