3

Introduction

 

For a long time, the World Student Christian Federation Asia-Pacific region has been actively involved in the ecumenical movement through producing the much-needed young leadership to the ecumenical communities.  In lieu of this, most programmes of WSCF AP are designed to train student and youth leaders that will provide them with proper training venues for leadership formation; one of these important programmes is the School for Ecumenical Leadership Formation (SELF).  However, it has been a struggle for us to develop an appropriate training module for student and youth leaders because they are highly sensitive to the changes of their societies, and at the same time they are ready to accept any kind of challenges faced by them.  Throughout years of experiences in conducting training programs, we recognised that the best way to develop a better training module for students and youth is to share and reflect our experiences with those who have the same struggle as us.

 

It is in this context that the WSCF AP decided to produce a resource book series that can inspire the ecumenical communities to develop a better training module for student and youth leaders in the region as well as the world. 

 

This Resource Book Series 1 is the result of the SELF 2003 which was held in Thailand on 14 September to 9 October. More than 15 Student Christian Movement SCM) leaders from all over Asia Pacific attended SELF 2003, studying, reflecting and struggling together in order to develop themselves as future ecumenical leaders.  Since the SELF is one of the most important training programmes for the WSCF AP, we publish it as Book Series 1.   

  

Finally, I would like to give a very special appreciation to Ms. Wong Yock Leng and Ms. Wong Yick Ching.  Yock Leng, my colleague, edited this book, and Ching did all the exhaustive layout and design work.

 

I sincerely hope that this resource book will inspire you with ecumenical vision and encourage you to build a firm ecumenical student and youth movement in Asia as well as world.   

 

 

Shin Seung Min

Regional Secretary

WSCF AP