CCA Letter to UNFCC, Bangkok

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.

07 October 2009
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

September 30, 2009

Mr. Yvo de Boer
Executive Secretary
UN Framework and Convention on Climate Change

Dear Mr. de Boer,

Greetings from the General Committee of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), a regional organisation of churches representing 5 million Christians in more than 20 countries. CCA is happy to present the attached Statement on Climate Change as our contribution to the on-going two-week consultations in Bangkok. The CCA General Committee, meets in Bangkok at the same time that representatives of governments, at least 20 United Nations agencies and hundreds of non-governmental and civil society and activist observers gathered for a two week consultation to agree on negotiated terms for tackling climate change beyond 2010 ahead of the UN Climate Conference to be held in Copenhagen in December 2009.

The issue of climate change and consequently global warming and its effects on our planet are urgent concerns that need the attention of the leaders and common people alike, world-wide. In Asia we are constant victims of the severe consequences of climate change and global warming – massive flooding in the Philippines from heavy rains brought about by typhoons, the most recent of which is the devastating effect of the Ketsana (Ondoy) typhoon; flash floods in Taiwan and China, the floods caused by the Nargis cyclone in Myanmar, the perennial floods in Bangladesh and other parts of Asia, as well as the tsunami which hit Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka in 2004. At this meeting, we were also informed of the earthquake that hit Indonesia and the tsunami that devastated American Samoa. Increased droughts or the El Nino phenomenon is also a constant threat in many parts of Asia affecting water tables and food production. The changing climate has also had a negative effect on natural flora and fauna in Asia.

Human greed, the obsession for profits and indifference to nature have led to the abuse and mismanagement of the environment and its natural resources.

It is our hope that you as world leaders will commit to address the root of these problems – cut down carbon emissions, prioritize afforestation and limit commercial logging, develop renewable and clean energy sources, promote sustainable life that will help mitigate the negative impact of these ecological issues on populations and communities worldwide.

The CCA and its member churches and Councils in Asia are committed to the global campaign on climate change as a matter of faith.

Yours sincerely,

PRAWATE KHID-ARN
General Secretary