CCA’s interfaith peacebuilding training for prospective young Asian peace activists to begin

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).

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05 September 2025

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Christian Conference of Asia’s (CCA) week-long training, Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA), will be inaugurated on Monday morning, 8 September 2025, at the CCA headquarters, Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Organised under the theme “Sustaining Peace in Asia through Religious Cooperation (SPARC),” YAPA-2025 will highlight the critical role of interfaith solidarity in sustaining peace across the region.

Entering its ninth year, the Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia training has become one of CCA’s flagship programmes. Since its inception in 2016, YAPA has steadily gained recognition across Asia, producing a growing network of alumni who continue to serve as change-makers in their local communities.

The programme prepares and trains prospective young peace activists with the knowledge, skills, and values essential for peacebuilding and reconciliation.

Thirty young Asians belonging to diverse religious and cultural traditions, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Indigenous religions, and others, from across the region will be trained during the week-long programme.

The training will be guided by seven renowned peacebuilding and conflict resolution practitioners. 

Participants will engage in interactive workshops, plenary discussions, and group activities designed to deepen their understanding of peacebuilding frameworks while sharing lived experiences from their own contexts. YAPA-2025 will also provide space for collective reflection on pressing socio-political realities in Asia and the exploration of creative, collaborative approaches to conflict transformation in inter-religious contexts.