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Office of Education and Faith Formation (OEFF)
formerly Office of Education and Student Chaplaincy (OESC)

1. ASEM Interfaith Dialogue

The FABC-Office of Education and Student Chaplaincy (FABC-OESC) has served as a consultant to the Asian-European Meeting (ASEM) on Interfaith Dialogue program through the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines. ASEM will hold an international conference with the theme "Building Interfaith Harmony within the International Community" on July 21-22, 2005 at the Bali International Convention Center (BICC), Bali, Indonesia. Fr. Vicente G. Cajilig, OP, the executive secretary of OESC is participating in the said meeting.

ASEM Interfaith Dialogue seeks to foster mutual understanding and mutual respect among all faiths and religions particularly in Asia and Europe and to propose a set of recommendations to actualize interfaith harmony within the international community.

The Interfaith Dialogue is sponsored by Indonesia and the United Kingdom and co-sponsored by Denmark, the European Commission, Finland, Greece, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, Spain and Thailand. Participants are from all 39 ASEM partners and a number of international observers. The composition of the delegates are expected to be a mixture of relevant high ranking officials, intellectuals, senior journalists and the various religious leaders or priests from the community of faiths and religions, such as Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and others.

2. OESC participates in the regional OIEC meeting

The FABC-OESC has been active as observer/participants to the meetings and conferences of the Catholic International Education Office (OIEC). Promoting the vision of making schools and universities as venue for dialogue, Fr. Vicente Cajilig, OP, the Executive Secretary of FABC-OESC, attended the Council's regional meeting of OIEC in Bangkok, Thailand on June 28, 2005.

Dubbed as "OIEC with ASIA", OIEC would like to establish its presence in Asia by organizing The National Catholic Education Federations. According to its proposed statutes, its "main purpose is to promote the evangelization of the Asian people through education, to disseminate and defend the main principles of the organization and orientation of Catholic Education in Asia and to promote the communion and solidarity among its members."

3. Asian Mission Congress: OESC Contribution

Asia is home to diverse cultures and religions. This is the preordained context of proclaiming Christ and of living the Christian life in Asia. This challenge calls for a renewal of evangelization towards meaningful and creative coexistence with this diversity on cultures and religions among the followers of Christ. Such challenge is to be concretely and strategically implemented by universities, local churches and groups in the Asian Region, especially where the diversity of cultures and religions is an everyday phenomenon. The FABC-Office for Education and Student Chaplaincy would work out these areas as they are related to education.