The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) is a federation of autonomous national Student Christian Movements (SCMs) forming the youth and student arm of the global ecumenical movement. The Federation includes Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic, and Anglican students.
Together with the YMCA and the YWCA, WSCF has as a foundational document the 'Paris Basis'. WSCF's aims include: to call members of the academic community to faith in God, to discipleship within the life and mission of the Church and to help them strive for peace and justice in and among nations. The aims have been lived differently in different decades, countries and contexts. At one point "the evangelisation of the world in this generation" was seen as the main aim. Throughout its history the Federation has brought students together across theological and cultural boundaries and provided life-changing training and opportunities. For over a century WSCF has supplied many leaders to the Church, the ecumenical movement and the Christian left, governments and social movements.
Together the WSCF and SCM provide a context for young Christians from all churches and nations to meet. The long-standing motto of the WSCF is "Ut Omnes Unum Sint"—"that they all may be one" (John 17:21).
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WSCF was formed at a meeting of student leaders from ten North American and European countries in 1895 at Vadstena Castle, Sweden. The founders included John R. Mott (U.S.), J.Rutter Williamson (U.K.), Martin Eckhoff (Norway), Luther D. Wishard (U.S.), Johannes Siemsen (Germany) and Karl Fries (Sweden).
WSCF was the first international student organisation. Together with YMCA and YWCA, it is among the oldest extant youth movements. WSCF is officially known in French as FUACE—Fédération Universelle des Associations Chrétiennes d'Étudiants—and in Spanish as FUMEC—Federacion Universal de Movimientos Estudiantiles Cristianos.
WSCF has had a complex history of significant fluctuations in membership, influence and activity because it has felt the full-force of the rise and plateau of the ecumenical movement, the turbulence of the 1960s student movements, the mid-twentieth century shift in balance of power from liberal to evangelical Christianity, the shift in balance of influence within Christianity between the developed and the developing world, the pressures of maintaining unity across the spectrum of Christianity and the tension between a theological study focus and a social activism focus.
Leaders of the WSCF have included:
The WSCF newsletter Federation News started in 1921 is published twice a year. The WSCF journal Student World was begun in 1908. In 2004 it was re-started after a hiatus of several years; both these publications can be found on the WSCF website www.wscfglobal.org
The mission and vision statement (2004) of the WSCF is:
Its original founder, "The Methodist layman and YMCA worker John R. Mott (1865-1955) sought to promote Protestant unity in 1895 as an organization joining youth from all Protestant churches to dedicate themselves to the 'evangelization of the world in this generation.'" [1]
The General Assembly (GA) is the highest decision making body of the Federation. WSCF's GA is held approximately every four years, the most recent assemblies were: Montreal, Canada 2008 Chiang Mai, Thailand 2004, Beirut, Lebanon 1999 and Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire 1995. The GA is made up of representatives from all affiliated and associated movements. The GA reviews the last four years, plans for the next four years and elects the Executive Committee, Chairperson, Vice-Chairpersons, Treasurer and General Secretary.
The Executive Committee and staff (General Secretary and Regional Secretaries) co-ordinate the Federation's activities between General Assemblies. Since the 2004 GA the Executive Committee has met in Chiang Mai, Thailand 2004, Porto Alegre, Brazil 2006 and Alexandria, Egypt 2007.
The 34th General Assembly was held in Montreal, (1-9 August 2008). The Assembly elected new WSCF leaders: Mr. Horacio Mesones (Uruguay) was elected WSCF Chairperson, Ms. Janejinda Pawadee (Thailand) Vice-Chairperson. Ms. Shantha Ready USA was elected student Vice-Chair. Rev. Michael Wallace Aotearoa New Zealand and Mr. Youhanna Kamal Shawky (Egypt) were returned as the Federation’s General Secretary and Honorary Treasurer respectively.[2]
The General Secretary is based in the Inter-Regional Office (IRO) in Geneva, Switzerland. The IRO is in the Ecumenical Centre which also houses the World Council of Churches, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, the Conference of European Churches, Ecumenical News International, Action by Churches Together International, and many other organisations.
The IRO organises the General Assembly and Executive Committee, the IRO staff is the secretariat for WSCF's endowment The Centennial Fund. The IRO administers WSCF's income, salaries and fundraising and co-ordinates global WSCF programmes, the IRO administers the Ecumenical Assistance Programme, the Universal Day of Prayer for Students, produces Federation News and Student World maintains contact with national movements and some Senior Friends and organises WSCF representation at meetings of the United Nations, UNESCO, World Council of Churches and other organisations.
Since 1968 the Federation has included six regional committees in its structure. Each region has a regional secretary, officers and a committee made up of representatives from the national movements in the region. Each region has its own programmes and publications. The regions nominate students to participate in global WSCF programmes and other activities. Each region has two representatives on WSCF's global Executive Committee.
The six regions are Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East, and North America. The regional offices are in Nairobi, Hong Kong, Budapest, Beunos Aires, Beirut and New York.
Please check here for regional information.
In each country, the Student Christian Movement (SCM) represents the ecumenical movement at work with University and secondary school students.
SCMs have close ties to the various ecumenical bodies where it is located (such as the National Council of Churches in Australia and the Christian Conference of Asia) and to the World Council of Churches. There is at times conflict with conservative evangelical Christian groups on campus, such as those affiliated to the parachurch International Fellowship of Evangelical Students.
Whilst national SCMs vary considerably, they have tended to foster liberal and progressive religious and social views amongst university students. SCM has generally been associated with the Christian left and such issues as:
See below for a partial list of countries where national movements operate. See Official Site for the full list of national movements.