Racism and inequality anywhere in the world are threats to humanity, says CCA General Secretary

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).

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16 June 2020
Source: ''Des Moines Protests George Floyd Murder'  accessed from Wikimedia Commons

The brutal murder and ongoing atrocities perpetrated against African Americans and other marginalised communities of colour in the United States of America by police are alarming. The subsequent response unleashed through massive protest movements across the country are clear evidences of frustration which became the catalyst around which the American public galvanised to pour out their outrage against social inequality, police brutality, and racism. These were some of the observations made by the General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), Dr Mathews George Chunakara in a statement released today.

Condemning the police brutality and murders of two African Americans, George Floyd in Minneapolis and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, USA  as well as the destructive acts of protesters in different parts of the country, the CCA General Secretary said, “Economic oppression and political repression have no place in a democracy. Such virulent bigotry is contrary to any sense of human decency. To solve a problem, we must first recognise that a problem exists.”

“Those who strike against people because of their colour are striking against God who created all human beings in the image of God. We need to recognise the divine presence in each and every one God created and respect their dignity and integrity regardless of colour, ethnicity, national origin, or social status,” the statement continued.

Welcoming the decision of the United Nation’s top human rights body to hold an urgent debate on allegations of “systemic racism, police brutality, and violence against peaceful protests” in the US on Wednesday, 17 June 2020, Dr Mathews George Chunakara added that this disorienting dilemma is a teaching moment for all those who are concerned of humanity.

According to UN News, more than 600 rights groups called for an investigation into police violence after George Floyd's death. And as anti-racism protests have emerged around the world, U. N Human Rights Council President, Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, stressed that the issue is universal.

As demonstrations spread all over the world, this is a topic that is not about just one country, it goes well beyond that, the President of UNHRC said, as UN News reported.

The debate on racism and police brutality will be live-streamed on the U.N.'s website.

Please click here to read the full text of the Statement of the CCA General Secretary: