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Editors' Note

 

The CCA-WSCF Joint Programme '95 comes at a time when the whole World Student Christian Federation is celebrating its 100th year anniversary. CWP '95, as it is briefly called, also comes at a time when the need is felt stronger for assessment and renewal of student ministry, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. It is therefore very fitting for this traditional joint programme of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) and the World Student Christian Federation Asia-Pacific Region (WSCF A-P) to focus on the celebration and renewal of the SCMs in the region.

The CWP '95 is scheduled on April 1-8, 1995 in Bangkok YMCA, Thailand. It will bring together some 150 senior friends from the church, the academe and the ecumenical circle with their rich experiences and memories and the younger generation of student workers and students with their struggles and hopes.

The CWP '95 has the following objectives: (1) to analyze the change of student situations on campuses, especially with regards to the ideological and intellectual climate among students and academics; (2) to understand the present needs, concerns and problems of students in the context of rapid socio-economic-political changes in Asia-Pacific societies; (3) to envision new ways or aims of student ministry in the light of these changes; (4) to strategize the mission of the church in the universities in view of a more substantial and effective ministry among students; and (5) to celebrate one hundred years of SCMs, bringing the different generations together as one community.

Part of the preparation for this big event is the production of dossiers or study papers for would-be participants and all the senior friends and SCMs in the region. A number of people, from among the senior friends and the present generation of SCMs, have been asked to contribute their thoughts and reflections on various topics related to the abovementioned objectives. Knowing how busy all of these people are -- the senior friends in their present careers and involvements and the students in their studies and SCM work -- we are indeed very grateful to those who took time out to write their contributions.

We are also very grateful to Bong Angeles of CCA-Youth for doing the overall layout design of this dossier.

This is just the first dossier. We hope to publish a second dossier consisting of more papers from the movements and some other senior friends. We do hope this will be helpful in your own assessment and reflection on the student ministry in Asia-Pacific.

 

Wong Wai Ching

Hope S. Antone

Editors