Global Energy Parliament focuses on the theme, ‘Living in Harmony with Nature’

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 2019
GEP NR photoDelegates at the 9th Global Energy Parliament

CHIANG MAI, Thailand: The 9th Global Energy Parliament (GEP) focused on the theme ‘Living in Harmony with Nature’ highlighted that, “consumerist culture propagated by modern world is the root cause for devastating natural disasters the world is witnessing today.”

The GEP works with the objective that, “the excessive flow of negative energy leads to devastation and it has to be curbed in order to assure peaceful existence on planet Earth.”

The GEP held its ninth annual session at the Payap University Campus in Chiang Mai, Thailand on 5 November 2019 in conjunction with the opening of the Eco-School organised by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA). The seventh session of the GEP hosted by the WCC was held at its headquarters in Geneva, 2013.

The GEP is a global parliament of volunteers- a non-political, international body constituted by scientists, peace educators, environmentalists, researchers, philosophers, students, specialists from various fields, and dedicated citizens in search of practical and innovative solutions for the formidable challenges of the world.

Following the formal inauguration of the GEP with the lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries present, the televised inaugural address was delivered by Deputy Minister for External and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India, V. Muraleedharan.

Congratulating the GEP and its founder His Holiness Jagadguru Swami Isa, Minister Muraleedharan pointed out that the theme of the 9th GEP, ‘Living in harmony with nature’, was very apt given the challenges of climate change and natural disasters that have plagued the recent history of this planet. He added that the root cause for all of this was the disharmony of our living.

The imbalance in nature had been caused by the greed of human beings, the Minister rued, and so the theme of the 9th GEP was indeed timely, and he hoped that practical solutions and a plan of action would spring forth from this Parliament.

Highlighting what the GEP had achieved in its short history since 2003, Dr C.V. Anand Bose, President/Speaker of the GEP, lauded the GEP for having provided a platform and a converging point for transforming the ugliness of this world to create a ‘terrible beauty’ born out of such a convergence.

Dr Bose cited the Biblical example of Joseph and his foresight in advising Pharaoh to build a buffer stock during times of prosperity to tide over times of penury. He explained that the same kind of wisdom and foresight was needed to develop practical strategies in times of prosperity to prepare for the imminent times of penury.

In a special message delivered by the founder of the GEP Jagadguru Swami Isa stated, “All forms of life are closely bound with Nature, for there is no life without Nature and no Nature without life. The Human is considered as the consumer and Nature the product to be exploited, abused, and used in diverse ways with a reckless mentality. Modern educational systems have endowed the Human with the perspective that every living and non-living object around humans are created to be of service only to humans, but these concepts have to be changed for developing a culture of living in harmony with nature.”

According to Swami Isa, there is no dichotomy between the spiritual and the material, and the world is a manifestation of a supreme concept which reveals itself to the ordinary people as the subjective and the objective.

Welcoming the members of the Parliament, observers, and dignitaries from all over the world, General Secretary of CCA Dr Mathews George Chunakara pointed out that the GEP provided an opportunity to understand the GEP’s philosophy, ethos, and values, and that the CCA was happy to host this parliament in Chiang Mai.

Mathews George Chunakara added that the affirmation of the GEP that ‘all human beings belong to one Earth, one Water, one Fire, one Air, and one Space’, and, ‘we are all global citizens sharing a common future’, captures the essence of true ecumenism. The unity of the oikos, irrespective of race, class, caste, creed, colour, or gender, should be the common goal for our shared future. However, he pointed out, “This common future was endangered by many global challenges today, and we must address this together based on common values and as global citizens.”

Padmashree G. Shankar, an architect promoting harmony and sustainable living through designing and promoting eco-friendly architecture, delivered the keynote address.

Dr Amnauy Tapingkae, President of the Payap University, was felicitated during the opening session of the GEP and presented the Vidya Award for 2019 by the IVPT for his life-time achievement in the area of education spanning more than four decades.

The Parliament deliberated and voted on bills related to interconnection and nature, youth involvement in climate justice, women’s contribution to ecological concerns, sustainable development, water justice, advocating for afforestation and promotion of self-sustained food patterns.