Dr. Paul Hwang / Director of ALL Forum
In order to ensure sustainability and bridge the gap between the senior and younger generation of lay Church workers in Indonesia, Youth Forum will focus more on empowerment for them in the name of “solidarity”. Inwardly, solidarity should be made manifest with increased laity involvement in decision-making at all levels of the Church. To achieve this goal, we will promote the various formation programs, and promote new ones, especially for young lay leaders. We employ the Catholic Social Teachings (CSTs) as the main tool or methodology, as well as the spirit or principles of FABC like “Triple Dialogue”. As an effective spiritual formation, the Youth Forum places much emphasis on religious identity amid the all-things-mixed global world. Strengthening the Christian identity of the young is very urgent and relevant because they need to be conscious of their role as witnesses. Christians in Indonesia are a minority and under pressure like in many countries in Asia.
Providing a New Vision and Spirit for Lay leaders based on FABC & CSTs: This Forum will be based on “integral development” often expressed in Joy of the Gospel and Laudato Si. On the other hand, it stresses the “spiritual dimension” in development by placing more emphasis on local people’s spirituality, inter-subjectivities, and inter-becoming in building their communities where the Spirit of God works. It has a close relationship with practicing interreligious dialogue and collaborations as “dialogue in daily life”, which must be “lay-centered” simply because they are the ones who live out actual lives with different religious followers or non-believers as their neighbors.
Providing a Platform for “Asian Theologies” Concretized in Each Context: The Forum will encourage lay people to become good theologians by reflecting their concrete lives in the light of the Bible, their concrete lives reflected in the dialogues with poor, diverse cultures and religions. Therefore, the theologies we mention should be localized and contextualized. It could be a platform for lay workers to become “theologian-actors” as well as being infused with sound theological reflection so that the Church of Asia will be greatly helped in her mission. Theologians should work together with scholars, experts on cultures, actors, and many others in various fields, to make Christian theology resonate with the concrete realities in Asia.
Providing the Spirit and Ways to Champion Human Rights: Aware of the importance and urgency of human rights in many fields more and more, young lay leaders are invited to learn and be a champion for human rights. But it should go together with ecological concerns and sentiments so much so that “integral” harmony between ecology and human life. It is why Pope Francis has put much stress on the connection or interrelation between “decent jobs” and “ecological sustainability”. Such connectivity reflects well that the human world can’t be sustainable unless humans are concerned with nature or ecology first.
Main themes on the Forum: Ecological Sustainability, Genuine Human Development, Triple Dialogue of FABC, Evangelli Gaudium, and Laudato Si
Schedule: April 1-6th (arrival and departure included)
Arrival (1st, Sat.)
Day 1 (2nd, Sun.): Sunday Mass / Exposure-Immersion
Day 2 (3rd, Mon.): Workshop 1 – Human Rights/FABC’s CSTs and Theology
Morning session – Why Human Rights is to be stressed in Asia? (Mr. Ruksan Fernando)
Afternoon session – Asian Churches, FABC, and Triple Dialogue (Mr. Paul Hwang)
(*** Each session could be divided into two or three sessions.)
Day 3 (4th, Tue.): Workshop 2 – Youth for Peace and Interreligious Dialogue
Morning session – Youth as Peace-builder for Peace in Asia ( Local Resource Person 1)
Afternoon session- Interreligious Dialogue, A Lifeline for Peoples in Asia (Local One 2)
Day 4 (5th, Wed.): Workshop 3 – Pope Francis’ Teachings
Morning – Genuine Human Development and Ecological Sustainability in Light of
Evangelli Gaudium and Laudato Si (Mr. Paul Hwang)
– Synthesis and Integration of the program
Afternoon – Free afternoon / Cultural Exploration/ Dinner-out (Ms. Felicia Dian)
Departure (6th, Thur.)
Team of guides: Mr. Ruksan Fernando, Mr. Paul Hwang, and two local resource persons
Coordinator: Ms. Felicia Dian
