Letter from the human rights meeting

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.

15 September 2004
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Thirty participants from 18 countries, who attended the eighth human rights training program organised by the CCA in Jakarta, Indonesia has issued the following letter to the churches in Asia.

The participants unanimously resolved to write to all the churches to request action on Human Rights matters.

We learnt that enjoyment of Human Rights is firmly grounded in our biblical and theological tradition. We learnt that the Church is a sanctuary for all. And we heard Gods call to all Churches to be responsive to the Gospel in bringing the Good News to all those who suffer human rights abuses and for us to be a peacemaker. We also noted that all countries experience some form of Human Rights violations or another.

We therefore respectfully request your consideration of the following points:

1. The Church is a sanctuary for all
2. The Church is to lead by example  be the salt of the earth and the light of the world that Christ has called us to be
3. The Church is a vehicle to encourage sound theological Human Rights education from the pulpit, in Christian Education and Sunday Schools
4. To put a copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 on church bulletin boards
5. That Human Rights include socio-economic rights and redistributive justice
6. The Church should take care of and help the victims of human rights abuses, and recognize that those who have gone through fairly traumatic experience and/or pro-longed abuse will have some psychological barriers to break before they could really get back in life
7. All Churches must stand united for Human Rights and take action against Human Rights violations
8. The Church should promote interfaith dialog and relationship
9. The Church should promote human rights to the community as whole and giving Human Rights education to other faith believers as well
10. The Church should establish a trust fund for Human Rights

11. All Churches should lobby the government to practice the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations since 1948
12. All Churches should network internationally to promote Human Rights and increase support for the work of the World Council of Churches or Christian Conference of Asia in organizing Human Rights trainings.

Jakarta,
August 14,2004
The Participants of the 8th
CCA-Annual Human Rights Training