Media and the Promotion of Justice and 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)
04 September 2013
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

"As long as there is poverty and hunger, there cannot be justice and peace" said Mr. P. Sainath, Rural Editor of The Hindu group of Newspapers and recipient of the Magsaysay Award for Journalism. Calling attention to the largest wave of suicides among farmers in recent history, he elaborated on the growing inequalities that led to untold misery and suffering, and the apathy of Governments and the media. He was speaking at a Consultation on Media and the Promotion of Justice and Peace, held at Bangkok Christian Guest House, Bangkok, organized by the Communications wing of the Christian Conference of Asia. Saying that the 'moral universe of the media has shifted to conform and match the moral economy of the elite' he called for rediscovering links with people, breaking the silence and speaking out when they are exploited, calling a spade a spade, and being more inclusive, thus strengthening bargaining power of people's collectives.

The 3 day consultation held from 3-5 September 2013 is deliberating on the role and responsibility of the church in promoting justice, peace, reconciliation and healing through its communication channels. This consultation not only affirms traditional media, but encourages expansion to include social and secular dimensions; and seeks to explore the use of public space that modern technology offers, to promote peace and harmony. It aspires to examine the responsibility of Media with reference to the WCC Assembly theme “God of Life, lead us to Justice and Peace” and the CCA theme ‘Called to Prophesy, Reconcile and Heal’

Theological reflections on a Communication Theology, a discussion on the Busan statement "Reclaiming Communications for the fullness of Life", presentations on Media: Justice and inequalities, Communications from War and Conflict zones, from Indigenous Cultures, Using social media to bring peace in conflict areas, Media and Culture, Tower of Babel revisited, form part of the agenda for the

This Consultation brings together the Directors of World Association of Christian Communication-Asia Region (WACC-AR) and World Council of Churches (WCC); CCA Communications; the Korean Assembly Host Committee, and other prominent church leaders and media professionals from SriLanka, Indonesia, Taiwan, Pakistan, India, Japan, Hongkong, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

More news will follow.....