Asia-Pacific Workshops
Saturday, March 14th
10:45 - 12:15am: Track Time I
Adaptation and Mitigation Measures in the Pacific
Speakers: Rev. Fe'iloakitau Kaho Tevi, General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches
3:45 - 5:30pm: Track Time II
The Philippine Story: A nexus for climate change, poverty and migration
Columban Fr. Sean McDonagh will explore the links between climate change, migration and poverty using the Philippines as a case study. Fr. McDonagh's input is based on more than 40 years of working with the T'boli people of Mindanao, Philippines, extensive study and writing on eco-theology, and participation in high-level international dialogues including the U.N. and the Vatican. This workshop will help in understanding interconnectedness and interdependence of these factors as experienced in the Majority World and the role the Minority World has in perpetuating the social, economic, and environmental injustices.
Speaker: Rev. Sean McDonagh, SSC, Columban Missionary Priest
Sunday, March 15th
2:00 - 3:30pm: Track Time III
Diaspora in the Era of Globalization: Perspective from the Asia-Pacific Experience
This two-part workshop is a response to one of the most pressing issues of our times, the movement of people both within and beyond national borders. Even though migration is not a new phenomenon, the migration of people has intensified at an alarming rate in most recent years. It is, therefore, a subject matter that calls for our serious engagement if we are to give a well-informed, committed and effective response, both as individual citizens and as faith communities. As a step in this direction, the workshop is divided into two parts: Workshop 1: Socio-political, economic, and ecological critique of migration; Workshop 2: Theological-missiological account of migration. It is hoped that these two workshops will lead to a well-informed, committed and effective response.
Part 1: Socio-Political, Economic and Ecological Critique of Migration
Statistics interspersed with stories of migrants from the Asia-Pacific region introduce this workshop. However, in order to see patterns as well as factors that trigger migration at a massive and global scale, a socio-analytic framework is needed. While there are many approaches, this workshop will use the unified global market as the main framework for interpreting migration. In other words, the current massive migration-whether directly due to economic hardships, war and terrorism, and ecological disaster-- is primarily a function of the global market. The destruction of the ecosystem, such as global warming and its dreadful consequences (drought, desertification, coral reef bleaching, ocean level rising, storms or typhoons getting stronger, extinction of various species of life and growth and spread of various pathogens), has only worsened the plight of the most vulnerable and hastened the movement of people. The massive migration of people is posing major challenges, both to people and the ecosystem, that need to be addressed with urgency. How shall we respond to these challenges? How shall we live? What can we do?
Facilitator: Eleazar S. Fernandez, PhD
Professor of Constructive Theology
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA
3:45 - 5:15pm: Track Time IV
Diaspora in the Era of Globalization: Perspective from the Asia-Pacific Experience - Part 2: Theological-Missiological Account of Migration
The second part of the workshop takes account of migration/diaspora from a theological-missiological point of view. How shall we read theologically the massive global migration, dislocation and displacement of people and its impact on the ecosystem? If the Christ that we know in Jesus has become the migrant or the stranger in our midst, how shall we respond? The Christian tradition's answer to this question is, of course, radical hospitality. But what are the expressions of this hospitality in the context of global inequality, massive diaspora of people, and the destruction of our earth habitat? What does it mean to be truly hospitable? What does it mean in the way we think of the church and do ministry? Without doubt diaspora is an expression of dislocation, displacement and, in many instances, marginalization, but it also has created the condition for the birthing of the vision of the Pentecost-a colorful, bio-diverse, just and life-sustaining tomorrow. How shall we prepare for its coming? What shall we do to help midwife its birthing?
Facilitator: Eleazar S. Fernandez, PhD
Professor of Constructive Theology
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA