Justice and Peace
Consultation on Re-Envisioning ICF Mission & Objectives
Last Updated (Tuesday, 11 October 2016 14:17)
The Interfaith Cooperation Forum had recently organized a Consultation on Re-envisioning the mission and objectives of ICF. This was held in Hong Kong at the conference room of the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong during 27-29 September 2016.
A total of 13 delegates, representing Christian Conference of Asia, Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCA, Interfaith Cooperation Forum and distinguished resource persons participated at the consultation. Dr. Mathews George Chunakara led the CCA delegation, Mr. Nam Boo Won led the APAY Delegation and Mr. Max Ediger led the ICF delegation. Beside them, Dr. Kim Yong Bock from Korea presented the keynote address and moderated the consultation while Dr. Ahn Jae Woong, former General Secretary of the CCA and one of the founders of ICF shared his experiences about the founding of ICF. Dr. Abubacar M. Datumanong a prominent Islamic scholar from southern Philippines and Ms. Anne Lapapan Supamanta a Buddhist scholar from Thailand also participated at the consultation and shared peace initiatives from their respective religious perspectives.
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The 2016 Mini-School of Peace
Last Updated (Thursday, 08 September 2016 17:20)
Pray and Act for the Peace of Humanity
From August 8 to 22, a group of 11 Asian youths met in the Metta Karuna Center in Siem Reap, Cambodia, for a two-week Mini-School of Peace. The participants were selected by ICF’s two project holders, CCA and APAY, with the aim of promoting more cooperation between local YMCAs and churches and the ICF national forums. The participants came from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia. Eight of the participants represented the YMCAs of these countries. They were Phongnarin Suwanma and Thon Layraman from Thailand, Bappu Mree from Bangladesh, Khon Mai from Myanmar, Alva da Silva from Timor-Leste, Hong Nay Ang from Cambodia, Puansari Meilina Siregar from Indonesia and Eleazar Blando from the Philippines.
Resourcing for this Mini-SOP was provided by Hem Sopharak, Bruce Van Voorhis and
Max Ediger. Along with participatory sessions on identity; faith, religion and spirituality;
dialogue and engagement; conflict, violence and war; and involving Socratic circles, the group also visited the nearby War Museum and attended the Phare Circus.
Joining the opening ceremony, Nam Boo Won, APAY General Secretary, shared words of encouragement with the participants. Duncan Chowdhury, Executive Secretary of APAY, attended the closing ceremony. All participants have now been introduced to the ICF national forums in their respective countries, and they will now be involved with their YMCAs in working with the ICF national forums in peace-building activities in their local context.
One of the YMCA participants, Puansari Meilina Siregar, a youth representing Jakarta YMCA, has shared with us her experience, which we append below.
Pray for the peace of humanity, pray for the peace of humanity
Pray for the peace of humanity, humanity shall live in peace
This song was often sung by the 11 participants representing the YMCA and CCA who came from seven countries of the Asia-Pacific region at the Mini-School of Peace, or Mini-SOP, from August 8 to 22, 2016. The song has become the essence of the 2016 Mini-SOP, which aimed to promote justice and peace for all humankind.
APAY Regional Workshop on Social Economy
Last Updated (Monday, 22 July 2013 17:39)
The APAY Regional Workshop on Social Economy was held in Seoul, Korea during 27th to 30th June 2013. The National Council of Korea hosted the workshop. Twelve delegates representing various YMCA movements from the region of Asia and Pacific participated at the workshop. The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Song In Dong, Vice President of the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs, while Dr. Ahn Jae Woong and Mr. Nam Boo Won, President and National General Secretary respectively, of the National Council of YMCAs of Korea welcomed all the participants. The immediate Past President of APAY, Dr. Park, Jai Chang and APAY General Secretary Mr. Kohei Yamada spoke at the opening ceremony.
School of Peace
Last Updated (Monday, 07 June 2010 17:31)
SCHOOL OF PEACE for YMCAs AND ECUMENICAL ORGANIZATIONS
RATIONALE
The quadrennial thrust of the APAY Peace with Justice challenges us to respond to the vast socio-cultural, religious, economic and political diversities that can lead to discrimination, human rights violations, violence and conflicts. The Colombo Declaration of the APAY on Peace and Security also encourages YMCAs in the region to develop effective strategies for building peace with justice and to sharpen the skills of the staff and volunteers to strengthen our civic engagements in the community to ensure peaceful coexistence. Since 2003, Interfaith Cooperation Forum (ICF), a joint initiative of the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs and Christian Conference of Asia, has sought to promote justpeace actions through conducting its 14-week School of Peace (SOP) and accompanying and mentoring the local actions of the SOP alumni through the ICF network.
The YMCA Subregional Peace Forums of South Asia and Southeast Asia held last year proposed to have a short-term School of Peace for the YMCA staff and volunteers. It aims to develop a deeper awareness and appreciation of the justpeace visions and values of our faiths in Asia, to become more perceptive of our identity and the identities of others and to understand some of the roots of conflicts. It will also help the participants to develop their peace-building skills and strategies to promote justpeace actions through their own YMCAs and a network of ecumenical NGOs as well as the ICF network.
4th International YMCA Youth Peace Camp in Timor Leste
Last Updated (Friday, 29 January 2010 01:49)
12 June 2009
Subject : 4th International YMCA Youth Peace Camp in Timor Leste
4-10 August 2009, Dili, Timor Leste (East Timor)
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Greetings from APAY!
We are happy to invite National Movements and young people to be a part of our 4th International YMCA Youth Peace Camp to be held from 4 - 10 August 2009 in Timor Leste. This is a multi-lateral partnership programme of the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs in collaboration with the YMCAs of Japan, Korea and Timor Leste (ANJUCTIL).
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