Examples of projects run by churches in the EMS Fellowship in the field of “Migration”
››› Korea
››› Japan
››› China
››› Hong Kong
››› Lebanon
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Korea:
Projects of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) and the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK
”A million foreigners in Korea” – this news item made headlines in mid-2007. Compared to the situation in Germany, this figure is relatively low. For Korea, however, it has symbolic importance and confronts Korean society with the new challenge of deciding how to organise life in community with people from another culture. Even though 150 years have past since the “Hermit Kingdom” opened up to the outside world, the people of Korea have hitherto retained a sense of unity. The myth of descending from a common ancestor (Tangun) and thus of the blood relationship of all Koreans is still alive.
One of the goals of the work with migrants conducted by the Korean EMS member churches PCK and PROK is to make Korean mainstream society more aware and open to foreign cultures. This extremely many-facetted and complex activity focuses on diaconal activities and societal involvement, yet there are also evangelistic approaches.
The congregations and centres belonging to PCK and PROK offer many different programmes: pastoral care and assistance for women in need; language courses; cultural programmes to get to know Korean culture; cooking lessons for newly wed migrant women; help with homework for children of marriages with migrant women; courses for mothers enabling them to help their children in school matters; marriage and family counselling; legal advice; medical treatment; training courses to enhance job seeking skills; refuges for maltreated migrant women and shelters providing temporary accommodation for migrants who lose their jobs, fall ill or are pushed into illegality.
Social policy has an important place in all centres and many congregations, along two lines: (1) opening Korean society up to foreign cultures and (2) empowering migrants. The Centre for Human Rights of Migrant Women in Cheongju, the workplace of Rev. Esther Grieder, an ecumenical co-worker of EMS and mission 21, offers e.g. a scheme whereby migrant women visit kindergartens, schools and adult education centres to spread some of the culture of their come country. This is meant to lead to Korean society opening up to cultural diversity. The PCK’s Ansan Foreign Workers Center has declared the area around it a global “village without borders”; it deliberately focuses on multicultural coexistence, even to the extent of consenting to a mosque being built for migrants from Bangladesh.
Multilingual services are held in the centres for migrant women, as are cultural events and festivities.
Several foreign-language congregations meet in the PCK’s Galilee Church, e.g. an Indonesian and a Mongolian community. The Galilee congregation pays for part of the pastor’s salary. Every Sunday another group cooks lunch for about 200 people. Above all in the PCK, but also in the PROK, effective social work is combined with evangelism. Migrants attend Bible schools at night and are trained to become missionaries. It is not primarily a matter of mission among migrants – the intention is that they can be involved in mission after their return to their home countries. The emphasis here is on socialist-type countries (Vietnam, Cambodia, China) or primarily Muslim ones (Indonesia, Bangladesh).
››› Women Migrants (PPP 4719kb)
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China: Amity Project
In China, millions of people have moved from rural areas to the booming cities to find work. Conditions in the manufacturing industry or on building sites are extremely hard – and it is usual for women to be employed there. People are unfairly dismissed, and when they have an accident at work, employers refuse to take over the costs of medical care. The migrant women only receive a limited residence permit in order to prevent them from moving into the cities for good. The children of migrant men and women are prohibited from attending state schools. The Amity Foundation, a social welfare foundation started by Christians, not only set up 18 schools for these children but also encourages migrant women to stand up for their rights. “Amity” arranges legal assistance for them that is free of charge and supports the migrant women in a state where human rights and dignity of the individual have a very low rating.
››› www.amityfoundation.org/page.php?page=79
››› www.amityfoundation.org/wordpress/?cat=21
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Japan:
Kyodan Project
In the EMS related church Kyodan, the memory of Japan’s attack and occupation of its neighbouring nations is even nowadays still alive. Christians have tried in various ways to make up for the injustice inflicted at that time – not least upon migrant men and women who entered the country. One example of this is the centre for Filipino women opened by the United Church of Christ in Japan (Kyodan). It is important for Filipino migrant families to have a place where they can speak their language and meet among themselves. At this centre people give them advice and support. In this way, they can find a place of home in the foreign country.
››› http://home.att.ne.jp/banana/cjff/homeaboutus.htm
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Lebanon:
Philemon Project
Even for the local population it is difficult to live in a country without a social system. But for the people who have fled from the Sudan and have somehow landed in Lebanon, or for women from Sri Lanka and the Philippines who took jobs as home helps through dubious agencies and end up in degrading conditions, life is full of real hardships. The Philemon Project launched by the National Evangelical Church of Beirut (NEC) takes care of these people for example by providing medical care benefits as well as allowances for their children’s school education. Among the migrant men and women are many Christians. They find a church home in the NEC and an international congregation which counteracts marginalization by its mixed composition and wants to give hope.
››› www.nechurchbeirut.org/cms/?q=node/15
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Hong Kong:
Project of the Tsung Tsin Mission
In Hong Kong many women from South East Asia are working as domestic servants, most of them come from the Philippines and Indonesia. Many of them have problems with their work permit visa and are often ruthlessly exploited. Those who rebel against this are reported to the authorities and deported. Together with other organisations the Tsun Tsin Mission – a partner church of mission 21/Basle Mission - responds to this injustice through its work with migrant women. A legal office informs the women about their rights and helps them to fight for their rights. A woman pastor from Indonesia offers them personal accompaniment.
