Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA)

The churches and communities in Asia need ecumenical accompaniment at various levels in their day-to-day struggles. The history of the ecumenical accompaniment in Asia testifies to the witness of Asian churches in each and every context where people strive for peace with justice, human rights and human dignity as well as reconciliation and healing.

Natural disasters and human made calamities have been features of many Asian countries. Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistan, China, Japan, Nepal, Cambodia and Philippines constantly face such calamities. Philippines is one of the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change in the world. Inadequate mitigation mechanisms make Asian countries even more vulnerable to these disasters.  As a result, millions of Asians are affected every year.  

These days, Asians face the question, in emerging Asian contexts, of how to develop effective ways and means to accompany the struggle of millions of Asians. Various situations and conflictual contexts in Asia call for a coherent approach in churches’ engagement of Diakonia and solidarity of ecumenical accompaniment with better coherence and coordination. In 2015 CCA took the initiative to respond to the needs in the post-earthquake Nepal by mobilizing Asian churches. An Asian ecumenical platform facilitated by CCA helped several churches in Asia to express and demonstrate their solidarity and diaconal commitments. In the coming years, CCA will initiate more concrete steps to ensure the evolution of an effective mechanism of Asian Ecumenical Diakonia for solidarity.  

An annual Asian Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment forum is planned to assist the Asian Churches to reflect on theological imperatives of solidarity and accompaniment with the struggling peoples and communities in Asia; and to equip them to respond to the emerging needs through Asian Churches’ Diakonal assistance through coordinated ecumenical action.