CWM, South Asia Regional Consultation on "Engendering Theology from Dalit- Tribal Perspectives"

The CWM, South Asia Regional Consultation on Engendering Theology from Dalit and Tribal Perspectives on the theme “Translating Faith into Action: Addressing Gender Issues from Dalit-Tribal Perspectives” was held at The Park Hotel, Beach Road, Vishakhapatnam from 10^th-15^th March 2009. A total of 40 delegates participated from the member Churches and organizations of CWM in South Asia Region. Out of 40 delegates, Rev. Samuel Mall, Kasta Dip, Pradip Bansrior and Ms. Leena Lilian represented Church of North India. The Keynote address was delivered by Rev. Dr. (habil) James Massey. In his speech he mentioned that as theologians and the faith communities we need to reinterpret history, reconstruct and rearticulate our faith in the context of the new challenges.  We need to connect with the experiences of people who face violence in their day-to-day life. He basically focused on four assumptions. 1. All the theologies are contextually conditioned. 2. All contextual theologies are results of critical reflection on the relationship of God and human beings in different historical circumstances, 3. The driving force behind the process of doing theology from a particular human perspective is the commitment to make oneself available to God as well as society, 4. All contextual theologies carry ‘particularity’ in their nature because of the variations in each context. 

The five days programme provided a unique chance for the participants to discuss and tackle various issues based on the struggles of the Tribals, Adivasis and Dalits in the existing global development, social changes and liberation from casteism, employment, identity, education system, sex crimes, the socio-economic, political and cultural oppression, the degradation of values, the present evangelical trend, gender concerns, the reality of Dalits and Tribals, poverty, illiteracy, displacement and ecological destruction to rediscover relevant biblical and theological vision in today’s context to take it as challenge to form a new society and to engender theology and address gender issues from Dalit Tribal and Adivasi perspectives in order to promote empowerment of the excluded in general and Dalit, Tribal and Adivasi women in particular. This programme also provided an opportunity to facilitate a better appreciation and understanding to articulate the present need and struggles of the Dalits, Tribals and Adivasis in South Asian context and especially Churches in India, Bangladesh and Srilanka. 

The programme contents combined with participating and creative process of interacting and learning. It was done in different input sessions i.e. Worship, Bible studies, reflections, lecture discussions, case studies, song sessions, panel presentations, exposure visits, sharings, group discussions and cultural sharings. The problems challenge us to take new solidarity initiatives at local, national and international levels. For action plans the participants felt to sensitize the Church and the society specially the Dalits, Adivasis and Tribals about their rights, liberation, equality, justice, effect of globalization, reservation policies, education  system, address engender theology to bring about total human liberation, engage ourselves in mutual sharings of models that create new communities overcoming caste discrimination and gender violence and explore possible ways of networking as Churches and organizations, come together and wok together with Dalit , Tribal and adivasi identities.