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OVERALL EVALUATION OF THE SCM

An overall evaluation of the SCM was made after the review based on the abovementioned points/areas. The following is the summary of the overall evaluation and the respective question or guideline.

1. What is your general impression of the SCMs in the AsiaPacific region?

* As each SCM works within a specific context or situation depending on the realities of the country or society, their functions and activities are also different from each other.

* Most of the movements had to undergo a lot of struggle and face a lot of challenges in their work. Very rarely did any movement have a smooth operation of their programmes, activities and visions. This is all because of institutionalized forces and some social elements that do not want things to change and so prevent the SCM from achieving their goals and visions.

* The goals and visions must be made relevant to the present situation and contemporary issues facing the region. In many movements the goals and visions were focused on the past.

* The present corps of SCMs can learn from senior members and friends who were engaged in political reform and social change. The present SCMs must do something concrete or the SCM will just disappear.

* Link between the SCMs is very weak. There is hardly any contact among the various movements within the region and so the members are ignorant of each other's programmes and activities. Although the national SCMs work within their respective social/political/economic/cultural contexts, they can support each other and sustain their solidarity as one big movement.

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* The SCM needs to reassert its credibility as a Christian movement with the other groups.

2. What did you learn about the SCMs in the Asia-Pacific based on those represented in the HRD'91 (with regards to structure, organizational set-up, self-understanding, programmes, theological-biblical understanding, etc.)?

* There is a need to go out into the field and mix with the people -- i. e. more action than just reflection and theories. There is a need to integrate with the people, understand their problems and needs, in order to realize the goals, visions and aims more clearly.

* The goals and visions of the movement must be relevant to the contemporary social issues; priorities must be made according to the current situation.

* The structure, while an essential part of the movement, must not be rigid. It should be flexible, suited to the changing needs of the movement.

* If SCM really believes in equal participation of women and men, it must strive at effecting participatory processes and consciously involve more women in the decision-making process of the movement.

* Programmes and activities should be action-oriented and relevant to the issues and realities of the society.

* There is a need to be consistent in conducting programmes -e.g. Bible study, leadership training, etc. -- and to develop men's and women's caucuses, special leadership training programmes for women, and even publication of newsletter dealing with women's issues.

* There should be more exchange programmes between the SCMs in the Asia-Pacific region to learn more about each

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other's work and to support one another.

3. What did you learn about the relationship between the SCM and the church?

* Some participants were not very clear about the question of SCM-church relationship. There seemed to be a need to define the meaning of the church and of church transformation all over again.

* Other participants felt there was a need for more than just mere definition; what to do about the relationship between the church and SCM is a much harder thing to do. They felt this needed an intense soul-searching.

4. What can you say about the question of women and men within the SCM, the WSCF and the society as a whole?

* There is a need for more commitment from both women and men to deal with women's issues.

* There is a need for analysis on which to base the issues regarding class, gender, race.

* There is a need for more biblical and theological reflection on the whole issue of women-men partnership.

* The issue of women-men partnership must start with oneself and then advocate to others.

* There should be renewal of family life and so transcend barriers to partnership.

* If we believe in partnership, then we should stop referring to the other sex as opposite sex but as complement; only complementary beings can build up a partnership.

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