APAY Executive Committee Meetings 2016, 8-11 March, Hong Kong

We are glad to inform all concerned that the Executive Committee and Related Meetings of APAY shall take place from 8 – 11 March 2016 at Hong Kong. Here are some reminders for the national movements and attendees of the Executive Committee Meetings.

The deadline for registration for the ECM Meetings is on 8 February 2016. Please see that your registration form reaches APAY within that date. This will facilitate us to book your hotel room and other arrangements at this end.

We are yet to receive the nominations of the Executive Committee Member and as well as recommendation for inclusion as members for various Standing Committees from some movements. Those who have not sent us, please send us the nomination form duly filled up, to ensure the participation of your members in the Standing Committees of APAY.

Some of our YMCA members have been called home during the year of 2015, please help us sending the ‘In Memoriam’ form duly filled up, so that we can remember them and their contribution to the YMCA and also pray for the deceased during the opening ceremony of the ECM.

The Mission Review Session will take place prior to the commencement of the ECM on 8 March 2016 from 2.00 pm onwards. We cordially invite you to attend the session. Dr. Ahn Jae Woong, from Korea will be the resource person for this session and lead us to re-examine our mission in the YMCA, especially from the regional perspective in relation to our quadrennial mandates. Key leaders of YMCAs shall be the respondent to his presentation. Dr. Wati Longchar, eminent theologian from India, now living in Taiwan shall lead us in our morning devotions and Dr. Hope Antone, feminist theologian from the Philippines shall also lead us in a special devotion, to be held in commemoration of the International Women’s Day.

A Quadrennial Program Plan (QPP) based on the mandates and thrusts of the 19th GA, will be submitted to the ECM for discussion at the related Standing Committees and, later on, for adoption at the plenary of the ECM. A joint meeting between leaders of Y’s Men International and APAY will also take place during the ECM to discuss concreate ways of collaboration in realizing the partnership between the two organizations with the same mission.

We also remind our Board Members that the a Board Meeting of APAY shall be held on Tuesday 8 March at 6.30 pm and on Saturday 12 March at 9:00 pm and conclude before 3:00 pm.

We seek your active participation at this important Annual event of APAY.

Rev. Chung-Jae LEE's Inauguration Worship

The National Council of YMCAs of Korea (NCY Korea) held the inauguration worship for the newly appointed National General Secretary Rev. Chung-Jae Lee at the Juridical Foundation Department of the Presbyterian Churches of Korea in Seoul last January 19, 2016. The worship was attended by board members, lay leaders and general secretaries from different local YMCAs, as well as leaders from religious circles, civic organizations and journalists.

During the ceremony, Dr. David Suh, former President of the World Alliance of YMCAs, provided encouragement through his speech entitled “Historical Consciousness of Korea YMCA”. In response, NGS Rev. Lee emphasized the NCY Korea centennial theme, “The Waves of Life and the Wind of Peace” as his inspiration and guide to act upon the following priorities of Korea YMCA as an ecumenical movement:

• to deploy unification movement with peaceful way by raising peace makers and coordinating reconciliation between north east Asian countries through solidarity with global YMCAs;
• to fulfill its responsibility to Korean people and society as it did at the time of retrogression of democracy, the tradition and core values of YMCA on “Social Justice” and “Peace”; and
• to strive on advocacy towards inability, corruption and graft of our society, youth empowerment, and task development of building alternative society.

Rev. Lee studied his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science in Chungnam National University, Daejeon and his Masters of Theology in Sociology of Religion in Methodist Theological University, Seoul. He also got a diploma from the Coady International Institute of St.Francis Xavier University, Canada. For the past 24 years, he has served civic movement organizations, religious circles and YMCA at different levels. Before becoming the NCY Korea General Secretary, he worked as Secretary General of Daejeon Civil Society Network Council and Daejeon National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), General Secretary of Daejeon YMCA, Director of Pyeongsong Youth Center (Daejeon) and Senior Executive Secretary of National Council of YMCAs of Korea.

New President of Cambodia YMCA

During the Annual General Meeting of Cambodia YMCA held on 18 October 2015, Mr. Ok Libounna was elected as president of Cambodia YMCA. Mr. Libounna brings with him many years of experience working with different NGOs in Cambodia. Currently, he is working at Church World Service (CWS) at Cambodia as a Finance Manager, in the past, he served other organizations like EveryChild, World Vision Cambodia and also worked for the government.

Mr. Libounna volunteered to accept the position of a Board Member of Cambodia YMCA with a view to strengthen the Cambodia YMCA and make it a self-reliant YMCA. Mr. Libounna graduated with MBA of Business and Administration.

Mr. Libounna can be reached at libounna@gmail.com

Let’s welcome him into the Y family and wish him every success in his new role.

YMCA Philippines' First Woman President

“We shall move forward together to our vision of a stronger YMCA movement. We will recapture those defining moments, as we go back to the fundamentals as a Christian and ecumenical organization”

This was the strong message of Dra. Ramona UJ Morales, the first woman President in the 105 years existence of the YMCA of the Philippines, in her inaugural speech during the Board of Trustees Induction and Installation Ceremonies held at the Corregidor Ballroom, Century Park Hotel, Manila on January 30, 2016.

In her Inaugural Address, she stressed that her term is committed to its good governance principle which is anchored on visibility, shared responsibility, transparency and accountability. The ceremony was attended by lay leaders and professional staff from the different local YMCAs as well as friends from the regional movement including Mr. Babu Markus Gomes, Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs (APAY) President, Mr. Edward Ong, Asia Area President Y's Men International and Mr. Baik Hyung Ki, President Chuncheon YMCA, Korea.

Morales, a Physician by profession and the Executive Vice-President of the YMCA of Makati was elected as the President in the National Council of the YMCA Philippines last November 2015. Her involvement in the YMCA dates back 1981 where she and her husband, Mr. JN Morales, founder of the YMCA of Makati, Inc. led the movement. She has also proven herself in service to Y’s Men International as a Past International Council Member.

New National General Secretary of the NCYs of Sri Lanka

We are pleased to announce that Mr. Theonis Charles Brownson has been appointed as the National General Secretary/CEO of the National Council of the YMCAs of Sri Lanka. He is a well experienced YMCA professional and also a committed Christian.

Mr. Brownson counts over 10 years of active involvement in the YMCA family in Sri Lanka having served the YMCA of Jaffna and the National Council of YMCAs of Sri Lanka (NCYSL).

We extend our warm congratulations to him.