Peace in Jeju’s Kangjeong Village!

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)
11 October 2011
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Stop the construction of Navy base in Jeju

Transcending our religious differences and offering our commonalities, we, the participants of the 3rd Asia Inter-Religious Conference on Article 9, together with all peace-loving religious communities, have prayed together for peace and security in East Asia. The conflict has deepened due to the construction of a naval base at Kangjeong village in Jeju Island. Praying for peace at Kangjeong village, we declare our position as follows.

Jeju Island has been recognized by UNESCO as an ecological reserve and world heritage site, and at the same time considered as a World Geological Park because of its pristine natural environment and beautiful sceneries. most especially, Kangjeong village where the government plans to construct a naval base was already recognized as an ecological reserve for absolute protection because of its soft coral beds and rare basalt rocks rarely found in the world.

We, representatives of varied religious communities are greatly concerned that the beautiful and peaceful Jeju Island will be turned into a large naval-military facility as US’s advance base in East Asia, thus creating tensions among Asian neighbors. Furthermore, the construction of a naval base in Jeju Island will not promote peace and stability in Northeast Asia and the world. We believe that genuine peace can only be brought by mutual cooperation and dialogue but not by military superiority.
We also highlight the Korean government-initiated undemocratic decision-making processes. The desperate appeal of Kangjeong villagers to protect their peaceful living and land has been completely ignored and many violent and illegal methods have been used to suppress the villagers’ human rights and quash their appeal. The power entrusted by people to governments must respect the democratic legal process. Moreover, the government dependence on violent methods is unjustified.

We will pray and act for an immediate stop of the naval base construction as well as for the restoration of peace at Kangjeong village.

We demand the South Korean Government –
• To stop construction of the naval base immediately;
• To release immediately from detention the imprisoned Kangjeong villagers and peace activists;
• To resume democratic dialogue with Kangjeong villagers

October 7, 2011
Participants, the 3rd Article 9 Conference in Okinawa