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INTRODUCTION

The Human Resources Development Programme, the annual leadership building programme of the WSCF Asia-Pacific was held from 24th July to 17th August 1989, in South Korea. During the first week the programme was conducted at the Centennial Memorial Building of the Presbyterian Church of Korea in Seoul, and subsequently the venue was shifted to Hanshin University, near Osan for the rest of the programme.

The programme hosted by the Korean Student Christian Federation (KSCF) provided logistical support as well as translation services for the many Korean participants, visitors and resource persons.

HRD '89 was notable in that it was the first leadership formation programme of the WSCF A/P which implemented the new HRD format produced by the 1988 Taiwan Consultation on HRDI Leadership Formation and Movement Building. Several new procedures and activities proposed by the Taiwan Consultation were implemented for the first time. However, HRD '89 saw a reduced participation due to the difficulties faced by some national SCMs in sending representatives. Burma, Bangladesh, India, Fiji, Malaysia. Papua New Guinea and Singapore did not send participants.

 

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INAUGURAL WORSHIP

The inaugural worship was held in the chapel of the Centennial Mem­orial Building with several Korean church leaders and members of fra­ternal organisations attending. The General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Korea, the Rev. Kwon Ho Kyung, who is a KSCF senior friend was there in person to extend greetings to the HRD participants. Rev. Dr. Jong Hwa Park, Professor of Theology, Han­shin University gave the sermon based on chapter 11 of Paul's letter to the Hebrews. Rev. Dr. Park also led the communion service.

The worship was followed by the programme orientation session in which the participants introduced themselves and were then briefed by the Regional Secretary, Yong Ting Jin, on the general programme outline and on logistics and infra­structure by the local KSCF staff.

The thirteen participants divided into two steering committees each to function for half the programme duration. The steering committee elected their own coordinators whilst the committee members took turns to be moderator of a day's session. By this means every participant was provided the opportunity to work as a moderator. A small group of parti­cipants formed a committee to conduct the sessions of 'cultural expression'.

 

HRD THEME PRESENTATION

The Chairperson of the World Student Christian Federa­tion, Bishop Poulose Mar Poulose (India) gave the first lecture of the programme on "Faith in Encounter with Suffer­ing and Conflict". In his presentation, Bishop Poulose poin­ted out that "faith" was not some magical power; nor was it a guarantee that our vested interests would be safe- guarded. Rather "faith" was a dynamic and on-going relationship with God. "Faith" implied obeying God's call to a risky journey.

 

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Abraham, who is considered the 'father of believers', obeyed God's call and abandoned his secure life, left his native land and began an adventurous journey to a place not yet known to him. Similarly, God calls today to a new under­standing of life in its fullness; from inaction to creative action; from the fear of hell to the task of destroying the demonic forces in human society.

Bishop Poulose, who is the immediate past Chairperson of the WSCF Asia/Pacific region argued that to be faithful to God required us to take side with the oppressed and down­trodden in their struggle for justice. In the Exodus event, the might and power of God was revealed to liberate the slaves. God became a human reality in the flesh and blood of Jesus. Even in that great event of the incarnation God stood on the side of the poor and oppressed. The Bishop pointed out that the participants in the HRD programme were chosen peo­ple. As believers, 'Christians' are called to be a people for others.

Our calling is to respond to the Good News by acting as advocates for the powerless. It is by being where God is working that we express our faith.

It is possible, Bishop Poulose observed, that as we proceed on this adventurous journey, we may, at certain times, be skeptics. "Doubt is an integral part of the living faith", the Bishop declared, and pointed out that Abraham at one point had been skeptical (Genesis 12: 10-20). The Bishop recalled the story of the father who brought his son to Jesus. He confessed: "I believe; help my unbelief! (Mark 9; 24)

 

MAIN INPUT ON KOREA

The General Secretary of the Korean Christian Alliance for Democracy and Re-unification, Hwang In-sung gave the principal input on Korea in a lecture on 'The Korean Reality and the Christian Movement for National Democracy'. In a comprehensive and systematic description of the socio­political dynamics in Korean society, Mr. Hwang identified two contradictory realities in his country. On the one hand there is the reality of extreme repression under the Roh Tae Woo regime which succeeded the previous military dictatorship of Chun Doo Hwan. In the early days of power, the Roh Tae Woo

 

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regime responded too partially to the demands of the people by undertaking some reformistic democratisation. However, this did not last long, and soon the people encountered bla­tant repression. In its 'vicious and massive violence' against the struggles of workers, peasants and other opp­ressed social groups for basic socio-economic rights, the Roh Tae Woo regime has now thrown off any pretension of under­taking democratisation, Mr. Hwang observed.

The other reality to be found in Korea is the dramatic political awakening of the various classes and strata of the Korean "minjung" (mass of people). Mr. Hwang, who is the immediate past general secretary of the KSCF, noted that the broad mass of people was being organised and this was a marked development. Workers, peasants, urban poor, cultural workers and artists, scholars, medical personnel, teachers, office workers and various other sectors in society are being organised.

Mr. Hwang identified the United States as the "deter­mining imperialistic force" that dominates South Korea. The US which regards Korea as its "forward base" against the Soviet Union, relies on a fascist regime in South Korea to serve its interests. The US also carries out a strategy of 'low intensity warfare' in alliance with the Roh Tae Woo regime to suppress the Korean people's aspirations for genuine democracy, national independence and re-unification. He warned of a 'new design' by the US to install a civilian regime supported by the military which would guarantee the interests of the Korean ruling class in a flexible and permanent manner. This is the US strategy being adopted following the great national democratic movement of June 1987.

At the same time the US-backed Roh Tae Woo regime has launched a concentrated repression against the mass move­ments, including a propaganda campaign to brand the people's organisations as "communist". At the same time there was an attempt to subvert the integrity of the people's movements by seducing them into participating in the constricted arena of institutional politics. Thus the national democratic movement forces are today in a "defensive posture" against the compre­hensive offensive of the US-Roh Tae Woo regime.

Describing the history and the role of the Church in South Korea, Hwang stated that the Christian Movement in Korea had, as its objectives, the national democratic trans-

 

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formation of Korean society as well as the national demo­cratic transformation of the Korean Church and Christianity.

 

ASIAN REALITIES AND TRENDS

Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, President of Aliran Institute (a social reform movement) and prominent Malaysian intellectual, internationally known for his human rights activism, was this year's resource person on geo-politics in the Asia/Pacific region. In his presentation, Dr. Muzaffar observed that following the post-second world war period of de-coloni­sation, Asian countries had initiated processes of moderni­sation adopting three different societal models. Whilst some countries had adopted the capitalist model, others had chosen the socialist path and yet others had endeavoured to combine elements of socialism and capitalism.

However, Dr. Muzaffar regretted to note that in all three models the failure had been greater than the successes. In the countries which had adopted the socialist system, productivity remained low and inefficient. Corruption was rampant at higher levels of the administration. The political institutions were tightly con­trolled providing little political freedom for their citizens. At the same time many Asian socialist states had systematically attempted to manipulate the development of culture and religious life.

In the capitalist countries such as South Korea and Singapore, the disparities in income and wealth between social groups had reached serious proportions. Inflation was endemic in nearly all of the Asian capitalist economies. In the less successful capitalist countries there was serious unemployment. The political regimes were largely authori­tarian and the ruling elites controlled and dominated the national situation totally. In some countries such as Sri Lanka and Fiji there was also a serious crisis in ethnic relations.

Dr. Muzaffar considered India to be the best example of this category of "mixed economy". He noted that in India there were vast disparities between rich and poor people,

 

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which was a result of the capitalist dimension of the Indian economy. There was also massive unemployment. Political free­doms were gradually being restricted and today the dominant elite was more in control than ever before. There was also corruption whilst ethnic and religious conflicts were becom­ing a volatile factor.

But to Dr. Muzaffar what has become the great tragedy is the predicament of the human being in all these three social systems in Asia/Pacific. He felt that in the socialist coun­tries the human beings had become simply a tool for the pur­pose of enhancing the power of the elite. In the capitalist countries the human being had been reduced to the level of "a consuming animal". People were merely treated as animals with certain material needs.

"Capitalist economies maximize profits and minimize people. What we need is a society which maximizes human beings and minimizes power and profits". Dr. Muzaffar, well known for his resistance to political harassment by the Malay­sian government, argued that the "root of the problem in Asia is our concept of development and modernization which we have borrowed wholesale from the West". It is a concept of develop­ment which is basically materialistic, secular, concerned with the pleasures of the senses and directed to the imme­diate (to the here and now).

Giving a few examples of this human predicament, Dr. Muzaffar pointed out that in nearly all Asian countries there is a degradation of the natural environment. Most countries lack a programme to rationally utilize and conserve natural resources. In the political sphere, even in the few countries that do have elections, the mass of people are manipulated to maintain the domination of the elite. There is no real parti­cipation by the people in national politics and governments have no accountability towards the people.

Furthermore, Dr. Muzaffar noted that "all over Asia the rich cultural diversity of our countries is being destroyed by the modern nation-state. This is why many religious and cultural minorities feel insecure". Leaders and elites give emphasis to the external trappings of religion, but there is a decline in spirituality. "Real spirituality is that aspect of religion which leads to liberation. My fear is that this problem of the destruction of human dignity is going to get worse".

 

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Hope for the future of Asia/Pacific lies in the increas­ing number of mass movements all over the region which base their struggles "on spiritual values and ethics derived from our own traditions". These movements are not yet strong enough to overthrow the existing elites and the power of the trans-national corporations. Nevertheless these groups are a challenge to the existing order.

 

MINJUNG THEOLOGY

Another important input on Korea was the introduction to "Minjung" theology by the Rev. Park Seung Joon, Senior Re­searcher, Korea Theological Institute. Rev. Park explained that Minjung theology originated in the early 1970s' when Korean Christians began identifying with the aspirations of the general Korean masses for a better life. One particular event which galvanized Christians was the self-immolation of a young worker (a Christian) in protest against the inaction of the government to ameliorate the terrible working condi­tions of the industrial workers. This provoked many Chris­tians into social activism through agencies such as the urban -industrial mission.

Rev. Park said that Minjung theology arose from the ex­perience of Christians identifying with the general mass of the Korean people - the minjung. Minjung theology sees the minjung (people) as the 'subjective force of history'. Rev. Park, who himself has suffered political detention for his activism, recalled how his experiences has helped him under­stand the primacy of 'praxis' over theory. He categorized Minjung theology as a revolt against Western Christianity which had for so long kept Third World people under ideolo­gical subjugation. Minjung theology transcends the subject/object conceptual framework of western thought.


 

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The action of the minjung (people) for justice is the action of God and the Holy Spirit. The interpretation of this action of God through the Minjung is Minjung Theology, Rev. Park explained. The person who has heard the cry of the minjung and is participating in the action of the minjung for liberation is the person who has received 'salvation'. It is only in the struggling minjung that we are able to see a Jesus Christ who is alive.

Rev. Park argued that if the Church is alienated from the Minjung movement, then it could not truly be the Church. He described the experience of the growth of "minjung chur­ches". In these congregations there are efforts to create new communal liturgies. In addition new middle class churches called "citizens' churches" have emerged . All these new con­gregations are linked with the larger movement of the Korean people for national liberation.

Finally Rev. Park challenged the participants : "If you want to benefit from the Minjung theology experience, you must strive to create your own theologies within your own countries".

 

PATRIARCHY AND WOMEN'S STRUGGLES

In a profound but lucid analysis of patriarchy, Ms Lee Mi Kyung, Vice Chairperson of the Korea Women's Association United, introduced a theoretical framework to understand the struggles for women's liberation in conjunction with the struggles of the oppressed social classes. Ms. Lee stated that relations between social groups could be seen both in terms of a contradiction between classes as well as between 'strata'. Whilst 'class' categories could be derived from the relationship of people to the means of production, 'strata' could be categorized according to people's "natural" or "social" identities, Ms. Lee suggested, according to this typology, the youth, the elderly and the male and female sexes could be defined as 'strata'.

Women are oppressed within the class structure, and are also oppressed by men within the gender strata. Women in the upper classes as well as women in the lower classes are oppressed by patriarchy and therefore women have a common identity transcending class. But due to the class differences there are differences in the values and interests of the

 

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women of the upper and lower classes. Thus it is more difficult for the women of the upper and lower classes to unite than it is for the men and women within the lower classes to do so.

Ms. Lee argued that while the contradiction between classes could not be compromised, the contradiction between the gender strata could be. She rejected the proposition that the oppression of women could only be resolved after the resolution of the class contradiction. Rather, the resolution of class as well as class contradictions are inextricably linked. The liberation of women involves the resolution of class contradictions.

Ms. Lee insisted that the 'principal subjective force' of the women's liberation movement must be the women of the oppressed classes. Experience had already shown that when the women's movement  is led by women of the upper class it be­comes a hindrance to the larger national democratic move­ment.

 

WOMEN THEOLOGIZING IN ASIA

Ms. Soh Eun Ha, who was resource person for this subject, spoke on the "the direction and tasks of the Korean Chris­tian Women's Move­ment" as a case study. Ms. Soh, who is involved in urban industrial mission, described her own experience in pastoral work with women indus­trial workers. For several years she had lived with such women and shared their suffering. "In these women I was able to see

 

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Jesus' face" she declared. She felt that the Korean women workers were "the minjung of the minjung". With the decision of some Christian women to support the struggles of women workers the Korean Christian Women's Minjung Movement was born. Ms. Soh said that this movement of Christian women was working to raise the consciousness of Korean women workers.

Christian women, in their involvement in the national democratic movement, have two specific tasks to achieve :

(a)    to transform the Church and resolve the problem of sexual discrimination within the Church and

(b)   to resolve the problems faced by women in the general Korean society.

Politically conscious Christian women are organised in the minjung churches.

Ms. Soh stressed that the task of women's liberation is also a task for men because men too face the challenge to become better human beings.

 

THEOLOGIZING IN PLURALISTIC SOCIETIES : PRAXIS OF FAITH

Rev. Dr. Dhyanchand Carr, Vice-Principal, Tamilnadu Theological Seminary, viv­idly described his own experience of witness as a theologian- cum- activ­ist amidst the multi­religious, caste-ridden and poverty -stricken society of south India.

Initially stressing the multiplicity of rel­igious and philosophical groups in India, Dr. Carr pointed out that in "doing theology" he, and other Christian acti­vists had to live out their faith relating to all these diverse groups. Furthermore, they also had to contend with numerous conflicts between these diverse groups.

One problem the Church faced in India was that the con­cern of the poor and oppressed in general and the "dalits" (out-castes) in particular, were never the focus of Christian

 

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mission. The preaching in many churches is about the 'pros­perity Gospel'. Indian churches were dominated by minority higher caste groups and the richer classes.

Dr. Carr related his experience in establishing and implementing the programmes of the Rural Theological Insti­tute in Madurai in a drought-stricken rural area where the peasant communities, despite their poverty were yet divided in caste and class conflict. He pointed out that through a consistent identification with the most oppressed sectors in the area, the Christian activists of the RTI were finally able to win the trust and respect of the mainly non-Christian villagers. "Although we seldom used religious language, the fact that our motivation had come from our Christian faith had been clearly communicated to the villagers".

"For our part, we began to develop a new respect for the poor, especially for the depth of the spirituality that lurked behind their apparent masks of superstitious idiosyncrasies". Through their involvement in these peasant struggles, Dr. Carr and fellow-Christian activists colla­borated with activists of other religions and also of other philosophies, including Marxists. The cooperation with catho­lic priest activists provided opportunities for spontaneous participation in each other's worship services. "Our Marxist friends, who are used to dismissing religion as an opiate of the masses and a legitimizing instrument in the hands of the rich and powerful, sincerely wanted to know what in our faith made us what we were whilst mainstream Christianity was happy to be the handmaid of the powerful". In all these inter­actions with diverse groups of people the biblical stories came "wonderfully alive" to Dr. Carr.

Dr. Carr referred to the story of the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15: 21-28. He argued that the Canaanite woman provides a model for all non-poor/marginalised people and shows how such people can belong to the Kingdom by unquestioningly conceding the primacy of the poor in Cod's order of priority.

 

THE CHURCH AS THE CHURCH OF THE PEOPLE

Before making her presentation, Ms. Sharon Ruiz-­Duremdes, National Council of Churches Regional Coordinator for Western Visayas, Philippines, asked the participants to discuss in small groups and draw posters depicting their own

 

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idea of 'building the church'

In describing the predicament of the people, Ms. Duremdes said that the mass of people were victims of an unjust social system who wallow in misery and want. The Church that arises because of the Resur­rection must be in conformity with the concrete life of solidarity with the poor that is lived by its resurrected Lord.

The spirit of Jesus takes histor­ical flesh in the poor. Therefore, the poor show the direction of his­tory, that is in accordance with Cod's plan. Therefore, chur­ch that rises in solidarity with the poor protests against their material poverty as being an expression of the world's sin, engages in a struggle against poverty as a form of lib­eration, and allows itself to be affected by this poverty and its consequences as an expression of its being.

Ms. Duremdes argued that a 'church of the poor' must dis­believe in the God who endorses a world system that is caught up in an exploitative and dehumanizing global capital accumu­lation process.

She contended that the church of the poor was "a comm­unity of resistance". Such a church must embrace women rather than marginalize them; allow their voices to be heard rather than silence them; and must liberate men from a purely male perspective of salvific history rather than reinforce the age-old subjugation of women in society and the churches.

The 'faithful church' in the Asia-Pacific region must be communities that are always directed to the creation of funda­mentally new and better relationships in the light of their understanding of Christ's revolutionary demand for disciple­ship.

 

THEOLOGY OF STRUGGLE

Ms. Sharon Ruiz-Duremdes spoke about the 'Theology of Struggle' that is emerging from Churches which identified

 

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with the struggles of the people. She described the experi­ence of the Church in the Philippines as it began to identify with the mass of poor people, especially the peasantry. Ex­plaining the 'Theology of Struggle' which emerged from this experience, she acknowledged that considerable inspiration had been derived from the Latin American 'Theology of Libera­tion'

When the Church denounces the injustices of a society or of the world order, it is doing an act of evangelization, she said. To evangelize, therefore, is to call to task the powers and principalities that deprive people of the abundant life that Cod promised everyone. "Thus, for a Filipino Christian, theological and political work are one".

The Filipino people, she said, continue to be 'nailed on the cross of foreign debt, US military bases, feudalism, transnational corporations", and other forms of oppression and exploitation. "We take Ephesians 6 : 11 very seriously even as we perceive the Christian life as warfare and combat".

Identifying the key elements of a theology of struggle, she stressed that such theologizing begins with the 'objec­tive reality' of the life of people. Faith is linked to the everyday experience . God is the one who is concerned with the peasant's need for land, the worker's demand for just wages, the slum-dweller's prayer for decent housing, and the woman's struggle for equality. At the same time, Satan's face emerges in the CIA, the IMF-World Bank, the Low Intensity Conflict strategy. However such a perception can only arise through social analysis. Only serious social analysis will bring alive the salvific history of God amidst the struggling mass of people.

Finally such a theology will motivate Christians to be "immersed" in the movements of the suffering people towards a transformation of society. Ms. Sharon Duremdes, who herself has suffered detention for her witness, described such social transformation in terms of Isaiah 65 : 17-25. But Church people should know, she warned, that the struggle for social transformation is not to be led by the religious and clergy. The motive forces for social change will always be the basic masses.

 

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THE WSCF : HISTORY, FUNCTIONS, VISIONS

WSCF Asia/Pacific Chairper­son, Mr. Marshal Fernando briefed the participants on the history and theological growth of the Federation. He explained that in its formative years during the late 19th century and early twentieth century, the Fed­eration had been much influ­enced by the missionary zeal of Western Christianity. The Federation grew in partnership with the Church, and was supported by the Church. In its turn, the WSCF played a historic role in providing some of the key leaders who built the worldwide ecumenical movement which saw founding of the WCC and numerous other ecumenical agen­cies at national and regional levels.

Mr. Fernando, who once served as WSCF staff in the Paci­fic and is currently Associate Director, Ecumenical Institute for Study and Dialogue, Sri Lanka identified six factors as the 'secret of progress' in the Federation. They are : regular international gatherings to build fellowship, an orientation to evangelism supported by the broader church community, commitment to Bible Study, sacrificial labour of the pioneers, constant networking amongst students who are the basic constituency, and good financial support from friends and churches.

However, Mr. Fernando, who was also once a Federation Ex-co member, confessed that the WSCF today faced a crisis of identity. He warned of an "ideological assault to subsume the hearts and minds of youth in our universities and churches" by groups which are fuelled by "big money and political pa­tronage". As a result of this offensive, he observed that some SCMs had become defensive, other SCMs had collapsed, and a number of SCMs were confused about their response to this new situation. He urged SCMs to maintain a relationship of 'critical solidarity' with the Church. SCMers should partici­pate in the renewal of the Church whilst at the same time par­ticipating in movements which are outside the Church but are inspired by Kingdom values.

 

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FIELD TRIPS FOR EXPOSURE

The participants were divided into two groups for the field visits. One group visited the city of Kwangju, about five hours journey in the south of the country. As a point of heroic resistance to the US-based dictatorship in 1980, Kwangju is today a focal point in the Korean people's move­ment for democracy and reunification. The group met activists who survived the massacre by the armed forces in 1980 and also had discussion with groups leading the national demo­cratic movement in that region.

They also participated in a student demonstration in which some of the HRD participants experienced teargas for the first time. The visit to the hospital where the body of a student who had died in police custody is preserved, was an emotional moment which deepened the group's realisation of the martyrdom of the people.

The group which visited the industrial city of Inchon was exposed to extreme conditions in which the working masses laboured - especially the women workers. They met school teachers on hunger strike protesting the obstructions to their efforts to unionize.

While participating with catholic clergy in demon­stration the group saw the arrest of four priests.

On their return to Seoul, the HRD participants reflected on their first-hand experience of the suffering of people and also the courage of the people in their resistance.

In Seoul the participants were introduced to the cul­tural expression of the Korean people's movement. The fiery songs, exercises and dances introduced by Park Bong Min and Lee Ji Young of the Christian Cultural Action Collective were quickly learnt by the participants and many of the songs and dances became part of the community life of the HRD.

The participants also viewed two videos presented by Ms. Choi Nora, Urban Industrial Mission, Inchon. The videos were on actions by the S. Koreans student movement and on the experience of the 1980 up-rising in Kwangju.

 

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ACTIONS OF SOLIDARITY

On two occasions the HRD participants joined protest actions. On August 15 they joined a rally and demonstration in Seoul to mark the Korean national liberation day. On one Sunday the group took part in a worship service which was also a protest against the harassment and intimidation of Christian activists. The HRD participants Joined the 'street church - a congregation which has been shut out of its place of worship due to its activism. The worship service included a protest in front of a police post and a communion service on the street in front of a large police station.

The HM group also 'spent one evening with the youth representatives of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WA RC) who were conducting a    youth meeting prior to the WARC's general   assembly in Seoul. The HRD group shared a 'statement of faith' with the WARC Youth Meeting (see appendix for text).

 

BIBLE STUDY

The participants undertook ten intensive Bible Study sessions during their three-week programme.

Study I :     In the first session the participants were introduced to a systematic basis for interpreting the Bible. Professor Kim Chang Lak, Hanshin University, spoke on "Mate­rialist Bible Interpretation and praxis for liberation". He observed that such methods of interpretation had emerged from theologizing in Third World contexts.

Study II :     Ms. Soh Eun Ha reflected on the story of the faith of Abraham and Sarah. Whilst usually Sarah is given more emphasis in this story, Ms. Soh focused attention on the actions of Hagar. Hagar, who is oppressed by the social power of Sarah finally rejects being subordinate. Hagar portrays a symbol of all women who are oppressed in today's society.

Study III :    Ms. Lee Mee Hwa reflected on the Exodus event and the 'covenant community'. She drew inspiration from the vital features of that ancient covenant community for guidance in renewing the world today.

 

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Study IV :   Dr. Dhyanchand Carr, examined Paul's emphasis on faith, especially in the texts Romans and Hebrews and com­pared this with the understanding of faith in the Gospels and in James.

Study V :    Dr. Dhyanchand Carr surveyed the growth of the prophetic tradition beginning with the life of Moses. He went on to describe the social context in which the prophets con­solidated during the Israelite kingdoms and explained the role of the prophetic critique of society.

Study VI :   Ms. Sharon Ruiz-Duremdes employed an exercise in group dynamics in reflecting on the meaning of a 'faith com­munity'. She examined the life of the early church as des­cribed in Acts and pointed out the essential strengths of its community life.

Study VII :   In a study of "Jesus and the faith of women in the Gospels", Ms. Sharon Ruiz-Duremdes again employed an exercise in group dynamics to reflect on the strength and faith of women. She drew attention to Matthew 26:6-13, to the determination of a nameless woman to express her love and respect for Jesus.

Study VIII :  Rev. Kang Won Don of the Korea Theological Study Institute, examined Mark 11:15-19 to draw out the politics of the confrontation Jesus had with the religious and political hierarchy. Rev. Kang provided an intensive political-economic analysis of the domination of the Temple to enable the participants to understand the politics Jesus was engaged in.

Study IX :   Rev. Lee Won Don, pastor of a minjung church, used Matthew 6s24 in his critical examination of the power of money in modern society. He challenged the participants s who do we believe in, worship and serve? Who are our idols? He drew attention to Acts 4:44-45 and 32-35 for inspiration for the faith community in today's world.

Study X :    Rev. Lee Won Don used Luke 16 : 19-3i, and 19 : 5-10, to warn of the dangers inherent in the individualism and consumerism of modern life. He proposed the 'meal table community' of John 6 : 41-51 as an alternative model for a new life in God's Kingdom.

 

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WORSHIP

The participants shared the responsibility of organising and conducting worship each morning. Each participant was provided an opportunity to share her/his national experience in liturgical form.

Except for the mornings reserved for 'cell groups', the participants shared in many diverse and exploratory liturgies.

On one Sunday the HRD group Joined a minjung church in worship, whilst on a second Sunday the group joined the 'street church' of the congregation of Rev. Park Hyung-Kyu, a veteran activist-pastor who is famous throughout Korea.


 

COMMUNITY LIFE

Cell Groups :     An activity implemented for the first time in an HRD programme, these groups of four or five persons was meant to provide a place for participants to be more open to each other and thereby build a more intimate and stronger fellowship. However, a mid-programme evaluation of cell groups found that due to inadequate time provided for these sessions in the programme these groups were not successful.

 

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Cultural Expression :     Every evening one hour was set aside for participants to share their national cultures through games, group exercises, songs, dances and any other form of activity.

Women & Men Caucuses :   The separate women's and men's cau­cuses were intensive sessions. An instance of frivolous behavior by a male participant during the plenary for the caucuses drew attention to the latent sexist assumptions in the attitudes of men. This incident provoked an extension of the plenary session over two days during which there was much frank criticism and self-criticism. The tensions arising in the relationship between men and women due to the women's liberation struggle were discussed.

The women's caucus provided a place to build the sisterhood as the participants shared their personal stories and strug­gles as women. In the men's caucus the participants endeav­oured to grapple with their own oppressive attitudes (often subconscious) and shared their experiences in solidarizing with feminist struggles.

 

NATIONAL REPORTS

A new method for the shar­ing of country situation (as designed by the Consul­tation of HRD in Taiwan, 1988) was implemented in this year's programme. The participants divided into four sub-regional groupings . North Asia, South East Asia, South Asia and the Pacific. These groups met simultaneously in "sub-re­gional sharings". In these groups each national report was discussed and the group was asked to identify any experiences, issue, pro­blems etc., common to all or most of the countries in each sub- region.

 

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Each sub-regional group was then provided an opportunity to present a common report to a plenary of the entire HRD group. Thus, there were four consecutive "sub-regional panels". Additionally,' each sub-region could select and present a particular country in their region which they felt was a special case requiring the attention of the whole HRD group.

 

WORKSHOPS

The final stage of the HRD programme was the time when the participants got together on their own to reflect on their experiences and what they had learnt during the preceding weeks and to arrive at some consensus regarding their common concerns and vision.

An initial open session of 'brain-storming' produced two broad themes and the participants divided into two workshops under these themes :

WORKSHOP I: "Dominating Power"

WORKSHOP II: "Liberating Power"

REPORTS

 

WORKSHOP I : “Dominating Power”

What is 'dominating power'?

Dominating power is the capacity for a person or group to do what the holder of power desires. It is the capacity to enforce, to dominate, to control.

The structures of dominating power in our world:

Foreign power (e.g. imperialism) has persisted in most countries in Asia/Pacific and has established a form of domi­nance (political, economic, cultural) in which the people are permanently trapped. This strong foreign power leads to coali­tions of power within local elites who employ state power to rule over the masses. Asian society has also its own system of domination.

 

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Apart from these overall structures of domination, there are social groups and minority groups who suffer double op­pression e.g. women. As part of the poor masses women suffer from the overall oppression and yet they are also victimised by patriarchy which employs racial, religious and cultural values.

Foreign power : It is the system which controls the political, economic and cultural life of underdeveloped nations to serve the interest of an external power (a powerful nation). In the Asia/Pacific, the poorer countries have been subject to the domination and exploitation of Japan and the United States. Such foreign powers accumulate wealth by exploiting the cheap labour of the poorer countries.

Such foreign powers support local regimes who are engaged in facilitating rapid capitalist growth, including industrialization and the penetration of multinational corporations. This support for local regimes is used by the foreign powers to justify their own militarist expansion in the Asia/Pacific region. Thus we see the maintenance of military bases of foreign powers.


 

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Furthermore the foreign powers impose the idea that their culture is superior to all other cultures. This dominance have serious effects on third world societies - corruption, economic crisis, civil wars, neo-colonization and the suppression of indigenous cultures. This super power domination also tends to divide the world into two conflic­ting camps s between the so-called 'democratic' and 'communist' worlds. The democratic world is regarded as "heaven" while the communist world is considered "hell".

State power :    The domination of state power in Asia is referred to as the "sovereignty" or total control over the masses. Governments and military establishments use this power to serve the interest of foreign powers as well. State power, when misused, has a devastating effect on people which in turn leads to conflicts and wars. "State power" becomes an object to be possessed regardless of its implications. These implications are large scale corruption, ideologies to de­ceive the people and the violation of human rights.

Man Rower :      Another form of dominant power is patri­archy. The evolution of patriarchy has led to a male oriented and dominated social system. The power of patriarchic struc­tures are such that today we find difficult to conceive of a


 

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total equality of men and women. Even women find it difficult to break loose from sexist values and change their life­styles. Under a patriarchic social system women have to struggle against a discriminatory ideology, particularly in the education systems.

The ideology of power : This is the ideology of the powerful. They believe that their world is eternal (their values, their "truth" and laws). They think that change will only come from "above" (i.e. heaven) and, if change is threat­ened from below it would be "evil". They say that humanity is individualistic in nature and that people are in competition to further individual interests. They claim that the every­thing in the world is in harmony and that there is no con­flict. They think that hierarchy and authority is necessary to maintain social order.

The powerful believe that the world is already complete and there is no room for the transformation of society. The "faith" of the powerful is destructive and enslaving.

The ideology of the 'powerless' is different :

They do not think that the world order is eternal. Because they have always been the victims of the powerful, they want change. But they desire change from 'below' - i.e. arising from the mass of people. They acknowledge that there are conflicts in the world and that these conflicts should be resolved by the people. They believe in egalitarian power and reject authoritarian power. They believe that the 'creation of the world' is incomplete and that it is a un-ending process. The faith of the powerless is creative and liberating.

Our response to this reality of dominating power.

Our faith makes us believe that the only way to respond is to keep on challenging and confronting structures of domi­nation and discrimination; "to pluck down and break down, to destroy, to overthrow, and to build and plant" (Jeremiah 1:10).

 

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Dear Jes!

I wonder where you are today.

I have heard of you when you were in Burma, being killed by a ruthless military.

I saw you shot to death in the Philippines when you were struggling for liberation.

I could smell your blood and sweat when you were wounded and trying to hide from police in Kwangju.

I felt the hunger you felt when you were with the poor and the powerless in India.

And I saw the tears running down your cheek when you saw your sisters crying.

But Jes, this is all I heard, saw and felt.'

I don't know what to do, what to think and how to act.

I don't know if I have the strength not to hide from these cruel facts of reality.

I don't know if I have the will-power not only to feel with them, but also to struggle with them.

I don't know if I could follow in your footsteps.

Oh Jes, they are so powerful, so cruel, so strong, so heartless! 

And we are so poor, so weak, so isolated, so powerless.

But Jes, one thing is clear to me :

that you are with and in me together with those oppressed, captive and powerless;

that you have sent me to proclaim revolution;

the revolution of love, justice and peace.

Jes, I know that this task entails suffering, pain and maybe death.

But we know that we will be filled with power, as you said.

The power that determines the greatest good for the life of the powerless people.

 

Love

Minjung.

 

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WORKSHOP II :      "Liberating Power*

The Workshop first defined dominating power - that which is self-centered in interest, powerful and insensitive, and uses its power to oppress and subdue anything or anyone opposing its actions.

Liberating power: is given life through the suffering of the people (all those who are poor, deprived, exploited and oppressed) at the hands of the dominant powers.

The ministry of Jesus on earth was to the poor. He was in solidarity with the victims; compassionate to the people; and often attacked those who considered themselves as "mighty". Because of his life, many people have gained a vision of liberation. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to be agents of his mission today. This calling is for all of us, whatever our social backgrounds; and this call persists throughout our lives.

Liberating power is one which provides hope and works for a better future, unlike dominating power. It acts with understanding; fighting for justice for those groups of poor, oppressed, deprived and marginalized people. Such people gain strength to reach their goal of justice by knowing that God lives and dies with them in their struggle. Through our faith, we have a vision of a place of justice, human dignity, peace, equality which we call the Kingdom of God; and this motivates us to fight for it.

However, it should be remembered that each of us has the potential to dominate. Human nature requires things to hold on to in order to overcome insecurity. This often results in our domination of others as we aspire for more wealth, pos­sessions and power. This aspiration to dominate could be blunted by the understanding that each of us is of worth: created equal in dignity. Experiencing the love God enables us to love each other.

We meet God through our experience of reality. In seek­ing to know the truth about reality we seek to understand God better. This search for truth, which is the raising of awareness, is a vital part of liberation from suffering. In the words of Jesus: I was born and came into the world for one purpose - to speak about the truth. Whoever belongs to the

 

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truth, listens to me. (John 18:37)

Liberating power in people's movements:

We see the power of liberation most strongly in the many movements of oppressed people struggling for liberation. These movements seek liberation from all systems of oppres­sion: political, economic, cultural, religious, ideological.

The poor, oppressed and marginalized have to fight to first become aware of their situation. They must see their own role in society as being of value. At the same time they must also realise the oppression they suffer. This realisa­tion will motivate them to struggle to improve their situa­tion. They need to unite in struggle in a single movement with common visions and objectives. This vision could be a great one of a total transformation of society, but the movement must endeavour to achieve small steps along the way to attaining the great goal.

It is this liberating power that we see in the people (Minjung): the poor workers and peasants who are organising themselves. It is the power that motivates students and youth to join with the people for a better tomorrow - to change societies now dominated by repressive states; states which are currently suppressing the movements for change.

Workshop II in presenting its report, ended its presentation with a dramatic act to depict the human body as the world with God as the brain. The act showed that the world has groups of people in conflict with each other but, as all parts of the body are important to the brain, so is everyone important to God. As the brain feels the slightest pain in the remotest part of the body, so Gad feels for all creation.

 

EVALUATION AND CLOSING WORSHIP

At the conclusion, the participants evaluated the programme. Comments and criticism were freely made. The general consensus was that the programme was tight, never­theless, it was a source of motivation as participants grappled and analysed different inputs and national situations.

 

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For most of the participants the encounter with the Korean national struggle was enlightening as well as educative and informative.   The participants felt highly motivated to return to their movements to continue their involvement.

Closing Warship ended with Holy Communion led by the participants.

 

* * * * * * * * * * *

 

PARTICIPANTS

Mr. Tim Connor - AUSTRALIA

Ms: Kwong Siu Kuen - HONG KONG

Ms. Pretty Lumbangaol - INDONESIA

Ms. Yumiko Hiran - JAPAN

Mr. Hidefumi Kitani - JAPAN

Ms. Sawa Omon - JAPAN

Mr. Yang Jai Hyuk - KOREA

Ms. Silvia Crane - NEW ZEALAND

Ms. Angelina Gulrukh Feroze - PAKISTAN

Mr. Rudy Corro - PHILIPPINES

Ms. Aruni Sujeeva Ranasinghe - SRI LANKA

Mr. Wang Jung-Yi - TAIWAN

Mr. Duchanee Anupong - THAILAND

 

INTERPRETERS

Mr. Sitthipong Kalayanee - THAILAND

Ms. Yuri Yajima - JAPAN

Mr. Kim Sang Ho - KOREAN IN JAPAN

 

RESOURCE PERSONS

Korea

Prof. Kim Chan Lak

Ms. Soh Eun Ha

Ms. Kim Hae Rang

Rev. Kang Won Don

Rev. Lee Won Don

Mr. Hwang In-sung

Ms. Choi Nora

Rev. Park Seung Joon

Ms. Lee Mi Kyung

 

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Bishop Poulose Mar Poulose - INDIA

Rev. Dr. Dhyanchand Carr - INDIA

Ms. Sharon R. J. Ruiz-Duremdes - PHILIPPINE

Dr. Chandra Muzaffar - MALAYSIA

Mr. Marshal Fernando - SRI LANKA

 

HOST COMMITTEE

Ms. Lee Eun Ju

Ms. Lee Chi Hyung

Ms. Kim Hyang Gum

Mr. Kim Sug Jin

 

STAFF

Ms. Yong Ting Jin

Ms. Iris Li

Mr, Lakshman Gunasekera - SRI LANKA (Recording Secretary)

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

A POSTSCRIPT

 

      We place on record our sincere thanks to all those who have supported this programme. In particular, we would like to express our deep gratitude and appreciation to Mr. Lakshman Gunasekera for recording the entire proceedings of the programme and helping to produce this report.

 

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APPENDIX

STATEMENT BY THE WORLD STUDENT CHRISTIAN FEDERATION ASIA-PACIFIC REGION TO THE WARD YOUTH ASSEMBLY

 

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

      The question asked two thousand years ago is still important to us today: “Who do you say I am?” (Matt. 16 v. 15). In our time we must ask again: who is Jesus today?

     The fact that God became a human being in the person of Jesus changes our whole understanding of life. The incarnation shows God’s love for us. It shows that each one of us is important because we are all important to our creator. It inspires us to love each other as we love ourselves.

      In his own life, Jesus showed us how to love others. He came that we might have life in all its fullness. Whenever the norms of society denied people such fullness, he challenged such norms. This made his life one of protest and resistance.

      Jesus lived according to God’s will. His life proclaimed the Kingdom of God – the place where God’s will is done. And this led Jesus to the Cross.

      Jesus also called others to join this Kingdom. He calls us to oppose all those forces which prevent people from living free and full lives. The Kingdom is not one which we passively wait for but it is part of our lives. It is not part of another world but it is in our world. It does not begin at the end of the world but, it is part of our history. The coming of the Kingdom of God can be seen today in the struggles of the Asia and the Pacific peoples for justice, freedom and prosperity. These movements to change society are ongoing. Being part of God’s kingdom means working persistently to renew the world. As the German playwright Bertolt Brecht pointed out: “We must change the world, and then, we shall have to change the changed world.’

      Jesus was a man who caused divisions. When we try to renew society we confronted by those who do not want it to change. There are many such people. Some benefit from the injustice and exploitation, and do not want to lose these

 

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benefits. Others do not receive such benefits but are enable to see the possibilities of a better life. They may not want to go beyond self-interest and join in a common struggle.

      In Jesus’ life he came across all these people. Jesus stood for justice and attacked people like the Pharisees who valued their own power more than people’s happiness. Jesus challenged the ordinary people of his community to give their lives to the service of God and their neighbours. This led to a clear division in society between those who responded to Jesus’ call on the one side, and most of the Pharisees and their followers on the other. “There was division among them.” (John 9 v.16)

      All conflicts involve power struggles. The power the Pharisees used was the sort of power we are all familiar with. It is the power to subdue, to crush, to put down; the power of the State, the police, the army and the bureaucracy. It is the power which sends innocent people to their death.

      Jesus represents a different sort of power. AS he told his disciples. “The kings of the pagans have power over their people, and the rulers claim the title ‘Friends of the people’. But this is not the way it is with you. Rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant.” (Luke 22 v.25, 26)

      By his care for people, Jesus showed them that God accepted them. This set people free from the struggle to get more personal power. Since we know that we are loved by God, we are free from the struggle to gain love.  We are able to give love to others.  Thus we are given power to confront worldly power. People thus empowered cannot  be manipulated and therefore, cannot be defeated. “For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love; neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God  in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8 v.38,39)

      This new power is expressed in the struggle to free those who suffer. Jesus identified with such people. Today, as he was then, Jesus is identified with suffering people. When we respond to the needs of such people we respond to Jesus. In his own words: “I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your home, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.” (Matt. 25 v.35,36)

 

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      Today, in our own region, do we not see the call of Jesus in the cry of starving and malnourished people; in the outcry of the thousands of political detainees; in the struggles of millions of exploited workers and peasants?

      Do we not also see Jesus in the powerful actions of love in response to this call? We see him in individual acts of caring, as well as in the organized actions by groups of people for justice and the healing of Creation.

      As followers of Jesus we share a vision of full democracy in our countries, respect for human rights, and an end to the suppression of people’s struggles for freedom and a better life. We seek an end to unwanted interference in our countries by outside powers. In our commitment to peace, we stand against the build up of armaments in our countries, and we long for the withdrawal of all military forces of outside powers. We also do not want our countries to economically exploit other countries.

      Jesus’ death on the cross shows us the cost of such vision and inspires us to try to love to the degree that He does. As students we are part of a community which is developing its intellectual resources. As student Christians we are part of a community which tries to use its intellectual capabilities to serve God’s Kingdom. For us this learning process involves being part of actions for justice and peace.

      So in many countries of our region, for example, there are members of the SCM praying and struggling together with exploited workers defending the rights of oppressed ethnic groups; being imprisoned for criticizing undemocratic rule; and campaigning for nuclear disarmament.

      We see Jesus Christ in the poor and the powerless, and we seek to build a strong movement of work in solidarity with them for justice and hope for all people.

      We, the representatives of Student Christian Movements in eleven Asia/Pacific countries, are happy to meet other young Christians, and we hope we can join together in our common calling.

 

            From the participants of the Human Resources Development Programme of the WSCF Asia-Pacific.

 

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