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“No theological thinking can take place faithfully outside the
political question…
Politics today is the central question of human history. It pervades
and determines all aspects of human society…
It is also important that we develop various solidarity links and
alliances with people, with those who are outside the academic and ecumenical
ecclesiastical communities, with workers and peasants for we believe that we
must learn from the people and we
must overcome our alienation from them”.
(Taken from Christian
Witness in the Struggle for Liberation, WSCF Executive Committee Minutes,
July 1974)
How does one explain action + reflection = PRAXIS? This is certainly
not a new formula, nor is praxis a new idea. Many radical intellectual have
discussed praxis from various viewpoints but it is left to practitioners to
translate it for their local situations. K.C. Abraham has ably summarized the
nature of praxis in capitalist societies when he wrote: “In the modern culture,
the masses are left out from the unitive reflection – action procedure which is
authentic education. Instead, the praxis of the dominant class is imposed on
them”.
The consequences of disagreeing with the ideology of the “dominant
class” may well be brutal repression, as in the case of our brothers and
sisters in South Korea and the Philippines, a measure which has become the rule
rather than the exception throughout Asia. Their persecution by political
authorities is the result of steadfast refusal to be silent spectators and
victims of rampant injustices and human indignities inflicted by a political
and economic minority. Repression is no stranger to the landless poor and the
workers but the Christians and intellectuals are feeling it as they become more
deeply involved with the masses. Dehumanizing materialism and alienation
emanating from a capitalist style of development has caused many disillusioned
middle class people
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to opt
out of such a system. The schism between the ruling class and the people
continues to widen alarmingly despite attempts at reforming the system, after
all such reforms only serve to gloss over the real problems of the poor. The
recent demolition of a squatter kampong in the south of
The impersonal attitude of many Christians is a
typical manifestation of an institution and a people who are unaware or
unconcerned with the real and urgent issues of the people. Fortunately, more
and more of their number are joining the struggle for the liberation of the
oppressed as they realize the irrelevance of traditional Christianity to the
ultimate needs of the oppressed in the society.
PRAXIS, as his newsletter is called, is intended to
mirror the experiences and ideas of people who are involved in the struggle for
the liberation, for in the final process, there cannot be a division between
“Doers” and “Thinkers”.
PRAXIS, as we have indicated in an earlier
announcement, will be both news – and
issue-oriented. The editors hope that
through this organ SCM constituents and friends and all those who find a common
purpose in the struggle for liberation and self-reliance in
This issue centers on getting our readers,
particularly national movements and friends, aware and conversant-with the new
developments on the structure, priorities and personnel in WSCF Asia as the
result of the Bangkok June Asia Committee, the Buenos Aires July Executive
Committee, and Bangkok August staff meetings. The word is democratization; the
accent is on action in the grassroots level and reflection emanating from or
done in action. The experiment has brought in four new although not necessarily
young faces. The theme is LIBERATION and SELF-RELIANCE.
OUR LOGODesigned by Kah Siang. The symbol is the ying – yang
contradiction, which is to illustrate that praxis, is the application of
contradiction to local action – the unity of opposites. The cross is to express the Christian identity. |
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The first since
A. Regional
Structure. The Asia region was divided into four Sub
regions, namely: 1) South Asia consisting of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,-Bangladesh,
and Burma; 2) East Asia made up of
Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong and, potentially, China; 3) South East • Asia composed-of Singapore,
Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and potentially, Indo-China; and 4) South Pacific covering Fiji, Australia,
New Zealand, New Guinea, and other Pacific islands.
B. Staff
and Office Locations. There shall be four staff, namely: 1) the Coordinating Secretary to be stationed
in Bangkok (who shall also act as East Asia area secretary), 2) the South Asia
area secretary, in Bangalore, 3) the South Pacific area secretary, in Suva,
Fiji, and 4) the South East Asia area secretary in Bangkok.
In the guidelines drawn up for the staff, it was emphasized that the
whole staff acts on behalf of the Asia Committee, and that always the regional
perspective must be borne in mind. The
official link between WSCF Geneva and WSCF Asia will fall under the
responsibility of the Coordinating Secretary who shall also represent the
region in the Executive Committee. The
staff shall share visitation of the national movements and representation in
other conferences.
C. Regional
Priorities and Programs. A top
priority for the whole region is theological self-reliance. It was the consensus that Asia has remained
far too long dependent-on theological concepts developed in the west and which
reflect the historical development of the west.
It is necessary that theological reflection begin in each concrete and
national situation. The new staff will
be expected to do serious thinking around this issue and to give lead where
necessary.
Each national SCM is urged to conduct its own study program on this
topic. Papers produced by each movement
win are sent to the Asia office for consolidation, possibly, to be put together
in a volume.
The following have emerged as the emphases for the sub regions: the
problems of land, population and poverty for South Asia, student-peasant-worker
alliance for South East Asia, militarism for East Asia, and imperialism for South
Pacific. Strategies and methodologies
discussed vary from one situation to another but the common denominator is action-reflection. Before any consultation or conference is to
be held on the sub-regional level, national groups are urged to experiment with
live-in groups, direct contact with the masses, work with and among them, and
in the process reflect with them.
D. Interim Consultative Committee. As approved by the Asia Committee, there shall be an
Interim Consultative Committee
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The Executive Committee met in
This was the second meeting held after the Addis Ababa General Assembly
in January 1973. It consisted of two
official representatives from each region - a student and the chairman. Others who attended were the regional
secretaries,
The meeting was divided into two parts: presentation of papers and
business. The papers were aimed at
giving the participants a general view of the political situation in
Inter-regional projects, which received most
attention, included:
1) Liberation and Theology. All regions
and national movements are to engage in serious reflection as well as action on
this. Inter-regional contacts should be
established to share ideas on the theme.
2) Militarism, student Exiles and political Prisoners. Priority is
given to set up programs especially in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Concretely, the Executive Committee
appointed a team of four to visit South Korea to give support to the KSCF and
to put pressure on the government for the release of political prisoners.
3) Contact with China and North Vietnam. Following the
mandate of Addis Ababa, the Geneva staff has begun to establish contacts with
these two countries. A team of five has
been selected to visit China on a study mission of "Education in China
Today" if and when possible. Asia
staff is to help in establishing contact with above countries.
Other projects of direct relevance to our region are the invitation to
two students to visit
The budget discussion generated much heated debate. The salary scheme for
The total budget asking of all six regions for 1975 amounts to
US$617,697. - An increase of about $200,000 over that of 1974.
The following are the approved funded projects for the
Asia region:
1) ALDEC – Planned for 1975 are “Students, Workers,
Peasants” for South East Asia; and “Imperialism” for South Pacific;
2) Legal Defense Fund;
3) University Teashers’ Work;
4) Publications;
5) Movement support; and
6) Frotier Internship Program.
The desired goal on movement support is towards self –
reliance among national movements. On the FI program,
Lim Mah Hui & Nael Cortez
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The meeting was aimed at acquainting the staff with each other and with
their various assignments. Lim Man Hui,
chairman of the Asia Committee, was present along with the former Asia
Secretary, Moonkyu Kang. Armed with the
minutes of the Asia Committee, the meeting proceeded to discuss the best ways
of carrying out projects and concerns. The staff took turns to express their
expectations and reactions to, their roles.
The Southeast Asia secretary started by listing out the area's
priorities:
1) Student / peasant / worker issue –
a) work on collecting data about current activities of
SCMs on this issue;
b) try to understand the problems of each country, define
and locate the power structures or relationships and relate them to church and
SCM, if possible;
c) Locate grass root people's organizations in each
country and seek to relate the SCM to them; and
d) support grass root activities, both SCM and
non-SCM.
2) Movement support - this means promoting the theme
of liberation adopted by WSCF for this quadrennium.
3) Indo-China - look into the role of women in a
socialist society as well as activities of the church in that kind of a
society.
The South Pacific
secretary followed with an analysis of the main concern of the area:
imperialism and colonialism. Although imperialism
has different facets, the basis is still the economic factor and, therefore, a
study of this problem must necessarily imply a thorough understanding of the
capitalist mechanism.
The remoteness of the Pacific area could be overcome by the
conscientization of countries like
The
It was noted that South Asia SCMs are colored by different hues ranging
from Marxist-oriented activists to church evangelicals. Therefore, staff should
be conversant in Marxism in order to dialogue with students. The best way to understand the local
situation is to get involved with the issues of the people.
The Coordinating Secretary who is also responsible for
East Asia
has a variety of issues and problems:
South Korea and the Philippines are developing nations under repressive
military rule; Hong Kong is an island colony burgeoning in business where
people's lives are influenced by capitalist economy; Japan, highly
industrialized with a high GNP but facing uncertainties due to oil and other
problems; and China on which Addis Ababa cast its eyes for possible contacts in
the immediate future.
Priorities for the area are documentation from grassroots and research
centers on cases of political repression by the military; helping students,
youth and others in the defense of their respective cases with the military;
research on the tie-up between multinationals and military regimes; and
encouraging individuals and groups to write out reflections on their
experiences under repression by the military.
Moonkyu offered some useful advice regarding travel and program expenditures. He also suggested that staff develop a fresh
program to replace ALDEC, which may no longer be attractive to donors. More attention should now be focused on the
direction of local movements and the sub-regions keeping in mind the
international dimensions. There should
be a healthy tension between staff and national movements, for example, in the
selection of candidates for conferences.
Care should be made so that no national movement should participate in
more than two ALDECs.
Other items discussed were the following:
1) An Asia Assembly will be organized within the
next two years. Also, a consultation on student / peasant / worker issue. Staff
will discuss these with national movements.
2) WSCF should pay a major part of children's education
and Asia Committee is requested to formulate a policy regarding staff
children's education.
3) Elizabeth Cheng will be the staff person responsible for
the F.I. program and to represent Asia region in the international committee.
Finally, the staff agreed that any discussion of a theology of
self-reliance has to take into account the question of whether intellectuals
have a role to play in the liberation of the masses. Those who want to be involved in the
liberation process must make it a life-long commitment, which implies
sacrifice. SCMs, moreover, should be
mass-oriented and not be mere critics of society.
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Nathanael L. Cortez. Prior to accepting the position of
Coordinating Secretary for
The new Coordinating Secretary did his undergraduate work at Philippine
Christian College and his theological studies at Union Theological Seminary,
Added to his responsibilities, as Coordinating Secretary is the
secretary ship of the East Asia area.
He, together with his wife, Ruth, and their four children, resides in
Bangkok where the new Asia office is located.
Supardan. Supardan (this
is his sole name following Indonesian practice) comes to the Asia region staff
from the Development Centre of DGI (Indonesia National Council of Churches) where
he was assistant director for Planning and Development Education.
He hails from Jogyakarta where he finished his earlier education. He
entered the Faculty of Teacher and Education for Economics at
Supardan's area is
Marshal Fernando. Marshal was until lately president of the Sri Lanka SCM which post he
had to resign when he accepted the job of area secretary for South Pacific. He graduated from the University of Sri-Lanka
with majors in History, Economics, and Singhalese. Prior to serving the Asia staff, he taught
Economics and History to pre-university students at Wesley College in Colombo.
Marshal has been an active SCMer since his school days serving the
organization in various capacities. At
the height of the Vietnam War, he served as secretary of the Political
Commission on
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study
secretary in 1971-72. He was an ALDEC participant in
Marshal is stationed in
Elizabeth Cheng. One readily finds a clue to the
outlook and disposition of our
Keenly interested in community organization,
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To express solidarity with members of the Korean Student Christian
Federation (KSCF) and to put pressure to bear on civilian and military
authorities regarding the plight of political prisoners, the Korea Visit team,
authorized by the Executive Committee last July in its meeting in
The team met with government officials, church leaders, students, and
families of prisoners and other elements of Korean society. A press conference
was held at the end of the visit at which time members of the team expressed
their conviction that SCMers and Christians in
A conference on Priorities and Guidelines on
Development was held in
The New Zealand SCM, a national ecumenical movement based on a radical
theology, is looking for a committed Christian to serve as their national staff
member.
Duties include liaison with SCM groups on university campuses:
leadership in study and reflection and action on the major issues confronting
New Zealand today (such as liberation, racism, sexism and participation in
power) and overall responsibility for the maintenance of a national office. A
house is provided.
More detailed “terms of reference” available from: NZSCM, Box 9792,
Courtenay Place, Wellington, New Zealand. Applications close mid – December
1974.
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Beginning December 15,
kindly use our new address:
WSCF
328,
Telephones: 817222, 817537
& 825823
(overseas calls: 825823)
Cables: FUACEASIA BANGKOK
AREA OFFICE ADDRESSES:
South Asia: c/o SCM of India
C – 1 & 7, Unity Buildings
Telephone: 72937
Cables: STUDIA BANGALORE
South Pacific: c/o Fiji SCM
Telephone: 27131 (Chaplain’s Office, University of
South Pacific)
The Near East Ecumenical Bureau for Information –
Interpretation announces the publication of the 1975 Jerusalem Calendar.
Through art and written texts, “a non – exclusivist
The Calendar is priced at US$3 and may be ordered at:
N.E.E.B.I.I.