CCA-UN/ESCAP hold joint consultation

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.

23 April 2004
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

The Christian Conference of Asia and the UN/ESCAP convened a consultation on Life Skills Development and Planning for Health Promotion on 29 - 31March at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok. Attended by some 16 representatives from national counterpart organizations or NCOs in four target countries, the Consultation drew the direct involvement of stakeholders in the development of a new project profile for a five-year joint CCA/UNESCAP training program for youth. The full participation of project beneficiaries in the formulation of the project concept and initial planning is recognized as essential in enhancing the sense of ownership by the stakeholders themselves.

The main output of the Consultation was a new project profile with log frame, titled Strengthening Life Skills, Promoting Positive Health Behaviour Among Youth which aims to reduce the threat to health of HIV/AIDS, drugs and violence among disadvantaged youth. It also hopes to result in a more effective planning of program by government and civil-society organizations for achieving health promotion, especially to address HIV/AIDS issues.

The new project will focus on life-skills training, seen as an effective tool to empower young people to make informed and responsible decisions about their own well-being. It includes specific problem-solving skills like tackling peer pressure on drug use and negotiation for safe sex. According to the draft project profile, life skills education is recognized as a long-term strategy for reducing individual vulnerability to health and social risks by addressing the gap between knowledge, attitude and practice. In her orientation on life skills given on the first day of the Consultation, Ms. Cai Cai, Social Affairs Officer of the Health and Development Section, referred to the so-called ten generic life skills as defined by WHO: self-awareness, empathy, critical thinking, creative thinking, interpersonal relationships, effective communication, managing emotion, managing stress, decision-making and problem solving.

The new project, which is expected to be implemented beginning November 2004, builds on the gains of the recently concluded joint project, Strengthening National HRD Capabilities in Poverty Alleviation and Conflict Negotiation Skills among Youth which was aimed primarily to strengthen the capacity of youth officers and trainers (both governmental and non-governmental) to address the needs of youth facing conflicts and to promote youth projects to reduce poverty and mitigate conflict.

Participants from NCOs, mostly government ministries on youth and sports affairs, social welfare agencies and youth federations from Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Xinjian Uygur Autonomous Region of China gave interesting country-team presentations on a situation analysis of their respective countries/regions on health risks that youth face. The reports generated a wealth of information necessary for enriching the project profile and filling up the logical framework. Briefings and orientation on logical framework, a planning matrix contained in a one-page summary of the project strategy including objectives, indicators, means of verification, assumptions (risks), was provided by Mr. Bernhard Barth, Social Affairs Officer also of the Health and Development Section.

CCA Consultant and UN/ESCAP Non Reimbursable Loan Expert, Carmencita P. Karagdag, who completed her term with the termination of the previous project, introduced a brief document on CCAs Enduring Ecumenical Values. In her introduction, she called on the participants to put greater attention on education for social change and the need for life-skills training to contribute not only to personal improvement and wellbeing, but also to positive community or social change. Meanwhile Dr. Lee Hong Jung, the CCA executive secretary, gave a brief but thought-provoking opening reflection. In her welcome speech which officially opened the meeting, Ms. Thelma Kay, chief of the Emerging Social Issues Division, recalled the long history of cooperation between the CCA and UN/ESCAP. Also gracing the three-day activity was Ms. San Yuenwah, chief, Heath and Development Section of the Emerging Social Issues Division.

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Names of Country Team Participants

CAMBODIA
Mr. Vann Someth, Deputy Director-General
General Department of Youth and Sports

Mr. Chek Lim, Vice Chief of Planning Office
General Department of Youth and Sports

Mr. Kao Rith, Deputy-Director of Education, Youth and Sports
Department of Education, Youth and Sports

Ms. Chhuon Phallyka, Student
Build Bright University

CHINA
Mr. Ni Mingjian, Assistant Director-General
Disease Prevention and Control Centre of Xinjiang

Mr. Zhong Ruxing, General Secretary
Red Cross Association

Mr. Adejiang, Deputy General Secretary
Youth Federation of Xinjiang

Ms. Gulinuer Sulaiman, Liaison Officer
Foreign Affairs Office

PHILIPPINES
Ms. Ma. Melania B. Samonte, Social Welfare Officer III
Social Technology Bureau
Department of Social Welfare and Development

Mr. Eduardo L. Guevarra, Social Welfare Officer III
Department of Social Welfare and Development

Fr. Fernando V. Peralta, Director
Don Bosco Boys Home Vocational Training Center

Mr. Roland M. Leopar, PYAP National President
Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines

SRI LANKA
Mr. P. Maddugoda, Additional Secretary
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

Mr. W. A. Wijetunga, Deputy Director
Peace Education Unit
Ministry of Human Resource Development, Education
and Cultural Affairs

Ms. R. C. J. Livera, Project Coordinator
Community Health
Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya

Ms. M. M. Ponnamperuma, Youth Leader
National Youth Services Council