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The Newsletter of the Student Christian Movement of Aotearoa

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1998

No. 38

(Slightly edited for international perusal)

SCM VICTORIA During its last meting before exams, SCM Victoria discussed the issues around the Human Rights Amendment Bill, and wrote letters to members of parliament. On Friday 6th November, they farewelled Angela Emmet who, having finished her honours course is going to Boston to live from January. Go well!

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THE NATIONAL COORDINATING GROUP Meeting on the 1st November endorsed Jemma Allen's application for the Bossey scholarship for ecumenical studies in Europe. Best of luck in the application! SCM Aotearoa has been unable to supply someone to assist in the planning of the Asia Student Youth Gathering 2000, so we are glad to inform that someone from Australian SCM will be the Pacific representative.

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WOMEN LIVING THEOLOGIES: NETWORKING FOR A JUST FUTURE This fifth National Feminist Theologies Conference was held in Waitaha/Canterbury from 20 to 23 November. It marked the conclusion of the CCANZ Ecumenical Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women. The conference focused broadly on the themes from the first three issues of Vashti's Voices: "Margins and Thresholds"; 'Violence and the Church"; "Decolonisation". SCMA Women's Coordinator Hilary Mather attended.

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WSCF-ASIA PACIFIC WOMEN'S ASSEMBLY Coming up in July 1999. This event will be an opportunity for 33 participants from the national movements of WSCF-AP to gather, network, form links of solidarity, share experience, affirm and strengthen the identity of women in the member movements.

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATION 8 MARCH 1999

The theme will be "Trafficking of Women in Asia"

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UNIVERSITY CHAPLAINS Are having a conference in New Plymouth from the 23th November. We wish them all the best, and will be sending a letter inviting the chaplains to be in contact with local SCMs. We know from experience that Chaplains can be an important part of the faith community that is SCM on campus, and consider community action to be a fundamental part of working out our lives in response to the Christian traditions.

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CHRISTIAN ECOLOGY The Public Questions office of the Presbyterian and Methodist churches has received several pamphlets from Christian Ecology Link (UK) on the following topics: Bio-Diversity, Arms and the Environment, Energy Use in Church Buildings, 'Green Shopping', Vegetarianism (May Christians Eat Meat?), Your Church and Agenda 21, Green Transport. If you want a copy of these please email SCMer Richard Davis (who works for the PQ committee at) RichardD@pcanz.org.nz The Christian Ecology Link website is at: http://www.christian- ecology.org.uk/

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"god.com.au" The AUSTRALIAN SCM NATIONAL CONFERENCE is taking place in the Blue Mountains from 27th December to 2 January. SCM Aotearoa members are welcome if they can get there. More info... national office.

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REGIONAL COMMITTEE MEETING of WSCF-Asia Pacific will now be held in the third week of April 1999, for six days. SCM Aotearoa will need to send a delegate, so members might start thinking about their availability now. It is a great opportunity to be involved in planning the direction of WSCF-AP for the next two years.

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GENERAL SECRETARIES MEETING The SCMA National Administrator, Martin Dickson, joined the general secretaries of most SCMs of the Asia-Pacific region in Bangkok from the 25th to 28th October.

The meeting was held at the We-Train Guest House which is run as an income generating project of the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women. The Association runs emergency homes for women and children, women's clinics, a children's home, a vocational training centre and a youth centre.

"The meeting enabled me to gain a good perspective of what the Asia- Pacific region of the World Student Christian Federation is like - something that I know many of us in Aotearoa struggle with. What I learnt is that we are a part of an international movement which is both dynamic and diverse.

"In Pakistan SCM cannot publish in student magazines because of the blasphemy law which carries the death penalty. They run conferences for high-school age students. In India SCM has about 130 units, 13 regions, 14 regional secretaries, 20 administration staff. They have a biennial conference of about 160 students and have a well organised senior friends fellowship. SCM Sri Lanka found itself thin on the ground, so it is putting its resources into educating high-school students so they can continue the work when they get to university themselves. Myanmar SCM works in well with a number of churches. SCM Thailand is getting well established in Chaing Mai. SCMs in Korea and Taiwan are strong, with the Taiwanese SCM having a unique situation of support from the Presbyterian church there. Taiwan, of course has some of the best-known theologians including Shan Ke Ko and CS Song. SCM Singapore is a small community, as is SCM Hong Kong. Both of them deal with the same issues of secularisation as Japan, Australia and Aotearoa. SCM Japan is combined with the YMCA in a unique structure. In the Philippines SCM is huge and joins together with other student's and people's movements which are a major force in calling for reforms. Unfortunately there was no secretary attending from Indonesia, so I could not follow up on the contact we had earlier in the year.

"Everywhere, individualistic Fundamentalism is a threat to justice- focused Christianity. In most countries, the lack of political consciousness of students is a modern reality. This trend is encouraged by some government's which create many small campuses in order to defuse student strength.

"We are part of a larger student movement that understands the gospel as a call to justice for the oppressed. While we live in very diverse cultural and political environments, we have a common language and goals. We choose to educate ourselves and each other in a wider way than our university programmes. Together we learn skills of social analysis and leadership which make us more than blind participants in the capitalistic education market. I was impressed by the work and commitment of the people I met, and made very aware that the problems and hard work required in our own situation is not unique. To be part of a movement which changes individuals and society is  hard work, and SCMers in Aotearoa can be proud of what we achieve together.

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July 1998 AGM Minutes have been corrected by the NCG and sent to units.

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A LIVE-IN THEOLOGICAL EXPERIENCE PROGRAMME

		AM 10-12:30	PM 2-4:30	PM 7-9:30
Friday 11			Arrive	Group building	Worship
Saturday 12	Worship	Bible Dawes	Intro to Worship D. Brommell & P. Allan	free time
Sunday 13		Church visits	Gospels G. Dawes	Visit debrief	Worship
Monday 14	Worship	Ethics M. Mayman	Stories L. D'Aeth & J. Hawkey	free time
Tuesday 15	Worship	Society J. Higgins	free time	Feminism C. Coles	Worship
Wednesday 16	Worship	Theology P. Williams	Visits	Theology P. Williams	Worship
Thursday 17	Breakfast Panel	Depart

LATE REGISTRATIONS ARE STILL POSSIBLE YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR $150 TOWARDS TRAVEL COSTS IF YOU GET IN QUICK PHONE THE NATIONAL OFFICE OR KEN BOOTH PH (03)3559145

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WALK FOR TIBET Hamilton 25 Nov. to Wellington 10 Dec. Details: Students for a Free Tibet ph Jean-Luc 07-8434458. http://www.igrin.co.nz/~sfft/

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AUCKLANDERS NEEDED - Students and Senior Friends; to help get SCM Auckland off the ground again next year.

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LET US KNOW YOUR NEW HOLIDAY OR PERMANENT ADDRESS Please send a change of address card or email to the National Office.

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RECENT ARRIVALS AT THE OFFICE WSCF reports to the General Secretaries Meeting from the Regional Secretary and Regional Women's Coordinator; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organisation World Conference on Higher Education Draft Declaration; Peace Movement Aotearoa Newsletter; Mean Times; and Breakthrough Newsletter of SCM Philippines (copy sent to each SCM unit); PQ Broadsheet (Copy to units).

In God's Image - 17:2 "Girl child and the family" and 17:3 "Power and choice". (This journal from the Asian Women's Resource Centre for Culture and Theology is highly recommended.)

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SCM UPDATE is compiled by the National Administrator of SCM Aotearoa. Your contributions, news and information are welcome! Next submission date is the 25th January 1999. The National Office will be closed from 21st December until the 17th January.

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