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No.38/December 2004
Following the devastation caused by flash floods, mud slides, and continued flooding particularly in the Quezon Province of the Philippines, after being hit by a series of typhoons recently, the APAY wrote to the National YMCA expressing concern and solidarity with the suffering. A special appeal was immediately issued on 16 December when the YMCA of the Philippines forwarded a proposal for a rehabilitation programme in response to the emergency situation. The YMCA of the Philippines had been coordinating with key organisations and mobilising volunteers to provide support for the programme. The total relief and rehabilitation work has been estimated to last for six months. It would comprise of three phases: the provision of food supplies/relief goods; provision of shelter, and helping people regain their livelihood. After a site visit and discussion with the local Relief and Rehabilitation Committee, the YMCA decided to focus on the second phase, the provision of shelter. (For details: www.asiapacificymca.org ) We have received pledges of US$13,600 to date (20 Dec.) This amount has been forwarded to the YMCA of the Philippines for initial sheltering of the homeless, targeted before Christmas . YMCAs that have responded so far are: Gumi YMCA, Korea; Council of YMCAs of Hong Kong; Japan NC; YMCA of Singapore; Metropolitan YMCA Singapore; YMCAs of Taiwan; YMCA of Vietnam, and the YMCA of the USA. We expect more contributions after Christmas. Thank you for your prompt and generous support to provide shelter for homeless families especially at this season of love and sharing.
Even as the Asia Pacific Students and Youth Gathering was meeting in Cipayung, Indonesia from 7-14 December 2004, two churches were bombed and attacked in Palu, Indonesia. Despite the sadness, the youth had reason to rejoice as they formed a community of love and hope which inspired and motivated them to face challenges, to go beyond their own boundaries and become bearers and symbols of peace and reconciliation. The ASYG met under the theme "Together in Action for Peace and Reconciliation". It envisioned a world free of race, gender, class and caste barriers, and where together people will promote holistic development and respecting all of God's creation. Simple, practical proposals were put forward to sustain their common concerns and to promote grassroots ecumenism through the EASY Net. Some of these were: sustaining networks to strengthen civil society; creating open communication channels, e.g. newsletters, e-groups; promoting holistic education; deepening own faith and respect for cultural, religious and racial diversity; advocate against discrimination and exploitative policies; practicing simple lifestyle. It marked another milestone for the ecumenical youth network's journey towards a more inclusive community, bound by collective visioning to act together for Peace and Reconciliation. In unity they declared "We will overcome violence with God's peace. Peace is action. Peace begins with each one of us."
An 8-person team comprising volunteer leaders and professional staff from Japan, Korea and the APAY will visit Dili, the capital of East Timor from 17-21 January 2005. The aim is to meet with the local organising committee, church and other leaders to "restart" work on the development of the YMCA there. This initiative arose out of movement strengthening discussions during the APAY Leaders Roundtable in July held in Bangkok, Thailand. The project will be discussed fully by the Committee on Movement Strengthening during the Executive Committee Meeting in March 2005.
A meeting of the ICP Coordinators/Partners and Continuing Committee for this joint programme will be held in Bangalore, India from 4-7 February 2005. It will deliberate on the implementation of a three-year plan (2005-2007) and in particular one of its major components - a 9-month Interfaith School of Peace scheduled to be launched in late 2005. Started in March 2003, this joint programme is supported by the German Church Development Service (EED).
The Executive Committee and Related Meetings will be held from 3-5 March 2005 . In addition to the Special Lecture on Ecumenism by Dr. Ninan Koshy to enhance our understanding of ecumenism in the present time and geo-political context (see Headlines November 2004), the next Executive Committee will also have:
We would like to remind that we hope to receive responses to the Surveys on Youth Participation and Leadership Development (YPLD), Gender Equity and Building Community and a Culture by 15 January 2005 . As explained, the Surveys are for gathering information for action planning and policy-making at the forth-coming Executive Committee Meeting.
The past has been a year fraught with events that have changed and shaped our region and the world. There have been conflicts and wars. There have been natural disasters and those created by humankind. There have been suffering, misery and loss of numerous lives. But there were also high points of joy when nations gathered in Athens, the birth-place of the Olympics to "celebrate humanity". There was relief when the year passed without a major recurrence of SARS, but we were saddled with the Avian Flu that killed many in some countries. On the regional YMCA side, we were blessed with an inspiring and challenging Youth Forum and General Assembly - to seek spirituality for transformation, for change, to seek justpeace. National Presidents and General Secretaries met to further deliberate on the mandates of the Assembly and the Quadrenniam. The Mission In Action Programmes kicked off with all selected action programmes supported by movements from within the region. Our joint efforts in the Interfaith Cooperation Programme (ICP) saw a major youth consultation and a gender equity workshop and continued cooperation into the next three years. We had good expressions of ecumenical partnerships and support with the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), the Asian Christian Higher Education Institute, the Ecumenical Asia Pacific Students and Youth Net (EASY Net) and with the Asia Area Y's Men. The new expressions of doing multi-lateral partnerships to strengthen each other are encouraging as we strive to transformation of self and the community. The sharing of resources is evident, each, small or large in its own way and measure. The response to the MAPs, the appeals for flood relief in Bangladesh in August, and just last week, the appeal to support the rehabilitation programme of the Philippine YMCA for the victims of the typhoons in Quezon province. The engagement in the Leaders' Roundtable with freshness and a sense of "ownership' of the outcomes. There was common concern to support the development of a strong youth constituency with increased responsiveness for the space and opportunities for increased youth participation and leadership development. There was expressed concern to further explore and develop the missional role of women in the YMCA and society as the YMCA's response to foster gender equity. The need to connect and collaborate with each other throughout the region and beyond, to commit to contextual responses to our contemporary mission was enunciated and has been reaffirmed by the leadership at the national and regional levels at the Leaders' Roundtable.We thank you all for partnering with us in our journey together in mission this year, and look forward to your continued support in the New Year. We move into the New Year with Hope. We look to opportunities ahead with Anticipation . We will seek ways to do Justice and work for Peace, to engage in building Civil Society, and in Social Transformation. For we know that our being is with the Community and beyond . For we know that God, who in Christ came and lived among us, has called us TO BE...........
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