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ASIA LUTHERAN HOME previous article next article December 1998

Global Education and Advocacy Program

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Division for Global Mission and the Women of the ELCA are engaged in a cooperative program called Global Education and Action. This program provides travel seminars for women to develop relationships with women and learn ways of being educators and advocates for global mission, justice and development.

This program had been held in Mexico and South Africa in 1996 and 1997, respectively. The third event was held in Malaysia from November 7-20, 1998. There were 21 women from the United States, 8 women from Asia (India-3, Japan-1, Taiwan-1, Hong Kong-1, Malaysia-1, Papua New Guinea-1) and two ELCA staff members.

The purpose of this study tour was to immerse the participants in the realities faced by women in Asia and to enable them to return home as advocates for women within their own churches. The goal was for the participants to:

• become immersed in the cultural, religious, historical, socio-political realities of the country and people.
• experience varieties of ways in which individuals (especially women) and communities are empowering themselves.
• become aware of their own gender, ethnic and class biases and learn ways of overcoming these biases.
• understand more clearly the interconnection and interdependencies between global and local issues in order to become able to serve as advocates and educators on global issues, and
• consider the impacts of global issues and economic globalization on Women's issues in Asia.

With the cooperation and arrangement of the local organizers, the group was able to meet both secular and church leaders, non-governmental organization leaders and ecumenical community leaders connected to women's issues. In between the visitations, the ELCA staff conducted training sessions from time to time; local women leaders gave several talks on Malaysian women. In addition, they had chances to meet and stay with both city and village grassroots women to hear about how they are empowering themselves in terms of church ministry, economic situation, employment and education development.

The participants felt that this was a fruitful and meaningful study seminar. They have formed action plans and are committed to carrying them out in the near future.

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