ACT Alliance Continues Its General Assembly in Indonesia
What Are the Most Prominent Issues Being Addressed?
With great hope, and under the theme "Hope in Action, Together for Justice," ACT Alliance continues the work of its General Assembly in Yogyakarta Region, Indonesia, where the activities of the second day were held today, Tuesday, October 29, 2024. The Assembly's work will continue until Friday, November 1.
In the presence of the General Secretary of ACT Alliance, Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, and the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay, the ACT Alliance family is participating in this global ecumenical event, including its employees and representatives of its members from regional and international organizations and bodies. This includes the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), represented by the Regional Director of the Department of Diakonia and Social Service, Eng. Samer Laham, and the Communication and Media Officer in the Department of Communication and Public Relations, Elia Nasrallah.
The second day began with a Morning Prayer and Biblical Meditation by Pastor Sally Azar from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
The sessions of the General Assembly opened with several speeches, including one by Reverend Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay, who expressed his gratitude for ACT Alliance's initiatives and the activities of its members, stressing that we are all called to serve and work together for justice and peace. He also noted that the General Assembly was a time of Prayer, cooperation, and strengthening of relations among all participants.
Then, a professional Indonesian team performed a traditional dance that embodied the country's customs, allowing the participants to learn through art about Indonesian civilization and its characteristics.
After that, a dialogue session was held with specialists from various fields on humanitarian and social topics. Participants discussed these topics in several workshops, during which they exchanged views and experiences, each from their own position and framework, all with the same goals and looking forward to walking together on a journey towards peace and the realization of truth and justice.
These themes revolved around the Sustainable Development Goals and climate commitments, countering polarization and reducing hate speech, working for justice, and addressing urgent humanitarian needs.
Furthermore, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Professor Dr. Michel Abs, delivered a video speech to the participants in which he stressed that "ACT Alliance, a global symbol of Christian unity," praising its work and also touching on the theme of Christian unity to emphasize the importance of solidarity and cooperation together. "Christians, throughout history, lived together, struggled together and experienced martyrdom together. This is to be one!"
After a session devoted to conclusions with Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, the participants engaged in a Prayer that reflected the richness of the religious diversity that Indonesia has to offer, through which they stressed the importance of religious harmony without any discrimination, so that the world may one day be rid of violence, injustice, and hate speech.
At the end of the second day of the General Assembly, an official cultural dinner was held in the presence of the Sultan of Yogyakarta Region, which included speeches inspired by the occasion and an artistic segment highlighting Indonesian heritage prepared by YAKKUM Center and the Indonesian Forum in ACT Alliance.
With all these sessions and the issues addressed at the General Assembly, the Ecumenical Family once again stresses the need to join hands and cooperate together by serving the neediest and most vulnerable for a better world full of hope, justice, love, and peace.
#ACTGA2024 #HopeInAction
#MECC #MiddleEastCouncilofChurches
