CCA-WCC regional interfaith conference gathers in Cambodia to chart a path to reverse the HIV epidemic in Asia

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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15 November 2024

Participants of the Regional Interfaith Conference on 'Reversing the HIV Epidemic in Asia: Faith Based Engagements'

Phnom Penh, Cambodia: The Asian interfaith conference on ‘Reversing the HIV Epidemic in Asia: Faith Based Engagements’ has commenced in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 

Over eighty representatives from different religions, networks of people living with HIV (PLHIV), NGOs working in the field of health and healing, and faith-based organisations (FBOs) are attending the conference, which is being held from 14 to 16 November 2024.

Organised by the Christian Conference of Asia’s (CCA) Action Together in Combating HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA) programme and the World Council of Churches (WCC), the conference aims to develop strategies for advocacy among people and communities to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS in the region.

Dr Mathews George Chunakara, General Secretary of CCA, opened the conference with thematic introduction, setting the tone for the three-day event. 

The CCA General Secretary provided an overview of the CCA’s long-standing involvement in addressing HIV and AIDS in Asia since 1992, particularly at a time when very few faith-based organisations had taken the initiative in this area. He affirmed the CCA’s enduring commitment to taking action together in addressing issues related to HIV and AIDS.

Dr Mathews George Chunakara reminded the gathering of the crucial role faith-based organisations have played in the HIV response, harnessing their strong community connections and extensive healthcare networks.

He emphasised that HIV and AIDS remain a profound social, economic, political, and spiritual challenge, particularly among the youth. Overcoming the stigma that fuels its spread requires courage, commitment, and leadership, especially from religious leaders, who hold the trust and authority to drive transformative change.

The CCA General Secretary highlighted that when people with HIV face stigma, they often stay silent out of fear, avoiding the support that could help them lead healthier lives and the information needed to prevent further spread of the virus.

“Religious leaders are uniquely poised to break this silence by acknowledging suffering and reaching out with compassion to the excluded and rejected. They have the moral authority to end guilt, denial, stigma, and discrimination, and open the way to reconciliation and hope, knowledge and spiritual accompaniment for healing, prevention and care”, stated Dr Chunakara.

Representing their respective faith communities, Venerable Lam Ngodup from the Commission for Religious Organisations of Bhutan, Swami Atmananda from The Art of Living Foundation (India), and Dr Citra Fitri Agustina from Nahdlatul Ulama (Indonesia) extended greetings to the gathering.

Stela Sacaliuc, Knowledge Management Officer of UNAIDS Regional Team for Asia and the Pacific, led a session on “The HIV Epidemic in Asia: Most Affected Groups, Most Successful Interventions.” 

Ms Sacaliuc traced the HIV response timeline, from the first documented case in the USA in 1981 to the advanced interventions of today, and provided updated statistics for the Asia-Pacific region.

She further emphasised the need to scale up innovative interventions in Asia, customise HIV services across prevention and care, and expand Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) programmes beyond pilot stages to national levels, highlighting progress in countries like Cambodia and Thailand.

While highlighting the unique role that faith-based communities play in the HIV response, she added,  “Faith-based communities’ role through critical engagement and contributions in community leadership, providing safe and enabling environments, forming partnerships and collaborations, offering support services, encouraging self-care, delivering essential healthcare, raising awareness, and advocating for policy change are  essential parameters to address the HIV and AIDS menace effectively”. 

Participants engaged in lively discussions on various issues surrounding HIV and AIDS in Asia, exploring how faith-based organisations could play a pivotal role in addressing them in the region.

For more photos, please click here:(Photo Gallery) Asian Interfaith Conference on 'Reversing the HIV Epidemic in Asia: Faith Based Engagements' (Day 1)