Going Global With Youth: Asia
Volume 7, Issue 9
May 2007
In This Issue:
Since its very inception, Catholic Relief Services has been serving the people of Asia. As in other regions of the world, partnerships are central to the work of CRS in Asia and serve as essential links to a systematic and integrated response to some of the world's most difficult situations. For instance, with the assistance of many, CRS has committed to long-term investment in emergency and reconstruction of the areas impacted by the 2004 tsunamis in Southeast Asia and the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan and India. Through innovative peacebuilding programs like those with youth in the Philippines, CRS and local religious leaders are able to bridge cultural and religious divisions that restrict progress on numerous levels. Microfinance, education and health programs foster human development in areas of Asia that would otherwise be trapped by extreme poverty.
In commemoration of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, we invite you to explore and learn a little more about Asia. It is our hope that the resources and links will assist you in the ongoing work of educating today's young people about the global realities that impact all of us. In the spirit of solidarity with the people of Asia and the poor throughout the world, we invite you to reflect upon the words of the U.S. bishops in their conclusion of the 2001 document, Asian and Pacific Presence: Harmony in Faith:
We hope in this third millennium — with the yearning of the universal Church and the foresight of the Holy Father — to concretely strengthen our ties with our Asian and Pacific communities here in the United States and in their homelands. We will enable their voice to be heard among ourselves and the Church at large. We pray that the Church can be truly a sacrament of harmony and unity, a Church that is complete and whole.
LIFE IN THE FIELD
Recovery, Renewal, Healing: In downtown Banda Aceh, Indonesia, the Taman Suri park offers a sense of community to many families that were left devastated by the 2004 tsunami. The park and surrounding neighborhoods had become a desolate, muddy wasteland after the enormous tidal wave struck the island. But now the park bustles with life. Each day, children run tirelessly through the playground as the adults take time to relax and engage with new found friends. Visit the tsunami web portal to learn more about CRS' work and the progress made throughout Southeast Asia since the tsunami struck more than two years ago.
Restoring Dignity: CRS and Caritas Norway have worked with local residents of Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam to develop the Hoc Mon Community Center in the effort to assist people living with HIV and AIDS, those suffering from addiction and others trying to reclaim their dignity. Read more about CRS' work in Vietnam.
CALLED TO ACTION
The Religious Call for Farm Bill Reform: The U.S. bishops, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA, the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and Network, a Catholic social justice lobby, are joining more than a dozen other religious groups in advocating reforms in federal farm policy that could be implemented through the farm bill now working its way through Congress. A new farm bill has the potential to reshape agricultural policies that could benefit farmers all over the world, including those in developing nations. You can learn more about the Religious Working Group on the Farm Bill on the USCCB website.
ACTIVE SOLIDARITY
Renewal of Partnership: In November of 2004, the Archdiocese of Anchorage, AK and the Archdiocese of Cotabato, Philippines, with the facilitation of Catholic Relief Services, established a Global Solidarity Partnership that led to an exploration of culture, peacebuilding and community for many involved. A Global Solidarity Partnership is a program of CRS whereby a Catholic diocese or cluster of parishes in the United States and a diocese overseas develop a relationship based in mutuality and shared faith. You can read their story and others on the CRS Education Stories and Photos webpage.
Cyber Bridges Asia: Cambodia: De LaSalle High School students in Concord, California are now connected to teens in Cambodia through an innovative CRS program called Cyber Bridges. Last October, freshman students at De LaSalle embarked on a journey across virtual bridges to connect with their peers in Cambodia and to fulfill some of the requirements for World History and Service Learning. Cambodian participants are all members of a peacebuilding organization called Youth for Peace based in the capital city, Phnom Penh. They range in age from 14 to 22 with the older college-aged students acting as mentors to the secondary school students. Within days of a workshop in Cambodia, there were messages and photos flying between California and Cambodia over the Cyber Bridges website. In the "getting to know each other" introduction stage, teen-agers exchanged information on their favorite foods and music, families, daily routines and their dreams for the future. Americans learned about the recent Water Festival which takes place every year on the Mekong River and Cambodians saw pictures of steak and shrimp. Everyone is currently exchanging information on how to organize a celebration in their respective countries, culminating in local celebrations like their partners. If you would like your class to be part of Cyber Bridges and connect with teens in India, Cambodia, Viet Nam and Palestine, please visit the Cyber Bridges website or contact Gloria Peterson.
Sponsor a Peacebuilder! The Peacebuilders Initiative, a youth formation program sponsored by the Catholic Theological Union, seeks to awaken and mentor the minds and hearts of young people to the social mission of the church and a lifelong commitment to ministry. Peacebuilders Initiative relies on the generosity of caring individuals who believe in giving young people the opportunity to explore their faith and develop their talents. Learn more about and contribute to this valuable ministry by participating in "100 for Peace" — an effort which invites 100 individuals to make an impact on the lives of committed high school youth, the community in which they live and the wider church. Sponsors will be connected with an individual Peacebuilder for one year and will receive regular correspondence and updates on peace projects.
GLOBAL THOUGHTS
(The following excerpt is from "Ecclesia in Asia, #6" a post-synodal apostolic exhortation from Pope John Paul II, November 6, 1999.)
Asia is the earth's largest continent and is home to nearly two-thirds of the world's population, with China and India accounting for almost half the total population of the globe. The most striking feature of the continent is the variety of its peoples who are "heirs to ancient cultures, religions and traditions." We cannot but be amazed at the sheer size of Asia's population and at the intricate mosaic of its many cultures, languages, beliefs and traditions, which comprise such a substantial part of the history and patrimony of the human family.
Asia is also the cradle of the world's major religions — Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. It is the birthplace of many other spiritual traditions such as Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Sikhism and Shintoism. Millions also espouse traditional or tribal religions, with varying degrees of structured ritual and formal religious teaching. The Church has the deepest respect for these traditions and seeks to engage in sincere dialogue with their followers. The religious values they teach await their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
The people of Asia take pride in their religious and cultural values, such as love of silence and contemplation, simplicity, harmony, detachment, non-violence, the spirit of hard work, discipline, frugal living, the thirst for learning and philosophical enquiry. They hold dear the values of respect for life, compassion for all beings, closeness to nature, filial piety towards parents, elders and ancestors, and a highly developed sense of community. In particular, they hold the family to be a vital source of strength, a closely knit community with a powerful sense of solidarity. Asian peoples are known for their spirit of religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence. Without denying the existence of bitter tensions and violent conflicts, it can still be said that Asia has often demonstrated a remarkable capacity for accommodation and a natural openness to the mutual enrichment of peoples in the midst of a plurality of religions and cultures…
All of this indicates an innate spiritual insight and moral wisdom in the Asian soul, and it is the core around which a growing sense of "being Asian" is built. This "being Asian" is best discovered and affirmed not in confrontation and opposition, but in the spirit of complementarity and harmony. In this framework of complementarity and harmony, the Church can communicate the Gospel in a way which is faithful both to her own tradition and to the Asian soul.
MEDIA WATCH
The Namesake: This recent movie, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri, tells the story of a Ganguli family who leaves Calcutta to establish life in New York. It is a powerful story, highlighting themes of human dignity, immigration, and the tangled relationship of culture, religion, marriage and family. Discussion and educational guides are available for the book and are easily adaptable for use with high schoolers.
China Blue: In this PBS documentary, journey with a 17-year-old Jasmine who left her village in a remote part of China to take a difficult job in a blue jean factory. Providing an in-depth view into the world of sweat-shops, this documentary provides a jump start for further exploration of human rights and responsibilities.
Kids with Cameras: A project that inspired an Oscar winner for Best Documentary, children in impoverished districts of Calcutta, India were given a camera and invited to look at the world with new eyes as they filmed their world and told their story through pictures. Information about the project, Kids with Cameras, is available online and serves as a resource for encouraging youth to look more deeply into our entire world!