International Convocation affirms defence of human rights in the Philippines

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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18 September 2020

An international convocation held on 17 September 2020 to defend the struggle against the ongoing violations of human rights reiterated commitments to intensify its accompaniment of and solidarity with the Filipino people and called on churches and ecumenical organisations as well as all people of goodwill within and outside the Philippines to do the same.

Organised by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and Ecumenical Voice for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines, the international convocation was sponsored by the Asia Pacific Forum, the Christian Conference of Asia, the Council for World Mission, the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, the National Council of Churches in Korea, the United Evangelical Mission, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the World Council of Churches, and the World Student Christian Federation.

The panellists who shared experiences of the military, police, and paramilitary forces’ manoeuvres to repress the Filipino people highlighted the gross and systematic violation of human rights. They highlighted the intimidation through trumped-up charges levelled against the political opposition, people’s organisations, journalists, social workers, peace advocates, human rights defenders, and all those who are critical of the government and military, including church workers, pastors, bishops, and students.

The online convocation, attended by a large representative group of ecumenical and ecclesiastical bodies across the world, listened to the traumatic experiences of the Filipino people even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic quarantines in the country. Several instances of the “red-tagging” of activists, including church people and churches; numerous instances of attacks on indigenous communities and their schools; closure of a major media outfit; and threats to workers' humanitarian aid groups and agencies were shared during the convocation.

While expressing the solidarity of the Asian churches and the Asian ecumenical movement with the Filipinos who were trying to defend their human rights, the General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), Dr Mathews George Chunakara, stated, “The ongoing human rights violations in the Philippines are remnants of the rampant militarisation and the colossal human rights violations systematically orchestrated under the authoritarian dictatorship, which suppressed democratic rights during the dark years of martial law in the Philippines.”

Recalling a statement issued by CCA on 20 July 2020 calling for the immediate repeal of the Philippines Anti-Terrorism Act, the CCA General Secretary added that the CCA and its member constituencies would continue to accompany the Filipino people in their struggle together with the international ecumenical fraternity. He expressed solidarity with the suffering masses and denounced the government’s dastardly act which was clearly aimed at stifling the voices and conscience of the people.

A Unity Statement for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights in the Philippines, “Keep Watch and Bear Witness with the Filipino People” committed to bear witness in word and in deed, by advocating and educating about such commitments in various countries, with respective governments and diplomats. The signatories of the Unity Statement also committed themselves to the task of broadening international support for and solidarity with the Filipino people while calling upon the Philippine government to uphold human rights, provide reparations to victims of state abuses, seek peace, and enact justice.

The international convocation supported the recommendations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, including recommendations from at least two dozen UN human rights experts, for the UN Human Rights Council to “establish an on-the-ground, independent, impartial investigation into human rights violations in the Philippines.”

“In continuation of our historic commitment as faith-based bodies within the wider ecumenical community worldwide to peace, justice, and the integrity of creation, we hereby join to keep watch and bear witness to the hopes and struggles of the Filipino people,” affirmed the international convocation.

Representatives of various churches, ecumenical, and civil society organisations from the Philippines spoke at the convocation, including Bishop Reuel Marigza, Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, Cathrine Kay Almario, Christina E. Palabay, Attorney Ephraim Cortez, Bishop Rex Reyes Jr., Dr Lizette Tapia, and Bb. Kakay Pamaran.

International ecumenical and churches’ representatives who addressed the convocation were Peter Prove (WCC), Dr Mathews George Chunakara (CCA), Derek Duncan (UCCUSA/APF), Rev. Dr Christopher Ferguson (WCRC), Marcelo Leitus (WSCF), and Rev. Dr Collin I. Cowan (CWM).