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NATIONAL REPORTS:

Spread over the first half of the programme was the sharing of national situation reports. As it was the practice in the past the participants representing various national SCMs were requested to report of their national situations basing themselves on the theme. This year the reflections were focussed on the theological and political ferment that existed in their countries. The programme also took into consideration the geopolitical realities of Asia. We must be said that on a national perspective the participants were able to successfully link up the isolated instances of exploitation to the global characteristics of economic domination and political power-rivalry. One particular phenomenon that was noted was the rising tide of religious fanaticism in some of the Asian countries particularly in South Asia.

The reports which were a bounty of information were circulated among the participants to further enable them to understand the situation in other countries. The staff of the Asia Pacific region helped in linking up the particular instances in the various contexts to the larger issues that are dominant in Asia today which can be identified as militarisation, economic domination, a growing people's resistance to them, racism and minority issues.