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Student Christian Movement
Introduction
Because of the nature of this consultation, we felt it important to
begin with a certain degree of daring and honesty. As we move toward a better understanding of
each others' context, it is imperative that issues between us be dealt with
squarely, in order that they may be laid aside with a certain sense of
consensus and in recognition of our contradictions and discrepancies. Among these issues one of the concerns is the
division of thought between the purposes of (campus) ministry being directed
toward spiritual regeneration and socioeconomic and political
transformation. We of SCMP state
categorically and without apology that our direction is one of complete
participation in the peoples' struggle for social transformation. We hasten to add, however, that this is not
in spite of the good news of spiritual regeneration, but because of it. We are convinced that if our Lord loved us
enough to die for us in order that we might have life, it is in turn our
responsibility to speak out, live and risk all, in order that the fullness of
life may be available to the many for whom it is denied. In this orientation we are commended by St.
John, the most spiritual of the New Testament authors, who says "My
children love must not be a matter of words or talk, it must be genuine, and
show itself in action" (I John 3:18 NEB).
Our faith then, pushes us out of the realm of religiosity and indeed out
of the specifically "Christian" context in order to turn the love we
have received from our Lord into action — to stand in true solidarity with the
our sisters and brothers who are one in the larger movement, which in the
"Christian" context we interpret as working toward the establishment
of the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven. We are often pleasantly surprised, as was
Jesus, with the living out of the Gospel precepts by those of other faiths and
even the faithless as we work with them toward the transformation of society
and urge that those outside our number be allowed to level the just criticism;
that under the guise of the "gift of eternal life" we in fact
maintain the system of oppression, violence and death. With this in mind, we respectfully submit
that the approach to campus ministry must be one of enabling the full
participation of youth (with their idealism and energy) in the larger movement
of the Peoples' Struggle - knowing that whatever we do or
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don't
do — We Do or Don't Do Directly to Jesus Christ our Lord.
Concretely, this demands that students be enabled to make a sincere
analysis of their own backgrounds, class, etc. and be prepared to accept the
personal costs of bringing about significant change. It will further demand that the University
setting be seen in the larger sphere of all other sectors and realistic
solidarity links be set up with them. In turn. this requires an
understanding of the problems, and changes that need to be brought about in the
student sector. That is to say, that to
be involved in the larger struggle is not to ignore the specific struggle. Because significant change at any level
results in change at every level: it is imperative that students address
themselves to university issues and work towards their resolution.
II. University
in Society
1. The Universities and university education in any
given society would necessarily reflect the kind of society in which it is
situated as well as contribute towards strengthening the existing order in that
society.
2. For the majority of people in many Asia/Pacific
societies, reality consists of a daily struggle for survival in the midst of
poverty, abuse, alienation and discrimination.
3. Though the national contexts may have their
differences, the roots of these problems are essentially the same:
4. The majority of the people do
not have control and in many instances even access to resources needed to make
their lives fully human.
5. Secondly, in order to maintain their position of
control over resources, the powerful few have prevented the majority from being
in a position to change this kind of set-up.
They have been prevented from analyzing their conditions, organizing and
acting towards change. They have been
alienated from any genuine representation and meaningful participation in
political structures. Instead, political
as well as cultural institutions have been used against them towards more
effective conquest and exploration.
6. University Education in many parts of
1. University Education in
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the economic, political
and cultural institutions in the control of the ruling few. Further, in the case of the children of this tiny elite, they are prepared to become effective
exploiters.
A. The "pursuit of knowledge" has primarily
been the pursuit of only the specific knowledge required to maintain existing
structures. The development of science has been mainly directed towards the
needs of that existing system. Student
rights and welfare have been in most cases curtailed or even totally denied to
give way to the interests of those in control.
B. Furthermore, many universities have been transformed
into big business, reaping profits from the "sale" of what is
actually very poor quality education.
C. Education must be directed towards ensuring a just
and abundant life for our people. It
must liberate and empower our people in their collective struggle to achieve
this kind of life.
A.
Therefore,
education must:
a)
be accessible to
the majority
b)
develop
scientific and critical thinking
c)
pursue knowledge and skills required for genuine
development and self reliance.
B.
Further,
education must strengthen people's sense of collectivity. By this we mean education that does not
produce self-serving individuals but rather individuals who see their
uniqueness as part of a larger community which must be seen as the primary
concern.
III. SCM As A Strategy
A. The University as an institution can not be be changed completely such that it
will function to serve the interests of the people without transforming the
society as a whole. At the same time,
the process of changing the larger society includes addressing the whole
question of education and the university.
B. The University is one of the arenas to confront power
and domination:
i.
The way that
universities have been instruments in preserving unjust social structures must
be exposed and opposed.
ii.
While they are
not the primary subjects of change, students must be mobilized and organized
that they may participate fully in the peoples' struggle for liberation.
C. Students must be mobilized against the issues they
face inside the university as well as the larger issues beyond while in
solidarity
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with the people. The gains they make in the specific struggle
against the university system is part of their
contribution to the larger struggle.
D. What then is the role of the SCM?
E. The SCMs of Asia/Pacific have gone through a history
of growth, weakening renewal of strength as it has been shaped as well as
helped shape larger socio-political events.
F. The present generation of SCMers today endeavors to
learn from the experiences of the past even as we go on with the business of
the present.
G. What links the present generation to all our
predecessors is the continuing commitment to genuinely practice and articulate
the Christian faith in the context of the various realities we face.
H. This commitment has led SCM in the past, into the
peoples' struggles for liberation which has in turn led to a distancing from
the institutional church.
I.
We of the
present generation find that the struggle of our people for liberation is not
finished. We also face the same
challenge to be in solidarity with them and participate fully in their
struggles. We also face the same demand
to challenge the institutional church, to risk its respectability for the unrespected.
J. It is appropriate that we meet in the aftermath of
Easter when Christians celebrate the resurrection after death. We acknowledge SCM having been on the brink
of death but we now celebrate the fact that we are now breathing new life into
the Student Christian Movement even as Christ breathed on to his disciples.
K. Because of this sense of new life which has come
after long years of labor pains, we seek to renew our partnership with the
churches not at the expense of our convictions but with the continuance of the
healthy tension that we have enjoyed in the past.
L. As with the early Christians, the experience of the
resurrection results in hope and vision.
This is Our Vision of the SCM:
1)
An SCM that is a
dynamic, collective undertaking within a broader student movement that is in
solidarity with the struggles of the people;
2)
A movement that
enables students to be critically aware of the life situations around them and
provides venues for them to participate fully in the peoples' struggles;
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3)
An ecumenical
movement that builds Wm its heritage but goes beyond its traditions - a co tv of women and men that cares for
individuals and enables them to care for the common good of all.
Conclusion
We offer this vision even as Jesus Christ offered sight to the blindman, who He having touched once still could not see
and He had to touch him again. We have
touched you once and though blurred you saw as we see; we dare to touch you
again and pray that you see with us, that "faith is the substance of
things unseen and yet to come." (Heb. I 1: 1)