CCA initiates advocacy in collaboration with parliamentarians in Papua to combat HIV and AIDS

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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06 March 2020
DPR-Papua-Bekerjasama-Dengan-CCACCA staff with Papuan Members of Parliament

In response to the increasing incidence of HIV and AIDS in West Papua, the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) initiated advocacy efforts in combatting HIV and AIDS in the region in collaboration with members of parliament in Papua.

As part of the CCA’s Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA) programme, advocacy dialogues with Papuan Members of Parliament and health officials were held from 17 to 29 February 2020.

CCA staff members Dr Ronald Lalthanmawia and Jay Roy Tipayan facilitated the meeting with Jhony B. Rouw, Chairman of the Papuan Parliament, together with six other members of Parliament of Papua, as well as chairpersons of Commission on Health, Education, Social Concern, and Religious Affairs.

Leaders of the Gereja Kristen Injili (GKI)-Tanah Papua Synod also were present at the meeting and discussed health issues of Papuans.

The crux of the meeting’s discussions was the emphasis on devising concrete plans for partnerships between the state and faith-based organisations to combat HIV and AIDS.

“We have talked about the challenges and opportunities in Papua’s health sector, and we envision a future where the local government and the church councils can collaborate to facilitate better health services for the people of Papua. The Papuan Parliament is open to working with the Papuan churches because the churches have been the first to respond to community health issues, especially in rural areas,” said Chairman of the Papuan Parliament.

Far-flung Papua in Indonesia has unique geographical and demographical challenges in accessing health services. The high prevalence of non-communicable and communicable diseases continues to disrupt the life of a vast majority of Papuans.

Dr Raymong Bachongo, from GKI-Tanah Papua’s Department of Health and Diakonia, who attended the meeting along with the CCA staff members said, “I am impressed by the warm reception of the Papuan Parliament, and the opening up of the potential of collaboration and cooperation between the Church and the State. This alliance will greatly improve grassroots mobilisation for combatting HIV and AIDS, and help to improve the overall quality of health services for all Papuans.”

A CCA training programme for 25 pastors and teachers from GKI-Tanah Papua in Sarmi district emphasized the need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills on health and healing.

A two-day youth motivation programme for 30 young people was also conducted in Jayapura klasis of GKI-Tanah Papua to strengthen their knowledge and skills in responding to HIV in Papua.

The CCA programme staff also facilitated motivational conversations with other youth and women’s groups from different klasis.

A health and healing seminar held in Selokah Tinggi Filsafat Teologi (STFT)- Izaak Samuel Kijne, the regional theological college, challenged theological students to adopt a holistic view of health and healing that will be integrated with the spiritual, physical, emotional, and social perspectives.

As an outcome of this programme, GKI-Tanah Papua Synod will propose strategies of intervention and sustain the dialogue with the government and other civil society organisations. The CCA will continue to provide accompaniment as Papuans journey towards mitigating the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Papua.