wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Violence against children in Asia: churches to tackle

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: +41 22 791 6153   +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org 
For immediate release - 23/08/2004

 ASIAN CHURCHES TO TACKLE CHALLENGE 
OF "OVERCOMING VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN"

 Concerned about the growing plight of children in many parts of Asia,
 church leaders will gather in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 28-31 August and
 from 1-4 September in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to evolve a strategy for
 mobilising churches to take a more active role in overcoming violence
 against children in both local and national contexts in Asia.

These two consultations, jointly organised by the World Council of Churches
(WCC) and the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), will focus on creating a
culture of peace for children at the community level through equipping
churches to address the increasing trend of violence against children,
especially in conflict-ridden countries in Asia.

Bringing together around 70 church leaders from WCC and CCA member churches
in Asia, one of the main aims of the consultations will be to develop an
"Ecumenical Action Plan for Overcoming Violence against Children in Asia".

More and more often, we hear the cry of children who live unprotected from
violence, exploitation and abuse. Violence against children occurs within
the family, at school, in the community, at work, in institutions, on the
street, or in conflict situations.

Bought and sold like commodities, children are forced to be soldiers, sex
workers, bonded labourers in factories and agricultural fields, and
domestic servants. In South Asia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal are the
most affected countries; in South East Asia, it is Cambodia, Myanmar,
Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.

"These two consultations are part of the global and regional ecumenical
bodies' ongoing efforts to challenge the churches in Asia not to remain
silent when it comes to promoting the dignity of marginalised children,
especially as a traditional charity approach to such issues often takes
precedence," said the WCC Asia secretary, Dr Mathews George Chunakara, who
co-ordinates the WCC programme on the "Dignity of Children".

The consultations tie in with the WCC Decade to Overcome Violence, which
will focus on Asia in 2005, and with the 12th CCA general assembly theme,
"Building communities of peace for all".

For further information on the Web:

WCC programme on Dignity of Children
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/regional/children-e.html 

WCC Decade to Overcome Violence:
http://www.overcomingviolence.org/ 

Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
http://www.cca.org.hk/ 

Additional information: 
Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153  +41 79 507 6363
 media@wcc-coe.org 

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in more
than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly,
which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally
inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by
general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.

You receive this message as a subscriber to the WCC information service for
	 media. To unsubscribe or change your settings, <a
	
href="http://onlineservices.wcc-coe.org/wccregistration.nsf/UpdateRequest?Ope
nForm"><font
 face="Arial">click here</font></a>
	 .