International Day of Peace Peace Initiatives

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:
Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)
Second Preference:
General Secretariat (GS)
21 September 2012
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

 Global Call for Ceasefire and Non-Violence

 

Every single minute of the day, news papers and newscasts round the world report violence, war and conflict. What is shocking is such violence has a heavy toll on human life, property and the environment. In most cases these Untitled.jpg111damages are permanent and irreversible. Violence, bloodshed, murder and mayhem has become the order of the day for quite a few decades. War and crime is no more news, Peace is.
People who trigger violence and bloodshed are equally to blame as are the perpetrators of crime. There is no excuse or justification for both. If  people are to take up arms and fight, determined to take an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, then as Mahatma Gandhi said, we will all end up being blind. Jesus Christ gave the greatest call for Disarmament when he said "Put your sword back in its place for all who draw the sword will die by the sword," and this is the message that the Church has to convey, that no good comes from violence, for death begets death. Let the church be a haven of peace and Christians be channels of peace.
Peace Initiatives:
The CCA, with member churches and councils, engage in promoting justice and peace through its programs, guided by its vision, mission and goals and the mandates of the General Assembly.
Response to the controversial video
In response to the violence that erupted after the crudely made 13-minute English-language film that was shot in California and circulated on the Internet under several titles including “Innocence of Muslims”, Rev Hermen Shastri, General Secretary of Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM), and member of the CCA General Committee, denounced the video which he described as the “work of irresponsible individuals” that should not “be taken seriously.” He emphasized that the Council of Churches 'denounces anyone who seeks to derogate the religions of others and most especially when they do it with the intent of causing spiritual hurt to believers of the religion.”  While cautioning against responding through violent demonstrations because it is to play into the hands of those seeking to upset the good relations between religions, he called for responsible reporting by the media.
Rev. Reuben Qamar, Deputy Executive Secretary, Presbyterian Church of Pakistan on behalf of the Presbyterian church, condemned the Video. He also made it clear that the Church which is the symbol of Love in this world, has nothing to do with this unethical film. This act of a small group to provoke rage should not be related with the entire Christianity. He also brought the attention of the world towards the terrible and weak position of Christians in Muslim countries and how such acts can be exploited by fundamentalists and cause violence against Christians.
Rev. David Das, General Secretary, Council of Churches in Bangladesh, affirmed the same sentiments and reiterated the vulnerability of Christians who are a minority in Muslim countries.
CCA also expressed solidarity with Christians in Pakistan and for the little girl Rimsha who was accused of burning the Q'ran. An active signature campaign and a strong call for a review of the Blasphemy Law was given through the member churches and councils, Ecumenical partners and in collaboration with Human rights organizations. It is heartening to note that the little girl has been released on bail.
CCA along with the WCC has also expressed concern and drawn attention to the plight of stateless people, the helplessness of migrant workers, the problems of Roingyas, and the freedom of the people of Myanmar.
Let us hope that the arms race to "Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears (Joel 3:10) is over and a thing of the past, and that we are moving to peace, through this global awakening to the need, significance and importance of just peace. We look forward to the days when people will "Beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks." Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3

May the International Day of Peace result in a cessation of violence, a ceasefire and permanent peace. May there be a Farewell to Arms..... Heiwa Peace in Japanese AMAN امن PEACE in Urdu