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INTER-REGIONAL SHARING

The purpose of the Inter-Regional session was an exchange of experience of the participants from Canada SCM and America with the HRD'B6 participants. The three representatives from the United States were sponsored by the United Ministries in Education. It was a sharing of cultures, values, of human responses to the growing trends in nuclearisation. As a common feeling both region expressed deep grief on the ways the Western world was destroying the Asian cultures, and taking away its natural resources and causing economic disorder in the region.

Recently there had been a shift in the political sentiments of the country towards conservatism, as reflected in the high level of support for President Reagan. Many of the churches, especially the conservative evangelical ones, were also riding on the crest of this trend. Various topics that they spoke on included the women's movement; the homosexual movement, minority rights, the sanctuary movement, the anti-apartheid effort, and the work of the various churches. The four of them also shared their personal experiences, especially with the churches and campus ministries. It was stressed that although the majority of the country was more conservative, there still was a vocal and effective minority fighting for many of the same issues to which WSCF was committed.

This provided a ray of hope in an otherwise gloomy scenario. The gospel vision remains the single most powerful source of hope & challenge for people of faith in this region.