CCA’s webinar to discuss plight of migrant workers amidst COVID-19 Crisis

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.

29 April 2020

The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a host of critical issues including the plight of millions of migrant workers within and beyond the borders of every nation. Lockdown situations have left them stranded and unable to return to their homes and resulted in losing their jobs and livelihoods.

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) has initiated a series of webinars focusing on pressing issues caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

The first of the CCA’s Webinar series focusing on the ‘Plight of Migrant Workers amidst the COVID-19 Crisis’ will be held from 12:00 to 14:00 (12 PM) Bangkok time on Thursday, 30 April 2020.

Panellists from diverse backgrounds will address pertinent issues related to migrant workers amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

Dr Mathews George Chunakara, General Secretary of the CCA, Dr S. Irudaya Rajan, a scholar who specialises in migration trends and professor at Centre for Development Studies (India); Dolores Balladares-Pelaez, Chairperson of UNIFIL-MIGRANTE (Philippines); Helen Monisha Sarkar, National General Secretary of YWCA (Bangladesh); Soman Baby, a senior journalist in the Arabian Gulf (Bahrain); Yusmiati Vistamika Wangka, Centre for Migrant Domestic Workers (Hong Kong); Rev. Changweon Jang, Osan Migrant Workers Centre (South Korea); Solomon David, Aviation and Airline industry consultant (United Arab Emirates); and Brahm Press of Migrant Assistance Programme Foundation (Thailand) will lead the webinar.

Those who are interested to be a part of the webinar may register by clicking on this link -
https://forms.gle/95cyE3q6nxoZMuup8