Dear Chaplains, Members and Alumni of BCSM,

Greetings of Solidarity and Peace.

On behalf of Pax Romana IMCS Asia Pacific and North South Initiative, we would like to wish everyone a blessed , productive and progressive 23rd National Conference 2018. The theme chosen ” Youth Working in Inter-Religious Intercultural Dialogue and Peace is indeed more relevant than ever, given the current local, regional and global context.

With the superpowers propagating  trade wars and anti-migrant sentiments at a global scale, only true genuine dialogue can bring balance to such devastating forces. Unfortunately, building peace takes years and years whereas to destroy it, it only takes a few seconds of miscalculated or deliberate hate peach and fake news. As millions of Bangladeshi migrants toil abroad to build a new life under harsh conditions, it is vital that BCSM have an honest dialogue with the political economy of Bangladesh, be it within the political system, the economy , the education system and even the Church on why this labour export and exploitation continues despite the great potential of Bangladesh to be self sustaining in many aspects. Where as some aspects like climate change will also take a toll on everyone, regardless of social status or class. Sadly, it would still be the poor who will face the brunt of it.

With that, we also see hope in the recent student protests in Dhaka who bravely faced violence from reactionary forces of the system. Salute to these inspiring students to took a stand for all of us when few were willing too. The solidarity shown received global attention as it inspired millions of youths. Let us also not forget the brave Shahidul Alam who stood his ground firmly for what he believed and is now free.

Last but not least, as the whole world watches Bangladesh on how it
treats the Rohingyas, we pray that the Lord grants us wisdom to deal with such complex issues. As we give due recognition for all their struggles, let us challenge ourselves out of our comfort zones and see, what exactly does BCSM need to transform into to meet the challenges of today , in order to be relevant tomorrow.

IMCS AP & NSI will always be in solidarity with BCSM!