International Day of Peace

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:
Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)
Second Preference:
Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)
20 September 2014
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Right of Peoples to Peace

Today is no different from yesterday or the day before, or earlier, for the people in war torn Syria, or Iraq, or Palestine; for the people in Ukraine, or for the people in Rwanda and Congo; or for the millions of refugees in the Middle East and other war torn countries; for the girls in Nigeria who were kidnapped by the Boko Haram; for the Orthodox Bishops kidnapped from Syria 17 months ago; neither for the millions of war and conflict widows, orphaned children and permanently disabled victims of war …..

The world wakes to the screaming headlines of war and conflict, rapes and murders, injustice and exploitation, pain and suffering…. News of war no longer intimidates, surprises, scares or saddens people…   it has become the rule of the day rather than the exception.

What is the relevance of the International Day of Peace in this dreary and depressing scenario?

If nothing, at least it brings back into focus the need for Peace, which sadly is in deficit.

On 21st September 2014 when the world remembers the International Day of Peace, let us pray for peace and the theme “Right of Peoples to Peace.” Unless each of us does not reclaim our Right to Peace and ensure the rights of all people to peace and harmony, world peace will be a dream that we chase in vain.

As is the practice every year, UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon, has called for a global ceasefire so all can breathe the air of peace; to stand in solidarity with the families, communities and countries who suffer at the brutal hands of warmongers and terrorists; and for a sincere effort to douse the fires of extremism and tackle the root causes of conflict.

Requesting everyone to observe a minute of silence at noon as a symbolic gesture for world peace, he said:

Peace is a long road that we must travel together – step by step, beginning today.

Let us all reflect on peace – and what it means for our human family.

Let us hold it in our hearts and minds and tenderly nurture it so it may grow and blossom.