17 February 2005: The new SCMA website is being launched tonight. New and updated information will be available at http://www.scm.org.nz/home/ from this time. Please direct any questions to webmaster@scm.org.nz.

The Newsletter of the Student Christian Movement of Aotearoa

September 1998

No. 37

SCM OTAGO ... has had a cool month: Two birthdays, one working group meeting, gave away $3000, continued weekly lunches and liturgies, ate, drank. They also had a prayer workshop led by Chaplain Hugh McCafferty, to assist the weekly liturgies, held on Wednesday nights. SCMers in Otago have had a sticky time lately, making and giving away green, yellow, red and blue toffee apples with messages stuck to them to hungry students. Messages included: Government sucks, and SCM Otago condemns government new right policies. And they've got lots more things on the horizon: baking for hospital, senior friends event, book exchange planning, summer, parties, beachy stuff, exams, some kind of end-of-year retreat ... wow!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

SCM AUCKLAND During September, SCM Auckland has used the CWS "Restore the Land" studies to explore the meaning of land, landlessness and environmental issues. They have also had Erice Fairbrother speak about "Faithing for the future": young women's issues and struggles, and what symbols they use to express meaning in their lives. A good group of ten people came along to explore with her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

SCM CANTERBURY Has been using the "Restore the Land" study series as well, and has welcomed a number of new people along to the discussions. On Monday 19th October (5:30), they will have their last meeting and hear about Teresa on the Hikoi. There will also be time to plan the year end party and next year's book exchange.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

APPLICATIONS FOR OVERSEAS EVENTS MUST BE IN BY MONDAY 19TH OCTOBER.

The National Coordinating Group is calling for applications from people interested in two exciting opportunities for travel overseas to work with SCMers from different countries, expenses paid:

One female student is wanted from Aotearoa to be a part of the working group preparing the Asia Student and Youth Gathering in the year 2000. She needs to be available to travel to Hong Kong in December this year, Philippines in May 1999 and finally for the programme in Taiwan in January 2000.

The World Council of Churches Bossey Ecumenical Institute is providing the opportunity for one person from the WSCF Asia-Pacific region to attend a four month course in Europe from September to December 1999. It includes study of ecumenical subjects as well as visits to the United Nations, other NGOs in Geneva, Taize Community in France, and the Pontifical Council in Rome.

More information and application forms are available at each SCM unit or from your NCG representative (or from the national office/Martin ph 03- 3746389). If you are interested, this is urgent, and the applications are minimal, so squeeze it in during a lunch break while swotting!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

RECENT ARRIVALS AT THE OFFICE Programme on Racism Newsletter "Racism is still in evidence" - discusses statistics at Auckland University showing that Maori are badly under-represented in student enrolments.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

CCANZ ANNUAL FORUM Emmeline Taptiklis and Warwick Kelly went to the Conference of Churches in Aotearoa New Zealand annual forum on the 2nd to 4th October. Great comments have been heard about Emmeline letting people know about SCM! Unfortunately, the churches still have some way to go in getting all their Ecumenical Youth Programme representatives along to the Forum.

Everyone heard about the Live-In Theological Experience this December, and received the pamphlets about it. The Forum had the major issue of the Roman Catholic Bishops proposing that the Catholic church leave the CCANZ. This was because they wanted better control over who represented that church on the CCANZ programmes. For this reason the women's programme, based in Dunedin, has now been disestablished. They will continue as a group working together, and CCANZ may start up another women's programme.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

REGISTER AS SOON AS YOU CAN for A Live-In Theological Experience Presented by SCM and other organisations 11-17 December. Aims: To make the best available theological resources and people accessible to young people. To use credible Christian traditions to empower our lives. Pamphlets with registration forms available from local SCM groups or the National Office.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

HIKOI OF HOPE IN AUCKLAND/TAMAKI MAKAU RAU Local SCMers marched with the Hikoi in Auckland, with Isaac Thomas working as a marshal.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

HIKOI OF HOPE IN OTAGO/OTEPOTI SCM Otago members attended the evening forum and worship in the Anglican Cathedral on Friday night, then marched from the oval to the octagon with the SCM banner on Saturday 12th September. Four Otagoites Fiona McLaughlin, Mary McLaughlin, Esther Prebble and Hugh McCafferty then drove up to Christchurch to participate. They did lots of walking, marshalling, talking, listening, thinking and praying with the Hikoi.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

HIKOI OF HOPE IN CANTERBURY/WAITAHA Teresa Windle was particularly involved in Canterbury. She went to an public meeting, and got enthused to go to a planning meeting as well. She organised for university chaplain and hikoi organiser Turi Hollis to speak at university to SCM, Christian Union and others; then from that event recruited marshals and money collectors for the march.

On Friday night, the Otago SCMers stayed the night with the marchers at a Hornby church, just south of Christchurch. There was a service that included hearing people's stories. It was great to have Esther and Tess participate, giving young people's contribution, talking especially about student debt.

Saturday the 19th was the day the Hikoi marched through Christchurch City. SCM Canterbury met the march at Church Corner with their new SCM banner. Otago and Canterbury SCMers were great as marshals keeping the crowd and traffic out of each other's road. The banner was a real success, with a number of senior friends coming up to the SCM contingent along the way and telling them about earlier times in SCM.

The main event happened at midday at a very hot Christchurch Cathedral Square, starting with a powhiri and moving on to some performances, speeches and a service. There Tess and Anne-Marie met the march with their tributary from Addington. The square was buzzing, with two thousand people. After lunch the march set off north.

Marching north, a 300 person strong smaller portion of the main crowd made their way to Kaiapoi, north of Christchurch. There was a great feeling of togetherness and tiredness at the end of a good day's working together. At Kaiapoi, Grey Power provided a cup of tea, and the SCMers left the march to return to Christchurch for an after-match dinner at Mainstreet Cafe. Arana Casey joined them there.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

HIKOI OF HOPE AT THE TOP OF THE SOUTH Teresa joined the Hikoi again at Blenheim for an event on Saturday the 26th, and then walked with them to Picton on Monday.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

HIKOI OF HOPE AT PARLIAMENT An all-night vigil was held in Wellington Anglican Cathedral, then on Thursday 1 October, the South Islanders met at the Ferry Terminal to march on Parliament. Along the way they joined with the marchers from the North who had stayed at Johnsonville for the night. At parliament there was another service, and kete of stories collected along the way were presented to members of parliament from each political party. It was a big day, with a lively crowd of five to ten thousand who made their feelings strongly felt to the MPs.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

REFLECTIONS ON THE HIKOI OF HOPE In talking with Teresa Windle of SCM Canterbury, who was significantly involved in the Hikoi, five Great Things were obvious:

1/ Being in Christian Community. A special experience, being woken by Ringatu prayers chanted at 3am and 6am. Prayer when leaving places, before meals, and at powhiri when arriving at places. Singing all the time.

2/ Diversity of people. Unemployed, employed and retired; working class, middle class; blue rinses and tattoos. Different people all working together in different roles towards a common purpose.

3/ Pakeha learning about tikanga Maori. It was a unique learning experience for many Pakeha, going on a common journey with Maori people, within a strong Maori culture. For some it was their first time on a marae.

4/ Experiencing hospitality and friendship. Good friendships were made along the way. Every day, meals were provided by locals. An example was on the walk from Blenhiem to Picton, where the march stopped at a little church for lunch provided by parishioners, and because there wasn't a toilet there, one woman had paid for a portable one for the day!

5/ The issues of the Hikoi: Creation of real jobs; A public health system people can trust; Benefit and wage levels that move people out of poverty; Affordable housing; Affordable education. The Hikoi has firmly ensured poverty is a visible issue. It has involved many, many people, who are affected by the hospitality they offered or received, the personal experience, and the stories they heard. It is a hikoi of hope - maybe not of change tomorrow, but of hope for lasting change in the future.

The next step: some SCMers who went on the Hikoi feel inspired to talk to their local SCM groups and MPs about their experiences, and the stories they told and heard.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

SUMMER POVERTY FOR STUDENTS Students who had no other income over summer used to be eligible for the emergency unemployment benefit. This is no longer the case. To be eligible for a so- called "Community Wage" over summer, a student must be either: over 25 years old, or under 25 with parents who earn under $28,080/annum between them (partial payment up to $50751), or under 25 and straight and living in a marriage or recognised "de facto" relationship. This means any other student who cannot get a summer job, will have no income for four months! Such discrimination clearly contravenes the principles of the Bill of Rights and Human Rights Act on the grounds of age, marital status, sexual orientation, and family associations. But then of course, this government wants to exempt itself from the Human Rights Act, doesn't it! A GENERAL ELECTION NOW!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

IF YOU LEAVE YOUR FLAT ..permanently or for summer, because you can't afford a roof over your head, please send an email or change of address card for your new cardboard box to the SCMA National Office so you still get this newsletter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- -------------------------------

SCM UPDATE is compiled by the National Administrator of SCM Aotearoa. Your contributions, news and information are welcome! Submission date is the 25th of each month.

Back to Update archive