The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) has begun preparations for the World Council of Churches (WCC) 9th Assembly in February next year, where twenty-six WSCF leaders will attend.
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The WSCF, founded in 1895, is the umbrella organisation for around 100 student organisations from over 90 countries, totalling more than half a million students.

“As one of the oldest ecumenical youth and student organisations, we aim to fully participate in a WCC Assembly that wants to be very open to youth, offering the contribution of empowered Christian students who are schooled and practised in ecumenism,” said WSCF vice-chair, Ms Adéle Djomo Ngomedje, from the Movement of Protestant Students in Cameroon.

The WSCF Executive Committee comprises officers and staff from the global federation of Student Christian Movements, as well as representatives from the six WSCF nations, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East and North America.

WSCF general secretary Michael Wallace is hopeful that young delegates at the Assembly will make a real contribution to the new vision for ecumenism in the twenty-first century: “The great thing about youth involved in Student Christian Movements is that they come to ecumenical gatherings as experienced ecumenists, who have considered critically what it means to be a Christian today with all its theological and political implications.”

Mr Wallace added: “This WCC Assembly is a golden opportunity for WSCF to re-engage with the wider ecumenical family and for the ecumenical family to re-engage with WSCF.”
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Natalie Maxson, who is in charge of the WCC’s youth programme, reassured: “We are doing our best for young people to have as much of an impact as possible.

“We don’t want youth to speak to the Assembly, but rather the Assembly to speak with a youth voice. For me, this paradigm honours and recognises that we, the youth, are the church and the ecumenical movement,” added Maxson.

Young delegates will be able to engage in 22 “ecumenical conversations”, providing a forum for discussion of significant issues including “Youth transforming the ecumenical landscape” as well as ways in which young people and organisations like the Student Christian Movements can contribute to the unity of the churches.

The WSCF will run four workshops at the WCC Assembly on the themes of women, empire, migration and “Students in the 21st century”.

The WSCF Executive Committee is due to hold its annual meeting immediately before the WCC Assembly in order that its members can participate fully in the ecumenical gathering.

The WCC Assembly runs from 14 to 23 February, 2006, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and “will find links between their peace and justice work and the World Council of Churches, and engage with the vision for peace promoted by the initiative, ‘Decade to Overcome Violence: Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace 2001 – 2010 (DOV)”.