Cambodian church leaders’ consultation paves the way for initiating ecumenical women’s action against violence

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).

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18 May 2018

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The national consultation of the representatives of churches from different provinces in Cambodia paved the way for initiating networks and coalitions of women in church and society at the grassroots to overcome violence and build peace with justice.

The consultation with participants from grassroots congregations in Cambodia, organised by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) in cooperation with the Kampuchea Christian Council (KCC) as part of Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV), was held at the KCC headquarters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 10 to 12 May 2018.

About 40 participants attended the consultation from various provinces in Cambodia.

“Asia has a rich tradition and heritage of communities living together in peace.  Traditional models of peace building existed in many Asian communities and those were effective models of conflict transformation. However, Asian communities need more concerted efforts to overcome violence and build harmonious societies where peace with justice would prevail”, said  Dr. Mathews George Chunakara, General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia at the opening session of the consultation.

The church leaders emphasised the significance of mobilising the synergies of women and men, both within and outside of the church, to cooperate and join hands with people of all faiths to combat violence against women.

The Biblical-Theological Reflections and the re-reading of the Bible from the perspectives of women’s concerns helped in stimulating the participants to reflect on the Scriptures from their own local contexts and developing new hermeneutical understanding.

“Cambodia has an overall literacy rate of 74%. However, women and girl-children in many parts of the country still undergo social discrimination, economic injustice, and lack of equal opportunities to partake in social and public life.  Violence not only affects the physical and psychological well-being of Cambodian women but also destroys the social fabric of the community in particular and of society at large”, said Sotheavy Srey, a Cambodia peace activist who is a member of CCA’s programme Committee.

Ms. Sunila Ammar, Rev. Oum Sovy, Rev. Eang Chuun, Ms. Sotheavy Srey, Rev. Sok Nev, and Dr. Rey Ty facilitated various sessions at the national consultation.