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Christian Conference of Asia
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About CCA
Program Clusters: Special Programs:
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Women’s Ecumenical Accompaniment for Vision and Empowerment (WEAVE) Project – in Timor Leste
WEAVE Activity Updates: Organizing and Strengthening Women’s Network in Local congregations- The women of the Dilli District in Timor Leste has been organized. Ecumenical Accompanier is facilitating district officers for planning for the first General Meeting of ITPL women in July 2008. In Baucau Church women’s fellowship group has been organized. In Maranatha Church Women’s Bible fellowship has been organized. Establishing and Strengthening Women’s Desk of IPTL: Since the women's desk of IPTL is disfunctional in the present context due to no full time women worker- Dominica Farullio is helping IPTL to establish a women's desk . Church women are also being organized through capacity enhancement local training is grassroots level preparing them for the first ITPL women's Assembly in July where the full time women secretary will be appointed. Self Sustainable Women’s Business Projects: Dominca Farullio -Ecumenical accompanier is facilitating Church women of IPTL to network with Nongovernmental organizations like 'Mondus Russi' and YASONA to start micro credit and other self sustainable projects. posted by Moumita on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 Strengthening EGY Networking- Meeting with Partners from ' Church Mission Society ' (UK)- 14th March 2008. This meeting was held in CCA on 14th March 2008 in CCA head office in Payap University Thailand mainly to strengthen the EGY networking with mission partners of CMS especially to engage in ecumenical formation and mission work among youth, and young women in Asia. Rev Adrain Watkins- Regional Manager - South Asia, John Hayward – Regional Consultant for Pakistan, Ms Sheila – Manager of Thai- China Mission Exchange program from CMS and Dr Prawate Khid arn-General Secretary of CCA , Ms Moumita Biswas - Executive Secretary EGY, Mr Adam Anand Row – Youth Consultant was present in this meeting. Ms Moumita Biswas also represented CCA in 'South Asia Christian Youth Core Group Meeting' supported by CMS was held in Bangkok from 6th-9th March in Bann Phu Wann Pastoral training Centre . The main aim of this meeting was to organize the 6th South Asian Young Adult and Youth Forum in 2009 based on the Theme – 'Building Leaders for Mission in Multi Faith Context' . Mr Kasta Dip former intern of CCA- EGY at present working as Youth Co-coordinator of Church of North India also member Church of CCA is choosen as the new co-ordinator of this South Asian Youth and Young Adult Network. There were deliberations in the core group meeting how CCA and other mission partners in solidarity CMS can support this South Asian youth Christian network and its various activities. Labels: Friends form CMS along with CCA General Secretary and EGY Staff posted by Moumita on Saturday, March 15, 2008 Summit of Asian Women Religious Leaders- Preparatory Meeting-10th-11th March 2008 Under the initiative of 'World Conference of Religions Peace'*, CCA in partnership with International Network of Engaged Buddhist (INEB) and World Fellowship of Buddhist (WFB) is organizing a 'Summit of Asian Religious Women Leaders' which will be held in 21st-23rd April 2008 in Bangkok. A preparatory meeting for this summit was held with partners in Bangkok on 10th-11th March 2008 . Ms Lappapan Supamanta Executive Secretary of INEB, Ms Moumita Biswas , Executive Secretary of CCA-EGY, Ms Kanchanna Soonsawd – General Secretary Regions for Peace and Ms Nareeboon Rachkeeree- President of Asian Church Womens Conference (ACWC) , Warunee Klinsukhon- CCA- EGY staff was present for this preparatory meeting. GOALS OF THE SUMMIT 1. Form a Network among Asian Women Religious Leaders. 2. Promote Gender equality and womens empowerment in multi religious collaboration for peace. 3.Develop relevant multi strategic multi-shareholder partners and alliance to and transform conflit , build peace and just societies. IMPORTANCE OF THIS SUMMIT Though Asian Women religious leaders have worked together for peace and in many joint collaborations over the years however this is for the first time women leaders from all the major Asian religions are gathering together to establish and network. Please keep us in your prayers for this peace endeavor of women religious leaders. posted by Moumita on Friday, March 14, 2008 Indigenous Women's Alternative Leadership for Transformation- Regional Follow up Training What is IWALT?The IWALT in Asia is a three year project of CCA in partnership with World Council of Churches supported by United Church of Canada and Canadian International Development Agency . Since 2005-2007 there were three sub regional trainings in India, Thailand and Philippines. The uniqueness of this training was organize as an final event a Regional follow up Training Program in order to gauge and evaluate the multiplying affect of IWALT training in local communities. ( Photo) Dr Anna May Sa Pa and Moumita Biswas in IWALT Regional Workshop Rationale for IWALT: Indigenous, Dalits and ethnic minority women suffer from sexism, casteism, exclusion and marginalized all factors that undermine community and ultimately threaten life in itself. However even in the context of violence, exculsion Asian indigenous/dalit/ethnic minority Asian women have tremendous spiritualities, skills, knowledge and feminist tools of theologizing to transform society and build communities of peace. Hence there was need for scope of sharpening such skills. GOALS OF IWALT: 2. Support indigenous and Dalit women’s empowerment in their own communities. INDIGENOUS AND DALIT WOMEN'S AFFIRMATION MAIN AIM OF REGIONAL FOLLOW UP IWALT TRAINING To bring together in celebration the results (or multiplying effect) of the follow-up activities of the women participants from the three sub-regional IWALT workshops. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES 1.To assess the attainment of objectives of the sub regional trainings through the sharing of the participants of their follow up activities.2. To deepen and sharpen their understanding of feminist theologizing and reading of Bible through indigenous and Dalit women’s eyes. 3.To evaluate the applicability of alternative i.e. feminist leadership in their respective contexts. 4.To build a platform for action, solidarity and co-operation among indigenous/dalit women on building communities of peace. HIGHLIGHTS OF IWALT- REGIONAL FOLLOW UP TRAINING: Alternative Transformational Leadership: Dr Anna May Say Pa, a renowned indigenous feminist theologian from Burma, gave the keynote address and led a Bible study on feminist leadership. “Women are more transformational leaders, use power from charisma, interpersonal skills, and hard work, rather than power from the organizational structure, and who lead by attempting to transform the self-interest of the worker to the larger interest of the group,” she said. “The transformational leaders serve as role models, help others to develop their skills, energize them and motivate them to be more creative,” A Frame Work of Asian Femenist / Women's Theologizing Theologizing Dr Hope Antone (Executive Secretary for CCA-FMU) facilitated the Asian feminist theologizing but critically locating it in the context of indigenous/Dalit women. In small groups, participants went through the steps of feminist theologizing by naming oppression, identifying agents of oppression, identifying dominant theology and ideology that reinforce oppression, doing feminist critique of religious texts and cultural practices, and planning transformative action. Re- reading the Bible through Indegenous/dalit Women's Eyes Indigenous/Dalit women have unique resources for theologizing – their folk stories, oral traditions and myths. Dr Limatula Longkumer an indigenous Naga feminist theologian part of IWALT said 'Folklore, oral traditions are indigenous people’s expression of faith, beliefs, struggles, sufferings, fears and hopes and has ethical value. Therefore, it is an inevitable tool to understand a society/community – its past, its traditions, culture and worldview and also to re-read the Bible.' She facilated the participants to share their myths and folk stories to use it as an hermenutics to re-read the Bible. Towards Self-Reliance: Handful of Rice The group discussed how they can continue promoting IWALT and multiply its effect. Ruth Raksham, a Garo from Bangladesh, and Langsanpui, a Mizo from India, shared how women keep a handful of rice every time they cook. Such handfuls of rice are later collected from every house and sold to raise funds for women’s training program. Such contribution of Asian indigenous women in kind cannot be compared with dollars or pounds but it reveals the power of Asian indigenous women to contribute to grassroots women’s ecumenical movement. No More Sorrows in God’s Garden of Justice Participants shared amazing stories of multiplying effect of IWALT in local communities. As a part of IWALT follow up in India the indigenous students in the seminary wanted IWALT to be a part of the college curriculum. A book named 'No More Sorrow in God’s Garden of Justice' was also published gaining inspiration form IWALT. INDIGENOUS AND DALIT WOMEN'S VOICES Need to Train Younger Generation Indigenous Women: Rev Elizabeth Enjut from Malaysia- 'I want younger generation to involve in the IWALT in my local community. I have made efforts to train Long House community in Malaysia. Ecumenical Movement and Churces should commit to do so.' Ecuemnical Formation Worshops for Indigenous/dalit Women: Maureen BLoste: 'Especially there is need to train indigenous women to pen down their oral traditions, spiritualities and folk stories as resource to interpret the Bible, engage in advocacy and campaign in the process of liberation. Or else our stories, traditions and culture will be erased form the memory of our young people. We need more Ecumenical Formation and Writing Worksohps where young indigenous dalit women can be trained- they are our future'. Training Dalit Women:Moumita Biswas ( Executive Secreatry EGY, CCA ) 'The dalit women are missing in this Regional follow up training though some of them were trained in the sub regional follow up trainings. They are our missing sisters this time. They have not send us their follow up reports as the others. Their silence speaks. Our Dalit sisters need more ecouragement and nurturing and support from local Churches and their communities to carry out their follow up activities. ' WHERE TO GO FROM NOW Since IWALT Project is ending its project cycles question was raised where to go from now. The participants strategized how that 1.There should be more capacity enhancement program for indegenous womenWriting and 2.Theologizing Workshops should be organized to help indegenous women to pen down their oral traditions and folk stories and use them as Asian indigenous dalit women's hermenutic to re-read the Bible. 3. Intoduce IWALT in theological seminary curriculum. 4. Organize Ecumenical formation of Gender Justice Schools for Alternative Leadership Development of indegenous women as well men and deconstruct patriarchal ideologies together to build incluisve communities of peace. posted by Moumita on Thursday, March 13, 2008 Celebrating International Women's DayRenewing our Pledge to Promote Gender Justice and Overcome Violence against Women in Asia' Dear Fellow-pilgrims of Peace, Greetings from Christian Conference of Asia. As you know on 8th March we commemorate International Women's Day (IWD). The celebration started as a political event to claim the rights and dignity of women. Though the political and human rights theme as designated by the United Nations runs strong and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are however in the present context many times our celebrations end up in the form of tokenism. The consumerist capitalist culture in neocolonized Asia IWD celebration has often lost its human rights flavor of promoting gender justice in order to build communities of peace. Asian Churches have a very crucial role uphold the real essence of IWD and educate the congregation to reflect their 'faith into action' to promote gender justice. This is crucial because gender violence through present in every country of the world but in some conservative societies of Asia, it has not even been considered an issue until recently and remains a taboo subject for public discussion. Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations rightly claims: "Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development and peace." Many times Asian Churches also needs confess that:
IWD is an important day for the Asian Churches to renew their commitment and pledge to promote
Asian Churches have tremendous potential to be salt and leaven so that every one can have life to its fullness. Therefore brothers and sisters on the IWD we urge Asian Churches to practice genuine solidarity with women to be embodiment of our faith in Jesus Christ who showed us the way to build communities of peace. Shalom
Dr Prawate Khid-arn General Secretary- CCA. posted by Moumita on Thursday, March 06, 2008 |
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