General Secretary/National Coordinator’s Meeting

October 14 to 20, 2002
Pattaya, Thailand

General Secretary/National Coordinator’s from 13 National Movements affiliated to WSCF Asia-Pacific: Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand; staff (Regional Secretary and Women’s Coordinator) representatives from Standing Committee (1 ExCo member and Chairperson) met in Pattaya, Thailand from 14 to 20 October, 2002.

The following were the objectives of the 2002 General Secretary/National Coordinator’s Meeting:

• To share the situation of national movements
• To search for the strategy to empower the national movements
• To strengthen relationship among national movements, regional office and Inter Regional Office (IRO)
• To articulate vision and mission of the SCMs
• To share the current programmes of the WSCF AP

The meeting had two presentations on the Mission Vision of the WSCF. Rev. Kwang II Lee presented and led a discussion on Mission and Vision of SCM from a National/Local Perspective citing South Korean SCM as example. While Ms. Glenda Rocas, ExCo member presented and led a discussion on WSCF Mission Vision on Regional/Global Perspective.

The General Secretaries/National Coordinators also presented their report on the current activities of their SCM as well as shared some of the obstacles and issues experienced when organising SCM and its activities.

Some issues raised from the reports are:

• How can SCMs work in the context of oppression?
• How do we recruit students into SCM instead of the evangelical groups (etc)?(Evangelical groups are more attractive to students than SCM)
• How can we serve the people effectively? If we are not sure about how we can survive (financially)?
• What should be the basic components of SCM?
• On relationship between Asian and Pacific movements
• What is the situation of students today? How does this affect SCM?
• How do we address the differences between university and high school students among SCMers? How do we work with their differences?
• What should be the relationship between SCM and the institutional church?

The Meeting also saw a briefing and discussion on the 33rd General Assembly Preparation which will be held in Thailand in August 2003, the Regional Committee Meeting to be held also in 2003, WSCF AP programmes for 2003 that include School for Ecumenical Leadership Formation (SELF), and Women Doing Theology.

The General Secretaries and National Coordinators gave very concrete and useful suggestions to the AP office that include:

1. Making a list of WSCF publications to be sent to all national movements. This list will help the national movements to know the resource material available that could be useful for their own training and leadership development programmes.
2. Exchange programmes between movements with the help from AP office. AP office could set up an Exchange Fund to support these exchange programmes between movements. Likewise when movements want to invite another movement to their own programme, it is encouraged that movement should at least inform the AP so the regional office can help disseminate the information.
3. A campaign against Militarisation/Terrorism was called by SCM Philippines that includes fact-finding mission, medical aid, and service for the people. The outcome is to enable more people to be aware of the real situation instead of just receiving information from government sources or newspapers. But for the meantime AP will lead an Anti-War signature campaign which hopes to mobilise all national movements to advocate against war and call for peace in the world. This Anti-War Campaign will begin in November.

Discussion with IRO Co-Secretaries

The General Secretary/National Coordinator’s Meeting concluded with spending one afternoon in discussion with Beate and Nana, IRO Co-Secretaries. Beate and Nana discussed the current state for the 2003 WSCF General Assembly Preparation which will be hosted by the Asia-Pacific Region. Likewise they also clarified on the delay of EAP funding and this was due to change of cycle from the church donor from Germany. They were then asked to comment on the Co-Secretary Model. Both agreed that for their experience, it is a working relationship which needs trust, respect and in some degree work chemistry. For them the model of co-secretary is working out well. Likewise, Beate pointed out the issue of diminishing resources that also puts into question the practicality of having Co-Secretaries. She also discussed the “Deborah Project” which is basically an internship program meant for young women leaders and that the IRO have successfully clinched a funding for this programme and one African SCMer will soon be starting her internship. Beate emphasized that the local movement is the heart and soul of the Federation, without the local units, there is no need for the Federation.