Churches in Bangladesh commit to combat HIV and AIDS

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.

10 November 2018

WhatsApp Image 2018-11-09 at 6.46.09 PM

Representatives of various churches in Bangladesh participated in a capacity building training organised by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) affirmed their commitment to combat HIV and AIDS through awareness building programmes at the congregational levels in the country.

The participants were engaged with interactive Bible studies, group activities for building awareness among rural folks and also mapping resources to respond to the epidemic.

Organized by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) in collaboration with the National Council of Churches in Bangladesh (NCCB) as part of CCA’s special programme Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA), the workshop was held at the Hope Centre, Savar, Dhaka from 3 to 7 November 2018.

Although Bangladesh is considered as a low prevalence country for HIV infection, the increasing trend indicates that the country remains extremely vulnerable to an HIV epidemic.

High levels of HIV infection have been found among drug users in one part of the capital city, Dhaka.

Rev David A Das, General Secretary of NCCB affirmed that churches in Bangladesh have to be equipped to respond to the need of the people, and the church members have to be well prepared with knowledge, information and resources.

Dr Ronald Lalthanmawia, Coordinator, HIV and AIDS Programme of CCA outlined the objectives of ATCHAA.

“HIV and AIDS is a priority concern of CCA, and every effort to enhance the capacity of member churches and councils to combat the spread of the disease will be undertaken by CCA”, said Dr. Lalthanmawia.

‘There are many constraints in resources for HIV testing, treatment, counseling as well as extending support to the affected people in Bangladesh. Stigma and discrimination continue among most Bangladeshi people’, said, Major Ganendra Baroi, Moderator of the Medical Service Department of NCCB.

He also mentioned that lack of awareness and incorrect information is something the churches in Bangladesh can effectively respond to and be the source of information and take positive actions.

Participants expressed a major concern that in a country where limited access to voluntary counseling and testing services, only very few Bangladeshi's are aware of their HIV status.