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Christian Conference of Asia
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About CCA
Program Clusters: Special Programs:
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CCA unhappy over sending additional forces to IraqThe CCA has expressed its concern and displeasure over the Korean government�s decision to send additional troops to Iraq. In a resolution, the 26-member General Committee of the CCA, which met from 22-26 October in Bangkok, urged the Korean government to withdraw the decision which was taken at the behest of the US State Department, and instead �work towards building peace and reconciliation in Iraq through participation in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq and its people.� The resolution, which was sent by the CCA General Secretary Dr Ahn Jae Woong to the Korean President, Mr Roh Moo Hyun, expressed solidarity with the Korean people and the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) in their opposition to the government�s decision, and expressed full support for their efforts in building peace in Iraq. EXTRACTS FROM THE NCCK STATEMENT 20 October 2003 About Korean government�s decision to dispatch additional forces to Iraq 1. Korean government decided to dispatch the additional forces lat 18 October, for the sake of national benefit and for the benefit and alliance of Korea and America. 2. Firs of all, Korean government�s decision to disptach additional forces is against the wishes of most Korean people who a peaceful world without wars. 3. Although the war has been finished, many Iraqi as well as US soldiers are being wounded. We know that Iraqis are against the USA as well as other countries, which dispatch the forces. 4. In this situation, it is misjudgment and makes international position of Korea down that the Korean government decided to dispatch the additional forces for the sake of the alliance of Korea and America as well as helping the multinational army led by the USA in the name of security and reconstruction of Iraq after the war. 5. Furthermore, Korean people are in chaos whether it is truly beneficial for us since we have to pay thousands of millions of dollars for the additional forces in this hard situation of Korean economy. The Korean government must know that the Korean and America served for the unjustifiable war in other countries. The alliance of Korea and America should serve for peace and security between America and Korea. 6. We urge Korean government to do best for true peace and reconciliation through helping fast reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Iraqi in desperation and suffering out of war. The National Council of Churches in Korea General Secretary: Rev Paik Do-Woong Chairperson of Human Rights Commmittee: Rev Moon Chang-Shik posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 31, 2003 New CCA staff appointmentsAssociate General Secretary for Finance Dr Prawate Khid-arn, a Thai national, has been appointed the Associate General Secretary for Fianace of the CCA with effect from November 1, 2003. Prawate, a member of the Church of Christ in Thailand, was a Joint Executive Secretary of the Programme Area on Justice, International Affairs, Development and Service of the CCA. He also served as an Acting Associate General Secretary for Finance. The appointment was made by the CCA General Committee, which met at Bangkok from October 22-26. Lee Hong Jung Rev Dr Lee Hong Jung from Korea is the new Joint Executive Secretary for the Programme Area on Justice, International Affairs, Development and Service of the CCA. Currently, he is the Director of Planning, Ecumenical Relations and Information of the Office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Korea. He has rich ecumenical background through his involvement in the NCC-Korea, CCA, the WCC as well as in WARC and CWM. He will take up the new position on 1 January 2004. posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, October 29, 2003 Inter-religious workshop to be held in CambodiaAn inter-religious workshop on �Conflict transformation and the study of peace� will be held from December 8 to 12 at Phnom Penh in Cambodia. The workshop is being organised jointly by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), Federation of Asian Bishop�s Conference (FABC) and the Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN). According to the CCA Executive Secretary Tony Waworuntu, one of the objectives of the workshop is to raise awareness among Christians and Muslims �to stand together as responsible agents of peace in today�s world.� Some 40 religious leaders, intellectuals and peace activists representing the two religions from different parts of Asia are expected to attend the workshop. A few Cambodian Buddhists will also be invited to participate as observers. The organisers hope that this workshop will pave the way for establishing relations of trust and mutual appreciation on which a future can be built. posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 Human rights trainingThe annual human rights training programme of the CCA is being planned to be held in Kuala Lumpur from November 10 to 16. Thirty persons, selected on the recommendations of the churches and national councils, will attend the training programme. Organised by the Justice, International Affairs, Development and Service of the CCA, the Kuala Lumpur training programme will have inputs on the biblical and theological reflections on human rights, the role of Asian churches in promoting human rights and a historical background of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its implementation, among others. The first human rights training programme of the CCA was held in 1997. posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 EED delegation visits CCA CentreA German delegation from the Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (EED � Church Development Service) visited the CCA Centre on October 15. The eight-member delegation was received at the centre by Dr Ahn Jae Woong, the CCA general secretary and the executive staff. A dinner reception hosted in honour of the delegation was attended by church and civil society leaders in Hong Kong. Dr Konrad von Bonin, chairperson of the EED�s Board of Directors, who led the delegation along with Ms. Margit Fleckenstein, paid rich tributes to the CCA for its work in Asia. He especially commented the CCA�s initiatives in promoting inter-faith cooperation in the region. Dr Ahn Jae Woong in his remarks said that people in Asia were always encouraged by EED�s �concern, friendship and fellowship for the Asian people for the betterment of their life.� Ms Margit Fleckenstein, president of the Synod of the Church of Baden and a member of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany also spoke on the occasion. The other memebers of the delegation were, Dr Monika Gansbauer, Dr Katrin Fiedler, Mr Christian Sauer, Ms Anna Grafin von Bernstorff, Mr Heiner Knauss and Mr Christoph Wilkens. Ms Anja Maria Bugs, Cultural and Press Attache of the German Consulate in Hong Kong was also present. Among the church and civil society leaders from Hong Kong who were present were Metropolitan Nikitas (Orthodox Church), Rev Eric So (Hong Kong Christian Council), Major Alfred Tsang (The Salvation Army), Mr Yip Kok Choong (Asia Pacific Alliance of YMCAs), Mr Basil Fernando (Asian Human Rights Commission) and Dr Rose Wu (Hong Kong Christian Institute). The Bonn-based EED, an association of the Protestant Churches in Germany, has been supporting the development work of the churches, Christian organisations, and private agencies in different parts of the world, through, among others, funding and offering consultancy services. One of the main aims of the EED is the creation of a just society 
Dr Ahn Jae Woong with Dr Konrad von Bonin, chairperson of the EED's board of directors. Orthodox Metropolitan for Hong Kong and South East Asia, Nikitas is also seen. posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 General Committee MeetingThe CCA General Committee will meet on October 22-26, 2003 at the Bangkok Christian Guest House in Bangkok, Thailand. Among the agenda lined up for the meeting are the reports of the CCA General Secretary and Acting Associate General Secretary for Finance; reports on the 12th General Assembly preparation; and the recommendations of the Personnel Committee with regards to the positions of Associate General Secretary for Finance and Joint Executive Secretary for Justice, International Affairs, Development and Service. Invited to provide some input at the meeting are: Dr. U Kyaw Than, to preach at the opening worship; Dr. Preman Niles, to lead three daily Bible studies; and Rev. Dr. Robert Edgar (General Secretary of NCCCC-USA) for a special session on ecumenical cooperation. posted by hope on Saturday, October 18, 2003 International Seminar on Asian Peace and URM"For as long as the masses in each of our societies continue to live out their reality through the images of poverty, exploitation, and repression, URM [Urban Rural Mission] will have a reason for being." Thus said Sharon Rose Joy Ruiz-Duremdes, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, in her keynote address at the International Seminar for Asian Peace and the URM on October 6, 2003. in Seoul, Korea. With the theme "Asian Peace and the URM in the Twenty-First Century," the seminar gathered some 50 participants, including senior URM leaders, peace activists and theologians from Korea and other Asian countries, including Australia and New Zealand. Participants also attended the 45th anniversary service of Yongdungpo Urban Industrial Mission on 5 October and the opening of the Saebyuk World Peace Center on 6 October at Saebyuk Presbyterian Church. On 7 October the stone sculpture of the Hand of Peace was unveiled at the Saebyuk World Peace Center led by Saebyuk senior pastor Lee Seung-yong. Participants shared sub-regional reports and Bible studies, heard presentations, made exposure visits, and united together in worship. In a statement, they reaffirmed that "the churches of Asia must continue to identify with and accompany the people in their pursuit for peace, justice and freedom" and that the URM must "continue to stand with the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized in their struggle against the forces of globalization and militarization." Co-hosting the seminar were the Saebyuk World Peace Center and the Asian URM Diakonia Training Center in Korea. Co-sponsors were the CCA and the NCC in Korea. posted by hope on Friday, October 10, 2003 |
