The Geneva-based World Student Christian Federation’s (WSCF) executive committee, meeting in Berlin May 20-27, approved a “bold advocacy, prayer, theological reflection, and communications agenda for 2012-2014,” according to a communique released by the WSCF.
“The executive committee followed up the work initiated in the 2008 General Assembly, reflected in the WSCF Strategic Plan, with an action plan to become programmatically vital, fiscally stable, and with a strengthened capacity to carry out our mission,” said WSCF chairperson Horacio Mesones.
Sarahi Garcia, an executive committee representative from the Latin America and the Caribbean region, said the group “achieved a concrete plan, and at the same time it is visionary, a dream. We want to keep giving capacity and formation to Christian students to work for justice in our communities and society.”
WSCF General Secretary Christine Housel said that “WSCF has all it needs to renew itself and become institutionally stable, if we will continue to come together to do it. The work to become fiscally sustainable will not be easy, but the steps we committed to in the vision and plan that came out of this meeting set us on the right path.”
The action plan runs through General Assembly 2014, which will be held in Mexico City. It includes new global solidarity programs in Colombia and the Middle East, a continuation of the global eco-justice program, a federation-wide gender justice evaluation, and a “You Are the Federation” communications campaign.
The WSCF’s Student Christian Movement of Norway funded the meeting and Gaute Braekken, SCM Norway’s general secretary, accompanied the group for the week. “We believe the society needs our global movement, and we’re proud to actively take part in it,” Braekken said.
Representatives from the WSCF’s six regions ― Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East, North America ― as well as officers, staff, and partners took part.
The WSCF is a community of 107 national Student Christian Movements around the world. Since 1895, the WSCF has been inspiring and equipping students to lives of faith, dialogue, service, justice, and peace, according to its description.