Christian Conference of Asia supports Armenian church leaders’ appeal for restoration of human rights of the Armenian population in Artsakh

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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08 November 2024

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) General Secretary, Dr Mathews George Chunakara, has joined Armenian church leaders in West Asia—His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia; His Beatitude Catholicos-Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI of the Armenian Catholic Church; and Rev. Dr Paul Haidostian, President of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East—in calling for the Armenian people’s right to return to their historical homeland of Artsakh and for the restoration of their human rights.

In a joint appeal issued ahead of the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, the three Armenian church leaders called for an end to the immense suffering endured by the Armenians of Artsakh due to prolonged conflict and forced displacement.

Supporting the appeal of the Armenian church leaders, Dr Mathews George Chunakara stated, “The Armenian people in Artsakh have faced unimaginable hardship and loss due to the Azerbaijani blockade and military actions in recent years. This enforced mass exodus from their homeland, coupled with the targeted destruction of Armenian cultural, historical, and religious heritage, represents not just an attack on a specific community but also on our shared human legacy”.

“CCA stands with the Armenian church leaders in their call for the international community to address these pressing issues and to ensure the protection and well-being of all those affected by this crisis. CCA also urges political, governmental, and diplomatic circles to heed the calls of the Armenian people and to support efforts for advocacy, justice, and the protection of Armenian cultural, historical, and religious sites in Artsakh”, added the CCA General Secretary.

The statement called for decisive action to address the injustices faced by the Armenians in Artsakh and urged CCA member churches and councils to pray for peace and the quick release of all those imprisoned by Azerbaijan. The statement also called on COP29 participants to advocate for a peaceful and just resolution that respects the rights of the Armenian people.

Armenia and Azerbaijan, once part of the Soviet Union, have long disputed the region of Artsakh. Although Artsakh has a majority Armenian population, it was designated as an autonomous region within Azerbaijan during Soviet rule, laying the foundation for future ethnic and territorial tensions. In recent years, this conflict has intensified, with Azerbaijani military actions displacing 120,000 Armenians from their homeland and targeting Armenian cultural and historical sites. These events have led to growing calls for international intervention to protect the rights of Artsakh’s Armenian population.

The full text of the statement can be found below: Christian Conference of Asia supports the call of Armenian church leaders in West Asia for restoration of human rights of the Armenian population in Artsakh