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An international ecumenical consultation in Hong Kong is all set to examine issues of human security and peace with justice in Asia, especially in the context of recent geo-political developments in the Northeast Asia, with a special focus on the Korean peninsula.
Organized by the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) of the World Council of Churches (WCC), and the Justice and International Affairs programme of the Christian Conference of Asia, the consultation will be held from 3 to 6 June in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong.
The theme of the event is “Asia’s human security challenges: towards sustainable peace with justice in Northeast Asia”. The discussions at the event will contribute to the theme of the WCC’s upcoming assembly “God of life, lead us to justice and peace”, to be held in Busan, Republic of Korea, 30 October to 8 November.
Around fifty participants from Asia, Europe and North America, representing churches, ecumenical organizations, peace groups and academia will gather for the event in Hong Kong.
“Asia today is faced with an increasing trend of multifaceted social, economic, political and security challenges,” said Dr Mathews George Chunakara, director of the CCIA. These challenges, he said, are a direct threat to peace and human security which eventually ends up negating human rights and the dignity of millions of people.
“In this situation, the consultation is significant in addressing these issues with a perspective of justice and peace, which is focus of the WCC assembly,” he added.
“The consultation will reflect on the issues of human security from diverse Christian theological perspective, and will evolve ecumenical responses within the framework of the WCC assembly theme,” said Mathews George.
Along with invoking theological reflections on human security, sustainable peace, and justice in Asia, the consultation will discuss Japan’s role in building nuclear power, the increasing militarization which hampers human security in Northeast Asia, six party talks and prospects of matured inter-Korean and United States relations as well as working towards a peace treaty for the Korean peninsula to replace the 1953 armistice agreement.
The consultation will enrich the content of a public issues statement that will be presented at the WCC assembly on “Peace, reconciliation and reunification of the Korean peninsula” proposed by the CCIA and mandated by the WCC Central Committee meeting in Greece, 2012.
