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CCA-WSCF Joint Programme '95 Statement
Our Preamble
We, the participants in the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) - World
Student Christian Federation (WSCF) Joint Programme held in the Bangkok YMCA
(Collins International House) from 1-8 April 1995, call the attention of the
ecumenical community to the urgent need to rebuild student ministry in the
tertiary educational institutions of the Asia-Pacific Region. The focus of this
Joint Programme, held in the year in which the WSCF celebrates its 100th
anniversary, has been upon the celebration and renewal of the Student Christian
Movements (SCMs) in the Asia-Pacific Region of the WSCF. The Programme has
brought together some 120 students, senior friends of SCM, church leaders,
representatives from all other Regions of the WSCF and from the Inter-Regional
Office.
The theme of the Programme has been To Build and To Plant, recalling the
prophecy of Jeremiah describing God's action through the words of the prophet.
While the theme looks to the positive elements in the calling, we are aware of
the need to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down all that
is wrong, along with the building and the planting. We have placed the emphasis
upon the positive aspects of the task because we see that much tearing down has
already happened. We also acknowledge that we are in fact rebuilding on
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foundations laid by previous generations. We
commend the specific recommendations made at the end of this Report for
consideration and implementation by the national SCMs and by the churches of
the Asia-Pacific Region.
Our meeting occurs in the context of the increasing economic integration
of our region through such international cooperative frameworks as the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) agreement and the increasing globalisation
of the world economy, with the resulting pressures on national economies. There
is a continuing impact from the disintegration of the
Our meeting takes as its point of departure the detailed analysis of our
situation provided by earlier consultations, hereby summarized:
1. There
is obviously a setback in the role and influence of SCMs on campuses in
Asia-Pacific countries;
2. Religious
fundamentalist groups have increased tremendously over the recent years in
terms of personnel resources and subsequently getting a stronger foothold in
the universities;
3. Since
churches in Asia-Pacific are getting increasing influence from the fundamentalist
groups, the ecumenical movement has also to confront the more individualistic
attitudes towards faith within its constituency;
4. There
are much changes in the overall intellectual and ideological climate on
university campuses which require deeper analyses;
5. There
is a need to renew and strengthen ecumenical ministry among students and
academics.
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We note that these analyses remain current in broad terms, so that we
have concentrated on updating and confirming those aspects which we have found
particularly important.
The Current Situation
The Socio-Economic Context of Education
Our situation reports have highlighted economic realities such as the
global integration of national economies and the weakening or disintegration of
political controls over national economies (sometimes through the requirements
for structural economic adjustments imposed on national economies by the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank), as advocated by economic
rationalism. National governments,
which have traditionally been major providers of education, are under
increasing pressure to facilitate the private provision of education. We
acknowledge that there can be beneficial aspects of such privatisation where,
for example, governments have exercised undue control over the curriculum and
where educational institutions become more responsive to the needs of students
when the students acquire the rights of a purchaser. Our concern with privatisation is that the
fees that the market will set for this education will exclude many poor and
marginalised people from a proper education which is a basic right for all. We
are also concerned that, where education becomes no more than a business
venture, the felt needs of students can set unduly narrow limits to the
education provided.
While it is essential that education prepare people for participation in
society, which must include a preparation for employment, we continue to be
concerned by the narrow focus that we see in the rationale and curriculum of
many university courses. We see insufficient emphasis upon the development of
critical and creative thinking of the students in these courses. There seems to
be an expectation that students will
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absorb information without analyzing and reflecting on the subject
matter. The socio-economic pressures on universities (including the increasing
enrolments in many institutions) create a shift from practices influenced by
the ideal of a community of scholars towards the semi-mechanical production of
an elite body of workers. Despite these changes towards a more
vocationally-oriented focus for tertiary education, many students find that
their qualifications are not of use in the workplace or in acquiring a job.
While this is partly due to the shortage of appropriate jobs, it is also due to
the lack of evaluating and updating courses in some institutions and to the
narrowly vocational focus already noted which can hamper the adaptation of
skills to related occupations.
The Situation of Students
Students mostly cooperate with the educational provision indicated above
because they are typically placed in competition with each other for the 'top
jobs' in society. The workload in many courses is a heavy burden to students of
all ages who must balance the competing demands of study, work and family
responsibilities. As a result, students
have little time for extra-curricular activities and particularly for social
and political action. The workload and the competition for success, often
focused upon performance in pressurized examinations, places a great strain on
students which can create a sense of alienation and hopelessness which can lead
to drug and alcohol abuse and even to suicide.
Education is often city-based, forcing students to move from their land,
people and culture. In the Asia-Pacific Region, education is too often
culturally inappropriate due to reliance upon western models, values and
procedures. We note that very little attempt is being made to develop
culturally appropriate teaching methods and educational technology.
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The Asia-Pacific Region has witnessed increasing levels of
state-sponsored violence against its own people. Some governments exercise a
repressive control over the content and processes of education which inhibits a
critical response by students. Growing numbers of students have responded to
the violence of the status quo with their own violence against both the state
and the society, which exposes them to legal and extra-legal reprisals. The vast majority of students, being predominantly
middle class, do not engage in political and social involvement. In some
situations, there is serious violence on campus, with the possible involvement
of outside groups who see it as a way of intimidating students.
Some academic staff abuses their power through requiring bribes and
sexual favours in return for good marks. Even where this blatantly unjust
behaviour does not occur, many academic staff adopt a contemptuous attitude to
students that is disempowering.
The Situation of Academic Staff
While academic staff are in a situation of
greater power than students, they are also subject to substantial pressures.
Academic staff are required to contribute to the university through teaching,
administration and research, as well as through other forms of community
involvement. There are pressures for continual activity which can occur at the
expense of quality. The requirements of the academic market place are changing,
putting pressure on formerly well-supported areas. Academic staff who are not well
supported for staff development are likely to become professionally vulnerable.
Female academic staff have special difficulties in many situations,
particularly where the vast majority of their colleagues are male. The
articulation of women's perspectives suffers where this imbalance exists. A
consequence of all these pressures is that the concern of academic staff is all
too often focused on their own welfare through a preoccupation with the
politics of their corporate culture, so that they come to represent the views
of the establishment rather than giving a
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lead in formulating socially alternative
positions and caring for the needs of the students beyond the provision offered
by the establishment.
The Situation of the SCMs in the Asia-Pacific
Region
The SCMs of the Asia-Pacific Region are generally alive, though with
varying levels of activity and health. The situation reports give a picture of
SCMs that are playing a vital role in offering Christian leadership on a range
of local, national and international issues. In recent years, the general
picture is that the traditional attention to these issues has continued, but in
the context of an increasing commitment to Movement building so that there is
an ongoing life for the SCM. These challenges of Movement building and the
formulation of issues remain in front of us. The impact of
conservative/fundamentalist churches and groups on campus throughout the
Asia-Pacific Region appears to be increasing. One element in the appeal of such
groups is their emphasis on Christian fellowship, challenging SCM to take
seriously the need for the building of community among SCM members as part of
the transformation of society and to contest the claim of many of these groups
to prescribe what it is to be Christian.
Another traditional concern of SCMs which needs to be revitalized is
that of their relationship with the Christian churches of the Asia-Pacific
Region, There has been ongoing and faithful church support for SCM from many
quarters, but there has also been some decay of active relationships and some
occasions where a falling-out has occurred.
As in most disruptions of positive relationships, contributions to the
break can be found on both sides. The current series of Programmes between CCA
and WSCF has been most significant in identifying specific difficulties as well
as areas of fruitful co-operation for the future based upon the identification
of a common agenda by the SCMs and the churches. The need for
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reviewing and rebuilding student ministry on
the basis of a common understanding of the mission of the church is one such
area.
In general, there is urgent need for the continuing revitalization of
the SCMs of the Asia-Pacific Region in terms of spirituality, community
building among members, student ministry and community involvement programmes.
Senior friends of SCM and the churches of the Asia-Pacific Region have many
resources that would be relevant to this revitalization. Revitalized SCMs have,
in turn, significant contributions to make to their senior friends and to the
churches of the Asia-Pacific Region.
Our
Vision
Now I have put my words in your
mouth. See, today 1 appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear
down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.
(Jeremiah 1:10)
Command and teach these things.
Don't let anyone look down upon you because you are young, but set an example
for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
(I Timothy 4:11)
To Build and To Plant this is our vision. We would like
to build student/youth movements that are free from the various kinds of
captivities that are existent in our societies. We seek to build a society
where justice, peace, love, harmony and equality prevails. Our vision is to
uphold and care for God's creation, to nurture one another, to strengthen our
relationship with God, and to practice a faith that is rooted in the teachings
of the scriptures. As members of the
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community of believers, we envision to bring
renewal to humanity, the society, and the church/SCMs, and the establishment of
a new heaven and a new earth.
Our vision is to plant responsible and committed student/youth movements
who will be bearers of the gospel and agents of change, whose efforts will
result in the total well-being of all and the fullness of life to all humanity.
In our commitment to achieving this task, we envision working in
solidarity with other concerned groups who are striving towards the building of
a humane society.
What else does God require but to do
justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?
(Micah 6:8)
Our
Recommendations
I. General
Recommendations to the Education and Academic Communities in Asia-Pacific:
The Education System should:
Promote
a contextual and culturally appropriate technology;
Incorporate
environmental concern and peace with nature concepts in the school curriculum;
Include
social studies as a subject for all courses;
Promote
independent, critical and creative thinking among students and faculty;
Encourage
alternative forms of education such as discussion groups;
Encourage
more women teachers in the universities;
Promote
a critical and reflective cultural education;
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Prioritize
education by providing more financial support to education from our country's
national budget;
Constantly
evaluate the educational system to make it more relevant and responsive to the
needs of the students; and
Provide
equal educational opportunity for all, with particular reference to those
living in rural areas.
II. Some
Specific Recommendations to the SCMs and the Churches:
A. The
Student Christian Movements
The SCMs are responsible student communities, which are accountable to
the larger society. It seeks to promote an alternative unique movement which is
student-oriented in leadership and spirituality. It should engage in spiritual
renewal, both in the individual and community level to pursue its mission in
the campus and the larger community. In order to do this, the following
recommendations are put forward:
1.
Networking
with other progressive organizations, churches;
Formation
of cell/study groups/base communities;
Use
of advertising/media as tool to promote activities, concerns and issues;
Networking
between SCM members through newsletters, personal contacts, personal letters
and E-Mail;
Networking
with other organizations such as YWCA, YMCA and IMCS; and
Encouragement
of non-Christian members.
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2. Education
and Leadership Development
Exposure
and integration programs to other sectors of our society;
Leadership
skills formation program;
Develop
approaches which are sensitive to the students' context (i.e. multi-racial, multi-religious
environment, etc.);
Address
socialism/capitalism in today's context;
Promote
the use of adequate tools of analysis for reaching a theoretical understanding
of our changing realities;
Develop
alternative or pragmatic sustainable development programmes, as opposed to the
status quo development strategy;
Encourage
women's participation and leadership in all levels of the movement;
Promote
group study of the Bible and the development of contextual theologies;
Analyze
the impact of Christian and other fundamentalist groups on the universities;
Continue
to be actively seeking dialogue with Christian fundamentalist groups providing
that appropriate parameters for this dialogue can be achieved;
Seek
dialogue with non-Christian religious groups; and
Integrate
the concept of love in all SCM approaches.
3. SCM Partnership with the Churches
Establish
link with theological students and develop branches within such
colleges/seminaries;
Promote
the role, vision and activities of the SCM among the churches;
Be a
bridge between the people and the church;
Participate
together with the church on issues of common concern;
Build
individual rapport with church people and senior friends;
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Encourage
students to take active participation in the life and work of the churches; and
Develop
better communication with the churches.
4. Building
a Network of Senior Friends and Friends of SCM
Form
senior friends fellowships at any level;
Encourage
senior friends to help promote SCM with church leaders and other ecumenical
bodies;
Encourage
senior friends to provide financial, spiritual and moral support to SCMs on the
campus; and
Increase
the communication between students and friends of SCM.
B. The
Churches and the Larger Ecumenical Movement in
Recognizing and re-affirming the complementary role of the SCMs and the
churches in the university world, this consultation recommends the following to
the churches:
Encourage
ecumenical student ministry on the campus;
Provide
resources to support SCM activities;
Engage
in critical re-examination on the following issues and make appropriate
actions: lack of youth participation in decision-making process; social,
gender, class, race, caste barriers existing in the church;
Invite
SCM to various activities of the church (and vice versa);
Introduce
student ministry as part of theological training; and
Engage
in joint programs and explore common goals with SCM.
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C. The
CCA-WSCF Joint Programme
In the spirit of renewing the covenant between the CCA and WSCF, we urge
the CCA and WSCF to consider initiating a series of dialogues with seminaries
and theological associations (e.g. ATESEA or Association of Theological Schools
in
In conclusion, we hope that all these recommendations will be considered
and implemented by national movements as well as the churches and regional
ecumenical bodies. The commitment and
participation of all the participants in this consultation is the first step
towards the realization of these recommendations.