20th APAY GA, Moving Together as One in Christ (Rev. Dr. AHN Jae Woong (Chair, the Board of Trustees National Council of YMCAs of Korea)

Moving Together as One in Christ

Biblical text: Ephesians 2:19-22

                                     

Rev. Dr. AHN Jae Woong (Chair, the Board of Trustees National Council of YMCAs of Korea)

 

We have been here in Tozanso for a week in order to consolidate the mandate of the Asia Pacific Alliance of YMCAs (APAY) for the next Quadrennium. Let me take this opportunity to express special congratulations to all the newly elected office bearers for their renewed commitment and dedication. As Jesus prayed for his disciples, my hope and prayer is: “that you may all be one/ut omnes unum sint”; that our motto as YMCA will stay with you always in the years to come. At the same time, we would like to offer our sincere gratitude to all the outgoing officers and committee members for their valuable services and contributions during the last four years.

 

At this point, we also remember the memorable event held in London last August where over 3,000 participants from more than 100 countries gathered together to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the YMCA. Let me share with you the thoughtful remarks of Carlos Madjri Sanvee, Secretary General of the World Alliance of YMCAs: “YMCA cannot solve the problems by itself, but when we all come together and we understand the plea of the people we serve, we can provide concrete solutions.” In line with this message, may the YMCA continued to be in solidarity with the people in different contextual localities. In fact, we are very proud to be a member of the worldwide YMCA.

 

Asia presently continues to face problems related to population, poverty, pollution, political oppression and pluralities of religion, race and culture.

 

Asia, on one hand, has been blessed with natural and human resources, and rich cultural and religious heritage. In reality, these qualities give Asia the potential to be a powerful influence in global politics. Unfortunately, the Asian ruling elites have collaborated so extensively with Western superpowers that Asia is now gripped by the claws of foreign domination and oppression. Nowadays, foreign domination is largely carried out through trades and build-up of military bases in Asia.

 

On the other hand, Asia’s influence in world politics can be seen in the important role China has played with the United States. Japan and India are also involved in the global power block. How can Asia contribute to reshaping of global peace in the future? 

 

The YMCA has, from the very beginning, been and continues to be identified as part of the peoples’ movement and social movement for building a humane society. Thus, YMCA has a responsibility to work at overcoming the existing erosive value system, ideologies and practices. We should provide new and alternative visions for the fulfillment of life-giving values, life-changing ideologies and theologies which are relevant to our context. These new alternatives could be developed through working for peace, socio-economic justice, political and cultural well-being, and ecological balance and harmony for all God’s people. Our task is to find different possibilities to mobilize the people to form a non-governmental trans-boundary solidarity networking so that the Asian people’s basic needs and rights may be ensured.

 

The future is likely to bring us serious challenges on racial and ethnic conflicts, militarization and nuclear threat, ecological imbalance, and the exploitation of natural as well as human resources. The age of technology will not enhance the quality of human life but, in fact, it will drain the people’s basic human needs, their dignity and their country’s natural resources. Therefore, YMCA as a social movement has the important responsibility to empower the people for the fullness of life and should remain committed to such a task.

 

Through our process of actual involvement, we have come to acknowledge that the important mission is for us to work with neighbors who have been exploited and marginalized in our Asian society. If Christ were to come to Asia today, he would work with the poor and oppressed people for the recovery of wholeness of humanity. Again through the actual process of involvement, we learned that the liberation of the poor and oppressed needs the consolidation of all sectoral groups of people for empowerment at the grassroots. Quite a number of Asian YMCA networks are well-established and are doing good work as householder (advocates and benefactors) in their community. However, there are some YMCA networks which are not that well-established.  Therefore, it is time for us to reflect again and to examine the true meaning of YMCA as a householder of God.

 

YMCA theology and ideology are action-oriented. YMCA holds the belief that people have the potential and power within themselves to work for the betterment of their life through social changes. YMCA thrusts should focus on the people—those who are oppressed, exploited, and marginalized in our Asian society. They are the ones capable of bringing about structural changes from the grassroots itself.

 

Consideration needs to be given also to the YMCA’s place in the social movement, in other words, within the peoples’ movements. The classical school of thought regarding social movements categorizes five dominant groups as leading forces in modern history. They are the labor movements, the student’s movements, women’s movements, the peace movements and environment movements. The YMCA is related to all these movements for the purpose of carrying out its ministry. The problem is that these social movements or peoples’ movements have gradually developed into organizations, as a result of institutionalization.

 

Of course, we recognize that every movement requires some sort of organizational structure in order to fulfil its aims and purposes and to ensure the smooth running of its day to day work. However, our weakness is that we have now lost the movement character of the past, which is the actual action-oriented movement work. Within the lives of the people, the institution has now quenched the spirit of the movement.

 

Now is the time, therefore, to remember the past character of the movement and with a new spirit develop a radical movement through fresh and creative initiatives for YMCA work in the Asia and Pacific. We may retain the original character and spirit, as well as ideas and concerns of YMCA but we must avoid the tendency to repeat old strategies and methodologies year after year. Instead, let us work towards developing new and radical paradigms to achieve the aspirations of the people for a just and peaceful society.

 

I would like to suggest to you the following points for YMCA program thrusts:

ü  YMCA to promote and support the people’s movement so that all sectoral groups may be empowered.

ü  YMCA to participate in and work together with grassroots so that a strong solidarity networking can be formed to work for democratization and humanization.

ü  YMCA to respond to and challenge conflict situations so that a just society might be established in each particular context.

ü  YMCA to cooperate with and encourage each other in relation to their ecumenical organizations and non-governmental organizations so that social change might be hastened.

ü  YMCA to develop and promote younger leadership within YMCA groups so that each one may be enabled to independently handle relevant issues in their given work places.

ü  YMCA to search for and articulate alternative ideological and theological perspectives so that new paradigms may be found.

ü  YMCA to compile and produce more resources so that new challenges on the “people’s agendas” may be consistently dealt with.

ü  YMCA to concentrate on finding out new visions and strategies so that YMCA tasks may be sharpened in each given situation.

ü  YMCA to analyze and investigate mass media and social systems so as to liberate people from being captive to ideological indoctrination.

 

In conclusion, I would like to urge every one of us to work together in search of new ecumenical vision and mission in the spirit of unity, solidarity and sharing as we seek to strengthen the ministry of YMCA in the Asia and Pacific Region. In order to build communities of peace, or sustainable communities in every corner of the globe, all YMCAs should work together with Christians, with people of other faiths, as well as with civil society groups for justice, peace, and fullness of life to prevail.

 

Therefore, we are called into ecumenical ministry here and now. Our God is ahead of us, leading us, encouraging us and protecting us to commit ourselves for God’s glory. Let us bear in mind what Mahatma Gandhi said: “If we take care of today, God will take care of tomorrow.” 

 

With the help God’s almighty hand, let us move together in caring for God’s creation and working for God’s glory. If God is the source of life and shalom, may we then be agents of such shalom wherever we are. Amen.

 

 

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