INTERNATIONAL INTERFAITH COMMUNITIES CALL FOR IMMEDIATE HALT OF THE CONTROVERSIAL JEJU NAVAL BASE PROJECT IN SOUTH KOREA

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.

30 January 2012
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Interfaith International communities called for immediate halt of the construction of the strategic Naval Base in Kangjeong, Jeju Island, South Korea.

Consolidating their views after a 3-day solidarity visit to the island, the representatives of various faith communities arrived at the conclusion that this project compromised Peace, Justice and Integrity of Creation.

In a public letter addressed to the President of South Korea and other prominent political leaders, they said that this project, which was the decision of a few people, would endanger the ecosystem and environment of this uniquely beautiful island that was designated by the UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. It would disrupt life and destroy livelihood of the natives. They decried the militarization of the island and the exorbitant defense spending at the cost of development, health, education of the people.

The representatives that included 40 eminent people, raised their voices against the action taken on peaceful demonstrators, and urged that punishments be revoked. They called for recognizing and respecting the democratic process in taking decisions, and urged the President to “…. seriously consider the troubling challenges to peace and security, justice, culture, and the environment raised by the plan to construct a naval base in KangJeong Village.”

CCA Communications

30/01/2012

(Full Text of letter below……)

January 26, 2012

Your Excellency

President Lee Myung Bak

Cheongwadae 1

Cheongwadae-ro, Jongno-gu

Seoul  110-820

South Korea

Mr. President:

We take this opportunity to greet you with warm New Year’s wishes in these winter days. We, the undersigned, are representatives of various faith communities from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States, who undertook a visit to Kangjeong Village, Jeju Island on December 5-7, 2011 to learn about the construction of a Korean naval base. We are writing to report on our findings.

As people of faith our commitment is to serve and seek Peace, Justice and the Integrity of Creation.  All of these aspects are deeply compromised at Kangjeong Village by the construction of this base.

Integrity of Creation – Kangjeong Village and its surrounding area is uniquely beautiful—in fact, it is a UNESCO-designated ecological reserve. It contains endangered and rare life, both on the water front and the sea bed.  The construction of the naval base will disrupt its water source, and the entire ecosystem.  The people of the community have practiced stewardship of the land and sea for many generations as farmers and fishers, and their way of life will be disrupted.

Justice and Human Rights – The original decision to build in that area was taken in an undemocratic method – at an illegitimate meeting of just a small number of residents, with no real vote taken.  We are told that in the village, a sizeable majority of the people are opposed to the base construction, and on Jeju, well over half of the residents. We met some of the many recent victims of arrests, detainment, and outsized fines among those who have peacefully protested the planned naval base.  And for Korea as a whole, we know that any money spent on military removes that money from society’s needs like education, health care, social services.

Peace – We understand that the based planned for this location contributes to a U.S. strategy to expand its geopolitical and military influence in Asia, to counter the growing military influence of China in the region, which includes the buildup of military capacity in Okinawa, Philippines, even Australia. We fear that this impending naval base will contribute to this military expansion and to an increased flare-up of hostilities and antagonisms.  This would compromise the peace and integrity of Jeju Island, the Korean peninsula, and the region more generally.

THEREFORE, we urge the Korean government to immediately take steps toward reconciliation with the Kangjeong villagers, specifically:

1. The Republic of Korea should immediately stop construction of the Kangjeong naval base.

2. The Republic of Korea should immediately stop arresting peaceful protestors and immediately drop any pending charges against the Kangjeong village protestors.

3. The Republic of Korea should immediately revoke fines and other impending penalties imposed on the villagers as a result of their peaceful protests against the naval base’s construction.

4. The Republic of Korea and all other concerned parties should recognize and respect the Kangjeong village’s democratic processes, thus allowing all parties to bring reconciliation to the conflicts that have arisen around the base controversy, and to re-establish respect for just, democratic rule of law in Jeju Island.

5. The Republic of Korea and all other concerned parties should invest in preserving the Kangjeong village’s shoreline ecosystem and designate a peace park where the naval base was to be constructed, as the villagers have requested.

We, in solidarity with all peace-loving communities in the world, will consolidate all our efforts to stop the construction of the naval base.  Mr. President, we ask that you seriously consider the troubling challenges to peace and security, justice, culture, and the environment raised by the plan to construct a naval base in KangJeong Village and that you will send us a reply to our concerns.

Yours sincerely

Representatives of Jeju International-Interfaith Solidarity Visit

1. Ms. Bern JAGUNOS Program Coordinator for Asia, The United Church of Canada

2. Rev. Dr. Xiaoling ZHU Area Executive for East Asia and the Pacific - Common Global Ministries Board of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ

3. Rev. Peter NG Officer for Anglican Relations and Partnership Officer for Asia and the Pacific, Global Partnerships Team

4. Mr. Nicholas MELE Pax Christi, USA

5. Ms. Sarah DREIER Legislative Representative for International Policy and Advocacy-Episcopal Church, Washington, DC, USA

6. Mr. NOGUCHI Yoichi Executive Director, Niwano Peace Foundation, Tokyo, Japan

7. Ven. TAKEDA Takao Nichirenshu Nihonzan Myohoji

8. Fr. OKURA Kazuyoshi Catholic Council for Justice and Peace, Toyko, Japan

9. Fr. GOTO Masashi Catholic Council, Justice and Peace, Hiroshima, Japan

10. Rev. KOBAYASHI Makoto Member of Executive Council, United Church of Christ in Japan

11. Rev. UEDA Hiroko Acting General Secretary, National Council of Churches in Japan

12. Rev. PO Kam Cheong General Secretary, Hong Kong Christian Council and representative for Christian Conference of Asia

13. Ven. JONG Oh Chair, Korea Sangha Engaged Buddhism

14. Rev. JEOUNG Sang-Duk General Director, Human Rights Committee of Won Buddhism

15. Fr. PARK Chang-Il Director, Korea Peace 3000,

16. Rev. SHIN Bog-Hyun Acting General Secretary, Korean Methodist Church

17. Rev. JEONG Jin-Woo Korean Coordinator, Japan/Korea Religious Leaders Forum

18. Rev. LEE Hun-Sam Executive secretary, Dept. of Justice and Peace, NCCK

19. Rev. SHIN Seung-Min Executive Secretary, Ecumenical Relations, Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea 20. Rev. Catherine CHRISTIE

Ecumenical co-worker, PROK and NCCK

cc. Leader, Grand National Party

Leader, Democratic United Party

Commander, ROK Navy

Ambassador, American Embassy in the ROK

Governor, Jeju Island

Representative, Kangjeong Village