The third session of ASIAN SECRETARIES
FORMATION (ASFOR) was held in
The theme around which the participants met
was "Living Religions and People's Struggles". The participants
shared their own thinking and reflection on the theme through their essays.
They also rendered country situationers and movements' status, problems and
activities. A great deal of their collective in-puts was focussed on the plunge-ins
they had: two held in between a period of days of reporting and reflecting.
A number of national and ecumenical
thinkers/leaders were invited to provide in-puts on various topics such as
"The Socio-Economic Situation of Bangladesh", "Current Trends in
Islamic Faith and Its Role in
The following movements were represented in
this year's ASFOR: Japan - Hideki Aihara, Philippines - Elizabeth
Lacanilao, Australia - Libby Krepp, New Zealand - Roger Palmer, Indonesia
- Alex Litaay, Singapore - Maylene Lai, Malaysia - Jaggie Kaur, Thailand
- Pat Pangudom, Burma - Gideon Shwe, Sri Lanka - Kumudhini Rosa, India
- Joseph Stanley, and Bangladesh - Bipul Barrel, Samir Roy, and Sangeeta
Das. The South Korean and
The Local Organizing Committee was headed by
the Patron of the programme. Bishop B.D. Mondal of the Church of Bangladesh.
The energetic and able General Secretary of Bangladesh SCM, together with
officers of the national SCM led by Ernest Roy, the President, gave full
support to the programme. A good part of the activities for the whole month was
spent in meeting branches of the SCM who were all eager to learn' and share
experiences with the participants.
There is a sense in which this year's ASFOR
benefitted much from lessons learned from the past two programmes (
Some of such features were: 1) there was a
longer period for participants to know each other, to learn and share insights
about themselves and what motivated them to join the SCM and ASFOR. During this
sharing period, the participants learned more about the SCMs in the region,
about the situations in each country, and the problems attending the student
movement in each nation represented. A great deal of sensitivity to each
other's problems, such as language and cultural differences. helped in
heightening the community spirit they were able to build and maintain, even in
the midst of difficulties that arose during the one-month long activity. 2) A
conscious effort to help the participants understanding and analysing the structural
relationships of Asian societies in relation to the international economic
order and power structure helped much both beginners and those who already had
some tools of analysis in raising their political awareness, which is one of
the avowed objectives of ASFOR. 3) Through their own essays, and the in-puts on
the Bible and theology, the participants of ASFOR '79 wrestled with the
"faith question". There appeared to be a consensus that while they
could see from historical facts that the institutionalised Church has been a
part of the entrenchment of the oppressive and exploitative systems found in
all of the countries participating in ASFOR, faith for them remains a motive
force in their serious involvement in the struggles for justice and for a humane
social order in their own nations. 4) Because of the high community spirit of
the group, participants who had talents in music and the arts
"blossomed". Two songs were composed (one is ASFOR SONG);
paintings/sketchings expressing the thinking of the group on the different
aspects of the theme were made; ways of communicating their ideas aside from
the English language were created; liturgies were made to celebrate their lif6
together.
As staff reflects on the past three Asian Secretaries Formation programmes,
he feels confidently that a corps of committed young leaders in the region who
take both their theology/faith and political involvement seriously has-been
added to the body of much-needed Christian leaders in