Celebrating International Women's Day

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).

First Preference:
General Secretariat (GS)
Second Preference:
Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)
11 March 2008
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

8 March 2008

'Renewing our Pledge to Promote Gender Justice and
Overcome Violence against Women in Asia'
Dear Fellow-pilgrims of Peace,

Greetings from Christian Conference of Asia.

As you know on 8th March we commemorate International Women's Day (IWD). The celebration started as a political event to claim the rights and dignity of women. Though the political and human rights theme as designated by the United Nations runs strong and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are however in the present context many times our celebrations end up in the form of tokenism. The consumerist capitalist culture in neocolonized Asia IWD celebration has often lost its human rights flavor of promoting gender justice in order to build communities of peace.

Asian Churches have a very crucial role uphold the real essence of IWD and educate the congregation to reflect their 'faith into action' to promote gender justice. This is crucial because gender violence through present in every country of the world but in some conservative societies of Asia, it has not even been considered an issue until recently and remains a taboo subject for public discussion. Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations rightly claims: "Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development and peace."

Many times Asian Churches also needs confess that:
  • It remained silent about violence against women in society, domestic violence within families of congregational members and abuse and discrimination within Church.
  • Secluding women in decision making process of Church.
  • Mistaken gender justice as agenda of women only and not educating both men and women together for partnership of equals.
IWD is an important day for the Asian churches to renew their commitment and pledge to promote
  • Re-affirm and strengthen commitment to gender justice and full participation of women in Church and society.
  • Acknowledge and recognize the achievements of women especially the contributions of the grassroots women to society.
  • Engage in education and action to end all forms of violence against women and children in Church and society.
  • Continue to encourage resistance to all forces of globalization that disintegrate the dignity of women, children, people of vulnerable communities and the Mother Earth.
  • Engage in healing and reconciliation ministry by guaranteeing support to women victims of abuse and violence especially in situations of conflict and war.
Asian Churches have tremendous potential to be salt and leaven so that every one can have life to its fullness. Therefore brothers and sisters on the IWD we urge Asian Churches to practice genuine solidarity with women to be embodiment of our faith in Jesus Christ who showed us the way to build communities of peace.
Shalom

Prawate Khid-arn
General Secretary