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