CCA calls for support for people displaced by continuing Violence in Pakistan

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

No preference updated.

01 October 2009
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Mr. Victor Azariah
General Secretary
National Council of Churches in Pakistan
P.O. Box 357
Lahore 54000, Pakistan

Dear Mr. Azariah:

In the just-concluded Meeting of the General Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia, concerns have been raised on the continuing violence in Pakistan.

In August, CCA received information on the killing of Christians in Central Punjab Province.  The Christians who have been killed and the families whose houses have been burned based on false accusation of desecrating the Quran; with the perpetrators using the Blasphemy Laws against the Christian community is a high price that Pakistani Christians continue to pay in the name of the so-called blasphemy.

The killings and burning of places of worship have continued and the Christians continue to suffer the brutality and displacement resulting from the violence in the northern region of Pakistan.

Recent spate of violence have again rendered Pakistanis victims in other cities, including Lahore, Shanti Nagar, Sangla Hill, Gojra and Sialkal, while the Pakistan Government claims it is finally defeating the Taliban forces in the Swat Valley.  Sporadic violence in the meantime has spread to different parts of the country in Punjab, Sind, Peshawar and Baluchistan.

The churches in Pakistan continue to respond in appropriate ways to the population rendered victims by the on-going violence.

The churches in Pakistan call on Asian churches through the CCA to support the call of the World Council of Churches for the Government of President Asif Ali Zardari to take necessary action to bring the perpetrators of such violence to justice and to ensure the safety and security of the civilian population at all times.

CCA continues to call on member churches and Councils to offer practical support for the humanitarian needs of the population displaced by the continuing violence.  Solidarity support and prayers are also offered to the families of the victims and the churches in Pakistan.

This letter was passed by the CCA General Committee at its meeting in Bangkok, Thailand on 1st October 2009.

Yours faithfully,

PRAWATE KHID-ARN
General Secretary

cc:
Members, CCA General Committee
Member Churches and NCCs