[Update] Myanmar Update

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.

04 June 2008
christian conference of Asia, Asia christianity

Christian Conference of Asia

c/o Payap University

Muang District, Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand

Tel: +66-53-243906, 243907

E-mail: [email protected]

 

                  

CCA Action Plan on Victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar

 

A few days after the cyclone in Myanmar the Executive Staff of CCA met to discuss the catastrophic event in Myanmar and how the CCA as a regional ecumenical body could respond. We were conscious of our role and capacity and therefore decided to play the role of accompaniment with our partner churches and other credible organizations to assist the victims. In order to move in this matter as soon as possible we appointed three members of the executive staff (Rev. Dr. Sungkook Park, Ms.Naveen Qayyum and Rev. Freddy de Alwis) to visit Myanmar as soon as possible and meet with the Myanmar Council of Churches and constituent member churches. The difficulty was to obtain visas to enter Myanmar. In the mean time we engaged in the following activities

 

  1. Rev. Freddy de Alwis and I visited Bangkok on May 9, 2008 and met with Skip Dangers of Church World Service (CWS) and his team to discuss a course of action and to work together as a team.
  2. Meeting on May 20, 2008 with the General Secretary of Myanmar Council of Churches (MCC), Rev. Mar Gay Gyi, who was visiting Chiang Mai soon after the cyclone, to gather first hand information about the situation and what role CCA could play to ease the suffering of the people.

 

Although we have gathered information from different sources we felt it is important for us to make a visit to Myanmar and meet the victims in person and hear from them what they have to say and what the priorities are. In other words, we felt the credibility of a regional ecumenical organization like CCA is at stake if we abdicate our responsibilities and play the role of an inactive observer and passer by.

 

In the meantime we also wish to say that we have given a modest sum of money to the MCC to assist in the relief activities. After we come back from our visit to Myanmar we plan to share with you our first hand encounters with the victims of cyclone and their stories of pain, horror and hopes and propose a clear plan of action as to how we should spend money to bring back life and hope to a people in despair, and who should be entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of the victims, especially the poorest of the poor and those who fall outside the grand plans and schemes of donor agencies, International NGOs and other humanitarian organizations.

 

We are happy to announce that we have got the visas to enter Myanmar and therefore we will visit Myanmar from June 9-12, 2008. It is important to mention to you that CCA is clear of its role as a regional ecumenical organization and we will not enter into any competition with any humanitarian or developmental organizations already operational in Myanmar.

 

The role of CCA is not to become operational in the local context. However, CCA has a multiple task in a context of suffering and pain. We see our role in terms of:

  • To accompany the churches and to empower them to be an incarnational presence
  • To help the churches and communities at large to discern the truth from falsehood
  • To enable and energize the churches to be in mission and maintain their credibility and integrity as the Body of Christ
  • To empower churches to take on a prophetic, pastoral and healing role within the broken and weeping community
  • To facilitate a process where it is possible to coordinate activities in order to avoid unnecessary competition, rivalry, duplication and waste of resources among themselves, donors and recipients
  • To prevent churches, INGOs, NGOs, individual or free lance missionaries to use this tragic occasion for proselytization and evangelization

 

 In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that although the CCA will not be operational in Myanmar we will not abdicate our responsibility of equipping and accompanying the churches to be the Good Samaritan, Giver of Life in the midst of death giving forces and a healing and a reconciling presence in the midst of brokenness, bleeding and loss of life.

 

We appeal to you to support our efforts and pray for the people in Myanmar and the work we intend to do in Myanmar. If you want the send money to support the victims in Myanmar please transfer funds to the CCA account in Hong Kong.

 

With Christian greetings,

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Dr. Prawate Khid-arn

General Secretary, CCA.