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The meeting was chaired by Mr. Peter Malone, Chairperson of the Planning Committee. Mr. Babu Markus Gomes, President of APAY; Mr. Mitsuo Oikawa, President of the National Council of YMCAs of Japan (host YMCA); Mr. Ronald Yam, Treasurer of APAY; Mr. Nam Boo Won, General Secretary of APAY; Mr. Eldo George Varghese, Chairperson of YPLD Committee and Ms. Nagako Okado, Chairperson of Gender Equity Committee participated at the meeting along with other members, including staff of APAY and NCY Japan.
During the meeting, the members had the opportunity to visit the various facilities at the center, including the plenary hall, the various conference rooms for workshops, meetings, dining areas and various types of accommodation.
The members discussed and decided upon the various issues related with the assembly, including the keynote speakers, the resource persons, topics of various workshops and the best practices of the YMCAs that will be showcased during the assembly. The arrangement of transport for transferring the delegates from the airports to the venue was also discussed. The preparation for the 4th Youth Assembly which will be held on 1st and 2nd September 2019 at Tokyo Olympic Memorial Center was also discussed at the meeting. It is expected that about 150 youth delegates from our region will participate at the Youth Assembly, the youth delegates will also then join the General Assembly and play facilitative roles in various events of the assembly.
At the assembly, each day will commence with morning worship. Resource persons will be invited to share biblical reflections focusing to the theme of the assembly, “Living Together Within Nature on a Path to Peace”. A worship team led by Mr. Kim Kyung Min, NGS of NCY Korea will be responsible to organise the worships.
The Planning Committee ended with an urge to the YMCA national movements of our region to encourage the leaders, lay and professionals and particularly the youths to join this assembly and make it a grand success.
Soon after the Planning Committee Meeting, the 17th Regular Board Meeting of APAY was held on 22nd February at Tozanso, the first meeting of this year. During the meeting the members discussed and decided on the issues pertaining to the APAY programs and finances of both 2018 and 2019.
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| ↑ Participants of GA Planning Committee and Board Meeting together in anti-bullying campaign |
~ Duncan Chowdhury, Executive Secretary
International Conference in Commemoration of the
100th Anniversary of the March 1st Movement
"Reflecting on March 1st Movement :
Envisioning Peace on the
Korean Peninsula/Northeast Asia"
With a view to reflecting on the historical meaning of the March 1st Movement by looking back on the patriotic lives of those who cried out for national independence against Japanese oppression, and envisioning a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula/Northeast Asia – a zeitgeist of our times, an International Conference in Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the March 1st Movement was held in Seoul, Korea, co-organized by Christian Institute for the Study of Justice and Development, National Council of Churches in Korea, National Council of YMCAs of Korea, Korea YWCA, Network for Peace and Unification and Yoido Full Gospel Church. About 120 participants from ecumenical and civil society organizations as well as history scholars – both domestic and overseas – were invited to the conference held from 25th to 27th Feb. 2019. Mr. Nam Boo Won, GS of APAY, was also invited to moderate a session called Table Talk.
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| ↑ Table talk session on peace on the Korean Peninsula in a changing international environment |
Apart from opening and welcoming ceremony, main programs of the conference include a Theme Lecture on “The history of the 3.1 Movement and the future of Korean Society” where Prof. Jurgen Moltmann, a prominent German theologian, was specially invited to speak on “3.1 Movement from a Global Perspective”. Other Theme Lecture focused on “the spirit of the 3.1 Movement and inter-religious Cooperation” and “The meaning of the 3.1 movement and the future of Korean religion”. In a Table Talk, future-oriented presentations provoked discussions on “The responsibility and the role of church and civil society for peace on the Korean Peninsula”. Another theme lectures were focused on preparing for the unification era, particularly politics and economy as well as society and culture of the unified Korea in the future. They also touched on “Korean diaspora across boundaries and peace in East Asia” as well as on “social Integration in a multicultural environment and the future of Korean society”. Finally, Table Talk II focused on “Peace on the Korean Peninsula in a changing international environment”.
Throughout the whole conference, it has become evident that the core values which underpinned the March 1st People’s Movement are still valid and relevant for Korean people to pursue reconciliation and peace-building on the Korean Peninsula and East Asia. These are unity and inclusiveness, freedom and idealism, people’s initiative for peaceful transformation, universal justice and inter-religious/inter-faith cooperation. At the end of the conference, participants were invited to ask themselves, “How Christian faith would contribute to the genuine advancement of humanity in this divided and fragile world as it did 100 years ago, opening a new era in the modern Korean history based on the new values and principles”.
~ Nam Boo Won, General Secretary
Lee Yun-Hee Joined APAY as
Movement Strengthening Coordinator
 We are pleased to announce that Mr. Lee Yun-Hee joined APAY as the Movement Strengthening Coordinator from 1st March 2019. He hails from Korea and had been serving the National Council of YMCAs in various positions since 2007. He had been involved in various civil society organizations in Korea from 1997 including Seoul YMCA. His responsibilities at the NCY Korea included leadership training, the Life & Peace Center, organizing university YMCAs, networking with ecumenical organizations and civil society movements.
At APAY, he will be especially responsible for nurturing the emerging YMCAs and the YMCAs under the APAY Movement Strengthening Program. As part-time worker, he will be based in Korea, but travelling to the different YMCAs in our region under the MS Program.
Graduated from Liberal Arts College, Sungkyunkwan University, Mr. Lee Yun-Hee’s family includes his wife and two daughters. We welcome him at APAY and do believe that the YMCAs under the MS program will be stepping towards the path of sustainability under his professional leadership.
International Youth Conference on Social Innovation -
Join the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong
to unleash creativity for social good this Summer!
Around the globe, “Social Innovation” has become a growing interest among educators, social workers, businessmen or even policymakers. It has also emerged as a response to dynamic social, environmental and demographic challenges. To inspire young people around the world to actively respond to dynamic societal needs and contribute to the society with innovative and creative solutions, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong will hold the International Youth Conference on Social Innovation: Unleashing Creativity for Social Good from 19 to 22 July 2019, synergizing collective endeavors and wisdom for the betterment of society. Details are as follows:
International Youth Conference on Social Innovation: Unleashing Creativity for Social Good
Date: 19 – 22 July 2019 (Friday - Monday)
Venue: Hong Kong SAR, China (The Cityview, Hong Kong Baptist University, etc.)
Eligibility: Young adults aged 16 to 29 OR staff in-charge of youth work who are interested in social innovation
Find out more:
- Conference Website (hyper link to https://sa.hkbu.edu.hk/lqc/gv/global-vision/international-youth-conference-on-social-innovation )
- Information Pack (hyperlink to https://issuu.com/uniycycymca/docs/iycsi_infopack_overseas_-c)
Register now and support our vision to create innovative solutions for social good! Early bird registration with discounted fee (USD100 per person) will close on March 29 2019! Act now!
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