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1999 Global Exchange
participants at Sebastiye, near Nablus, Israel

Presbyterian Women Global Exchange

What is the PW Global Exchange?

Presbyterian Women (PW) sponsors a global exchange experience each triennium that focuses on one part of the world. It is a people-to-people program, usually looking at issues facing women and children in particular.
In the fall of the first year of the triennium (for example: in this triennium that was fall 2000), the Mission Committee of the PW Churchwide Coordinating Team (PW/CCT) recommends to the PW/CCT a place to visit and provides rationale for doing so. This is usually done after consultation with the coordinators of ecumenical and mission partnership areas of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The moderators of the PW/CCT appoint the Global Exchange Committee to plan and carry out the experience.

Who can participate?

The invitation to participate goes to all Presbyterian Women.
The Global Exchange Committee, after deciding the purpose, theme and dates for the experience, sends information and applications to moderators of PW in the synods and presbyteries, to be distributed to members of Presbyterian Women in their area. Each synod will return two or three applications for recommended participants and from these applications, the Global Exchange Committee will choose the participants-at least one from every synod. Those selected must have physical stamina as well as mental and emotional good health. There is a lengthy time commitment required to prepare for, participate in and respond to the experience.

How does the Global Exchange work?

The Global Exchange takes place two years after the initial planning meeting (in this triennium the trip will be fall of 2002). The experience is usually a two or three week trip with lots of opportunities for interaction with women in that part of the world. When they return, the participants commit to interpreting what they have seen, heard and felt by speaking to members of Presbyterian Women and the PC(USA) in their areas for two years.
To make this a true exchange, PW invites women they visited during the Global Exchange to attend the next Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women. These women also visit and speak in various synods while they are in the United States, sharing their insight and experiences with PW and Presbyterian churches throughout the country.

Why do we do this?

This program is a major commitment to mission for Presbyterian Women as we interact with our sisters and brothers around the world. It is also a partnership with the Worldwide Ministries Division of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to support the mission of the church worldwide.

Where have we been?

1974--India and Nepal, theme: Fullness of Life for All

1977--Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, theme: Asian Encounter

1981--Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, theme: Las Americas Unidas

1984--South Africa, theme: Exchanges in Understanding

1987-- China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, theme: Journey to China

1990--Australia, theme: Ecumenical Decade of Churches in Solidarity with Women

1993--Central and Eastern Europe, (Germany, Poland, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic) theme: Journey of Hope

1996--Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines), theme: A Caring Journey

1999--Middle East (Detroit, Michigan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Israel/Palestine), theme: No Longer Strangers

Sisters Together Listening With Our Hearts

The reason that I speak to them (the disciples) in parables is that 'seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.' With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: 'You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn-and I would heal them.'But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. (Matt. 13:13--16)

Every three years, a group of Presbyterian Women travels to another part of the world to listen to the pain and the joy that their sisters experience and to share their faith stories and ministries with each other. It is a global exchange because, the following year, a group of women from the same part of the world are invited to attend the Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women to tell their stories to their North American sisters.

October 2002 Presbyterian Women Global Exchange to Africa

Presbyterian Women undertake this journey, together with our African sisters, seeking God's Spirit

- to heal the wounds of our history

- to awaken our awareness

- to teach and lead us into the truth

- to reconcile us to each other and to God

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