Statement on Increasing Acts of Racism and Stigmatisation during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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).

No preference updated.

24 April 2020

 

Statement on Increasing Acts of Racism and Stigmatisation during the COVID-19 Pandemic

After a spike in the outbreak of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, racism has reared its ugly head. The COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in the city of Wuhan, China in December 2019 has led to an increase in acts of xenophobia, discrimination, violence, and racism around the world. While several cases of verbal abuse and physical assault have been witnessed against people of Chinese and Asian ethnic origin in Europe, the United States, and Australia, cases of racism against Africans in China are also on the rise.

Incidents of bias and discrimination have been reported from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, home to a large African student population. Many students from Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Zimbabwe, and other Sub-Saharan African countries have chosen Guangzhou as their destination for higher education. Institutionally sanctioned racism has resulted in the eviction of African people, entry restrictions in certain areas, and cancellation of their visas. This is clear evidence of blatant xenophobia and racism.

Such discrimination has been meted out against Africans not just because of their race and ethnicity, but also because of the irrational and baseless assumptions that they may be carriers of the dreaded COVID-19 virus. Overnight evictions from tenements have left young students homeless and fending for themselves on the streets in the midst of a global pandemic. Travel restrictions prevent these students from returning to their home countries.

Such knee-jerk reactions to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in China reveal deeply ingrained biases. Though Guangzhou is the epicentre of acts of hatred against Africans because of the colour of their skin, stigmatisation against Africans has occurred in Beijing and other Chinese cities as well. The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) is alarmed at the atrocious treatment that Africans have been subjected to in China in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CCA condemns all acts of stigmatisation, discrimination, and racism wherever they exist especially during the pandemic. The CCA expresses its concern on the maltreatment and harassment of Africans in the time of the pandemic, who instead should be treated with dignity, respect, and care in these difficult times. The CCA calls for a complete halt of the inhumane treatment of Africans in China.

The CCA reiterates and unwaveringly upholds its principle of non-discrimination and equality, according to which no one shall be subjected to bigotry or prejudice because of their colour, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, religion, or their social, economic, or any other status. The CCA looks forward to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to reviewing the progress China is making in overcoming racial discrimination against Africans and nationals of other countries. We believe that each person, despite differences, reflects the image and likeness of God. Hence, based on our profound faith in God, we continue our advocacy for justice, equality, and peace in the time of this global pandemic.

 

Mathews George Chunakara
General Secretary, CCA

13 April 2020