Movement News:

Japan Student YMCA

2009 November

YMCA/SCM Japan celebrate 120th Anniversary

The Student YMCA/SCM Japan celebrated its 120th anniversary and held the forum on November 15-16, 2008. It was held in Tozanso, Shizuoka, the very place that the first gathering we had as Student Christian Movement. This anniversary was celebrated by 122 people young (sons and daughters of senior friends) and old up to 80’s. Students and senior friends came from 34 universities.

This forum reflected on the Bible text (2Corinthians 6:2), “Listen! This is the hour to receive God’s favour; today is the day to be saved!” The forum was opened as the platform to discuss and question one another on Christianity and the Bible for us to search for the encouragement to live together in this global context.

There were two each generation that conducted the Student YMCA. Another was to discover the new view of Student YMCA and Student Christian Movement, by reflecting its paths after 1968 when its reason of existence was radically questioned.

In 1968, a hundred years of Japanese history of modernization and the Christianity that supported its process were questioned fundamentally. Young students emphasized the realization of social justice and its practice, and yet could not find the principle in Christianity to build the solidarity among them. Not few people were wounded or tumbled down because of their earnestness.

From 1970s, however, the renewed Summer Seminar was started with the intention of learning each other, in 80s gender program was started, and in 90s various exposure programs such as Study Camp in India were promoted, and through challenging all these various programs, the students have tried to find the reality of the words from Bible, and we assume that all those experiences will be the base of the Student Christian Movement from now on. We believe that our journey after 1968 is deeply connected with the 120 years of individual histories of Student YMCA in the same root, just like a subterranean stem. And that stem requires us to be spiritual, intellectual and “love our neighbors.”

2008 September

Student YMCA holds 36th National Summer Seminar

Participants from various universities and
colleges, senior friends and people of various
churches gathered for the 36th round of the
Student YMCA (SCM Japan) National Summer
Seminar.

by Nariko Fukuda
SF of Student YMCA

The 36th Student YMCA (SCM Japan) National Summer Seminar was held on September 12-15, 2008 at Tozanso, Shizuoka. This is the annual program of SCM Japan with the object of movement building, awareness raising and leadership training. Around 50 students from 13 universities, senior friends and people from churches and city YMCAs gathered. This year’s theme was “Between the Freedom and Coexistence.” The participants searched the direction of our lives which is facing the flood of information and the expansion of the inequality of peoples’ quality of life.

Mr. Shinji Hamada presented the input on “Human Rights Action for Children” and facilitated a workshop providing the opportunity for the participants to think about the child support and the human rights. Bible Study was held by Dr. Sadamichi Ashina, with the perspective of “Religion and Science.” He discussed the religious pluralism in Japan and Asia, science, peace and ecology issues, and linked them with the messages from the Bible.

At this seminar, we had a pre-meeting for women participants. This year, we had an “Assertion Training” as a joint program, facilitated by Ms. Sanae Yada from Assertive Japan. The participants learned and reflected their experiences how our self-expression was obstructed by gender and other social structures. Student members were actively involved in this program holding informal seminars and reporting overseas programs that they joined. Participants also shared the possibilities of their future direction of the movement.

2005 January-April

Gender Group ‘Miriam’

In October 2004, Student YMCA of Japan’s Gender Group ‘Miriam’ held a seminar on the theme of “Domestic Violence – from the point of view of women from foreign countries”. The students learned of the shocking experiences of foreign women from countries such as Philippines, working and living in Japan. The women were usually ill-treated and many of them were also forced to be a sex worker while some of them got married to Japanese men who tend to be very violent towards them. In February 2005, ‘Miriam’ continues to study on this issue of Violence Against Women, especially on Domestic Violence and its social and gender background with a case-study by speaker who had a experience of Domestic Violence himself as a batterer. He pointed out that one of the important reasons of Domestic Violence is the notion of “male-oriented, manliness society and authoritarian men’s society” in Japan. ‘Miriam’ will continue to focus on this important issue in the following months.

2002 January

Japan Korea Exchange Program

It has been 10 years since this programme started and Japan SCM conducted an evaluation together with the Senior Friends for the work done in the past decade in order to conduct a more meaningful programme in the future. They also met some activists in the evaluation process so that students can be further empowered in the programme. Although the social backgrounds and relations in Japan and Korea have changed a lot during last 10 years, it was concluded that the programme is still important to achieve real sustainable peace in East Asia. They will continue to study various social realities with historical and Asian perspectives. It is decided that there will be another exchange programme in August.

MIRIAM Programme for Women

MIRIAM was held in this January. The members shared on the image of women and men to know “what is gender”. It was concluded that each woman is different from others and is important as an individual. They also discussed how the society could be a safe and comfortable environment for women as women could become victims of sexual violence in their society. They observed the importance of eliminating gender inequity in their society and also the need for human relations to overcome the situation. The members concluded that it is very important to accept differences among people. MIRIAM will continue its activities for women to know more about gender, gender justice and to discuss the image women in Japan’s society.