World AIDS Day, 1 December 2019 Message from Christian Conference of Asia

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.

01 December 2019

World AIDS Day NR photo(CCA logo added)

HIV is a multidimensional issue with social, political and economic aspects impacting the strength and sustainability of people living with HIV (PLHIV) and key populations around the world. Despite the many advances we witness in combating the spread of HIV and AIDS in the world, we still stand amidst a turbulent yet transformational time. There were 37.9 million people living with HIV at the end of 2018 and 5.9 million were from Asia and the Pacific with 310,000 new infections detected. Globally, the number of affected persons are decreasing but in Asia, the numbers are increasing;  particularly in the Philippines, Pakistan, and Malaysia.

The theme of World AIDS Day - 2019, “Communities make the difference", in this context is significant. Over the past decades, communities have been playing important roles in combating the menace of the epidemic in international, regional, national and local levels.

In Asia, faith communities have been active in various ways to address the spread of HIV and AIDS. During the past several years they stepped up responses to tackling stigma and discrimination, and they are becoming a distinctive force in the eradication of the epidemic. Churches in Asia also are contributing immensely to combat HIV and AIDS. The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), which started its special advocacy initiatives to address the concerns of HIV and AIDS  since 1992, has been at the forefront of mobilsing other faith communities for united action to combat HIV and AIDS.  The efforts made by CCA over the years proved that churches can and will always be potent forces of effective advocacy that can contribute to transformation in the respective communities.

World AIDS Day is yet another occasion for churches in Asia to reaffirm their commitments and renewed role in combating the spread of the epidemic.

The CCA,  on this World AIDS day, calls on all churches and ecumenical councils as well as other related organizations in Asia to recommit themselves to foster their efforts in communities to combat HIV and AIDS.

We urge  all member  churches and councils of CCA to reiterate our prophetic role and become prominent voices in advocating for greater awareness, ensuring the dignity and rights of PLHIVs; promoting access to adequate health care; strengthening collaborations with other faiths, civil society organizations and government especially influencing policies and legislation; and building communities of hope that the integrity and dignity of all God’s creation  need to be valued and protected.

GS Signature (Blue Color)

 

 

Mathews George Chunakara
General Secretary
Christian Conference of Asia