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Christian Conference of Asia
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Consultative Workshop and Program Area Committee MeetingReviving Prophetic Ecumenism: Role of Youth and Women in Asia in the Journey of Healing and Reconciliation. 09-12 February 2011, CNI Bhawan, New Delhi STATEMENT “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24) “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute”.(Proverbs 31: 8) Preamble 1.We, the Church leaders Youth, Women participants and Program Area Committee Members of Ecumenical Formation Gender Justice and Youth Empowerment cluster from different countries and representing Churches, National Councils and Christian youth organizations all over Asia, Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia have gathered in unity and bonded by the love of Christ to attend the Consultative Workshop and Program Area Committee Meeting (EGY) organized by CCA based on the theme: Reviving Prophetic Ecumenism: Role of Youth and Women in Asia in the Journey of Healing and Reconciliation at CNI Bhavan, New Delhi organized in partnership with NCCI, Church of North India and Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action ( CASA). 2. We come from diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds representing Cambodia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, India, Aotearoa New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Iran to bear common witness to God’s love and are ambassadors of transformation. 3. We proclaim that Asian women, youth and children are not only an integral part of Asian Churches but they have been playing a crucial role in the advancement of the reign of God and in shaping Asian ecumenical movement throughout history. 4. We also acknowledge and recognize that Asian women and youth make profound contribution in prophetic ministry of the Church. However we regret that many times such contributions and prophetic voices and role of youth and women are not only ignored and undermined by Asian society but often suppressed by the Church and society. 3. We regret that various forms of injustices prevalent in this neo-colonized Asian society which is ripped apart by negative impacts of globalization, war, ethnic conflicts, terrorism, fundamentalism, military dictatorship and violence and have adverse impact on the lives of women, youth and children in unique ways. We lament that women, children and youth are the worst victims of any forms of violence in Asia. We acknowledge despite their vulnerability women, youth and children are not always passive recipients of violence. They have resilience and hope in continuously striving for justice, peace to heal one another and reconcile broken communities. Context: 1. Asia as a region has been endowed by God with diverse natural resources. It is home to myriad ethnic groups of people, rich in diverse culture, diverse faith traditions and spirituality. 2. However, Asia is plagued by different fissiparous tendencies like globalization, neo-colonization, climate change, war, ethnic conflict, terrorism, militarization, caste based violence, gender based discrimination and violence, etc are resulting in abject poverty for many and accumulation of wealth by few, hunger , malnutrition , disease, forced migration, human and child trafficking, violence against indigenous people, etc. Women, children and youth are all the more susceptible to these issues, as poverty has a ‘female face’, particularly in South Asia. In such context we are called to be prophets of justice and peace and ‘speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves’. We need to envision life together in a common witness to God’s love and engage ourselves in the ministry of ‘healing and reconciliation’. 3. The Ecumenical youth and women’s movement in Asia has a splendid and glorious history. The ecumenical youth leaders of the yesteryears have led us to practice the ecumenical lifestyle in the different arena of our communities, continuously engaging in ecumenical pilgrimage of justpeace. 4. However we cannot deny that in present time Asian ecumenical movement is facing a crisis and many times Churches have failed to address the relevant issues and respond to the needs of the time. It has many times failed to nurture, sustain, promote, recognize, revive or revitalize the prophetic energy and ecumenical spirit of youth and women. 5.Having said that, despite many complex challenges in this post modern era Asian women and youth Church leaders even today are continuously striving to search of new vision, mission, hope and praxis oriented paradigms to be prophets of peace. Many youth and women Church leaders throughout Asia are being martyred for championing human rights and for their prophetic role to speak and act for justice. 6. We are now facing an ecumenical winter in Asia. Even today hierarchical structure of the Asian churches prevents the young people and women to be involved in decision making process of the Church. Many times Asian Churches, National Christian Councils and even Regional Ecumenical organizations have failed to promote or nurture youth or women’s ecumenical movements in grassroots, locally or sub regionally. The absence of full time youth secretary in many National Councils and even CCA reveals a manifestation of such ecumenical winter. Asian Churches have often failed to address issues relating to wider ecumenism in multi pluralistic context of Asia. Even today in Asian context Gender Justice is mistaken and misunderstood by many Asian Church leaders as women’s issue per se and that woman alone needs to be empowered in their journey of liberation form violence. There is lack of initiative or understanding among many member Churches in Asia that men also needs to be empowered to promote gender justice and there is need for men-women partnerships in healing communities. Faith Affirmation: We believe in a God of Justice, whose transforming and redemptive love embraces the universe and upholds the rights, dignity and sacredness of all people, especially Children, Youth & Women. Recommendations: 1. We recommend CCA to promote among Asian Churches the need to mainstream and prioritize youth and women’s ecumenical formation and leadership development as an important ministry of their Church. We recommend EGY to emphasize on ecumenical formation and leadership development of youth and women through its programs, projects and activities in collaboration with member Churches, National councils and ecumenical partners. ( 2. We encourage CCA to promote among Churches in Asia to observe the 2nd Sunday in August as the CCA youth Sunday, coinciding with the International Youth Day of 12th August/Youth Week (Or any other day that is appropriate to local situations). 3. We recommend CCA to engage in ecumenical formation for promoting gender justice not only among women but also sensitize, train and equip male lay and ordained Church leaders in Asia to build inclusive communities of justpeace and restore broken relationships. 4. We recommend CCA to organize Asia Ecumenical Course for the youth and the women for their ecumenical formation. 5. We encourage Church leaders and ecumenical bodies and organizations in Asia to stop ecumenical tourism and nepotism by reviewing their nomination process for international / national meetings /seminars and in committees and thus ensuring fair and genuine participation of youth and women. 6. We encourage CCA and EGY to take adequate steps to engage in follow-up seriously after every programmatic intervention involving all stakeholders, e.g., the sending member Churches, Councils, participants and resource partners and help them to be accountable in promoting youth or women’s ecumenical movement in locally or in the grassroots. 7. We recommend that CCA Executive Committee must take adequate steps to appoint a full time, ecumenically committed, youth secretary or youth person in charge at the earliest, in order to revive and revitalize the ecumenical youth movement which is losing its fervor. We also recommend a full time secretary who will be in responsible for promoting women’s leadership development, Gender justice and issues related to Children’s human rights. 8. We affirm that the youth and the women should not be made the scapegoat of the financial crisis in CCA. 9. We recommend CCA to engage in advocacy work promoting children’s right to life and dignity and also promote and engage in advocacy for child protection policies among it member Churches and councils of CCA 10. We encourage CCA to promote among member Churches’ polices against sexual harassment. 11. We recommend CCA to review the joint cluster of EGY and establish an exclusive youth department of the CCA with adequate resource allocation, however keeping the integrated approach of youth and women in terms of program focus areas. 12. We encourage CCA to adequately distribute financial resources and nurture and promote the activities of EGY. We also recommend adequate efforts should be made to prioritize strategic planning and lobbying to raise adequate financial resources to support youth as well as women and gender justice related program and activities. 13. We also encourage member Churches and councils or CCA to own EGY activities and share resources. We call for innovative interventions regarding promoting youth and women ecumenical movement in Asia which are not totally dependent on financial resources. 14. We recommend EGY to make efforts to promote Asian youth and women’s theology, theological articulation and spiritualities and also promote publications of such theologies of youth and women in Asia. 15. We recommend CCA should develop a data base of the potentialities of the Churches / Councils and CCA youth and women for joint ventures on issues of common interest. 16. We recommend EGY to revive its networking with WSCF- AP and EASYNET in order promote ecumenical youth movement in Asia – as in the recent years the networking has been deteriorating. 17. We encourage CCA to affirm the commitment to the Indigenous Peoples and Dalits in Asia, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. CCA should express solidarity with Indigenous Peoples and Dalits in their struggles against discrimination and injustice, and encourages member churches to do so. We encourage EGY to engage in ecumenical formation and leadership development of indigenous and dalit youth and women. 18. We recommend CCA in accompanying newer member Churches and councils in their ecumenical journey. We encourage CCA to facilitate older member Churches and councils to accompany new member Churches and councils in promoting women and ecumenical movement and in their journey of healing and reconciliation. Conclusion: We beseech the blessing of our parent God to help us to reinvigorate, revive and revitalize youth and women’s ecumenical movement in Asia in this present time. We pray to God of love, peace and justice to make us prophets and prophetess of transformation as we journey in our mission to engage in prophetic, compassionate, healing and reconciling ministries for the realization of justice and equality for all. posted by cbs on Monday, April 18, 2011 |
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