Letter from CCA
(“A Letter from CCA” is a sharing message of the CCA General Secretary to update member churches and ecumenical friends about the life and works of CCA. It is electronically published every Wednesday.)
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ!
| CCA Executive
Committee Meeting 4-6 May 2009 |
Asia Sunday 24 May 2009 |
13th CCA General Assembly "Called to Prophesy, Reconcile and Heal" 14-21 April 2010 |
CCA received with gratitude from the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) the news of the visit of the ecumenical Christian Forum for Human Rights (ECFoHR) to the Sri Lankan High Commission for India in New Delhi last April 29.
The leaders of the Indian Churches expressed their concerns to the Sri Lankan Government, especially to the President of Sri Lanka, about the heart-rending plight of the innocent civilians killed in the war. CCA also expresses its deep concern, sympathy and grief over the suffering humanity in Sri Lanka.
In a Memorandum submitted to the Sri Lankan High Commission for India, Indian Church Leaders stated the following concerns for the Sri Lankan Government to address:
 | That the Sri Lankan government announce a unilateral ceasefire in the north-eastern Sri Lanka and initiate a negotiated political settlement through a referendum respecting the self determination of Tamils. |
| That the Sri Lankan government commits itself to protect the security of life and property of the Tamils. |
| That the UN and the international community be invited to initiate a process of bringing a lasting Peace. |
| That the Sri Lankan government takes all necessary steps to allow the thousands of civilians to leave the war zone safely. |
| Hasten the humanitarian assistance to the civilian victims with medicine, food, shelter and other supplies necessary, and to initiate the relief and rehabilitation of the affected people. |
| Set up an independent international fact finding team to visit the affected areas to assess the real damage and to monitor the humanitarian services to the affected people. |
| That the relief camps are run and managed by the international agencies, unhindered by the Sri Lankan government. |
| That the international media be allowed to visit all parts of the affected area and report the reality. |
"We believe if your government could display a greater sensitivity to the plight of the Tamils, the war will come to an end and the long cherished aspiration of the Tamils will be fulfilled. We urge you once again to stop the war immediately and bring justice to the Tamils," Rev. Dr. P. Mohan Larbeer, General Convener of the ECFoHR and Principal of the Tamilnadu Theological Seminary, told the Sri Lankan High Commission.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Dhirendra Kumar Sahu, General Secretary of NCCI, expressed the Indian Churches' urgent concern on the issue by advocating and proposing that humanitarian and human rights assistance to the affected civilians be rendered immediately. He added that, "we all have to work for it and voice for it". (Source: MCCI News Flash).
CCA Executive Committee Meeting
The CCA Executive Committee met on May 4-5, 2009, at the Paradornparp International House, Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Executive Committee received the initial report of the CCA Review (Evaluation) Team composed of Mr. Leo Bashyam, Rev. Dr. Henriete Hutabarat, and Mr Charlie Ocampo.
The CCA review has been initiated as part of the CCA 50th anniversary celebration (1957-2007) to reflect on the past and to search for new ways of doing mission in new contexts. The report highlighted important points which CCA should carefully consider in the following areas: Vision and Mission, Governance, Membership and Participation, Relationship and Communication, Management and Administration, Gender Justice, Women and Youth, Human Resources, Finance and Sustainability. Mr Bashyam and Dr Hutabarat presented the report.
The final report will be presented to the General Committee in its September, 2009 meeting. Then it will be presented to the 13th General Assembly in April 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Asia Sunday Liturgy in Local Languages
The Asia Sunday is fast approaching. CCA encourages member churches, member councils and ecumenical partners to pray for the people of Sri Lanka. The country is being torn apart by the on-going war between the government and the LTTE.
This year, Asia Sunday falls on 24 May. The liturgy is available online at the CCA website: http://www.cca.org.hk/resources/liturgy/lit.htm.
We are pleased to know that with the coordination of the South Asia Ecumenical Partnership Program [SEAPP], the Asia Sunday liturgy is being translated into various South Asian languages in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan.
Prawate Khid-arn
General Secretary
No. 18/6 May 2009
