CCA condemns illegal arrest of community health workers in the Philippines

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).

    christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

    16th February 2010

    Her Excellency
    Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
    President of the Republic
    Malacanang Palace
    JP Laurel Street, San Miguel
    Manila, Philippines

    Your Excellency:

    Following our letter of 10th February 2010, the Member Churches and
    Member Councils of the Christian Conference of Asia in nineteen
    countries in Asia is joined by churches in many parts of the world in
    condemning the illegal arrest and continued detention of forty three
    (43) community health workers in the Philippines.

    The churches also express grave concern about reports of torture
    inflicted on the detainees and the denial of full visitation rights to
    members of their families.

    Of particular concern to the churches is the case of Dr. Alexis Montes,
    a lay leader in the United Church of Christ in the Philippines who has
    devoted his services in furthering the healing ministry of the UCCP.
    Employed by the Community Medical Foundation (COMMED), Dr. Montes along
    with the rest of the forty-two (42) arrested health workers have been
    engaged in the promotion of basic health rights of the majority of
    Filipinos with no access to basic health services.

    While the 43 health workers are being kept in detention, a meeting of
    the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform is being held at the
    Brokenshire Convention Center in Davao City, attended by bishops and
    leaders of Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches in support of the
    peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines
    (GRP) and the National Democratic Front (NDFP), an expression of the
    churches' commitment to the peace process in the Philippines.

    The Christian Conference of Asia calls on the Philippine Government for
    the immediate release of the detainees and to uphold the rule of law and
    respect for the rights and dignity of every Filipino citizen.

    Faithfully yours,

    PRAWATE KHID-ARN
    General Secretary
    Cc: General Avelino Razon, Ret PNP
    Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
    Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)
    Pasay City 1605, Philippines
    [email protected]

    Mr. Norberto Gonzales
    Secretary, Department of National Defense
    Camp Aguinaldo, EDSA
    Quezon City, Philippines
    [email protected]

    Atty. Agnes Devanadera
    Secretary, Department of Justice
    Padre Faura Street, Manila, Philippines
    [email protected]

    Atty Leila De Lima
    Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights
    UP Complex, Commonwealth Avenue
    Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
    [email protected]

    Bishop Eliezer Pascua
    General Secretary
    United Church of Christ in the Philippines
    Malate, Manila, Philippines
    [email protected]