The Annual General Meeting and Consultative Forum of the International Christian Maritime Association are set to meet in Penang, Malaysia.

These events are opportunities for all 28 members of ICMA to come together.  At these meetings the members participate in discussions and workshops on pressing issues relevant to seafarers’ ministry. The membership advise the Executive Committee on ICMA policy and strategy.

This year the meetings move to Asia.  The Consultative Forum, planned for 25 September, follows directly after the ICMA East Asia Regional Conference.  The proximity of these meetings allow for the frontline chaplains and volunteers who attend the East Asia Conference to meet and mingle with the ICMA-societies’ leaders, and for these leaders to touch base with grass roots carers.

The focus of the East Asia Conference is on self-care for chaplains, and the ministry to fishers.  Dr. Marion Gibson, renowned Irish academic and valued collaborator of ICMA, leads the presentations on self-care.  Father Bruno Ciceri from the Pontifical Council for Migrant and Itinerant People, leads the discussions on fishers.  The East Asia Conference will be held from 21 to 24 September.

The Consultative Forum kicks off with a presentation from Mr. David Fredrick, a ship owner with recent experience of pirate attacks on his fleet.

During other plenary sessions, ICMA will discuss the implementation of its developing training and education policy, and the plans for the Hamburg 2011 World Conference.

The Consultative Forum will split up into four working groups that will workshop

• ICMA’s value to its members,
• the theology of our ecumenical working,
• responses to piracy and
• our ministry to fishers.

ICMA is fortunate that it can rely on the financial support of the ITF Seafarers Trust to stage such events.  Both the East Asia Regional Conference and the Consultative Forum are generously supported by grants from the Trust.  These grants enable ICMA members from developing countries, who would not otherwise be able to attend, to come to these meetings and to contribute to these consultations from the wealth of their experience.  ICMA would be immeasurably poorer without these members’  contributions.

Click here for a programme of the events in Penang. The programme is subject to change.

Hennie la Grange, general secretary

August 25th, 2010 | Category: Education, Meetings, News | Comments Off

Somali pirates' boat. Source: Wikimedia Commons

With only five weeks to go before the deadline, the petition to encourage international action on piracy has reached 300,000!

Jon Whitlow, ITF Seafarers Section, says:

This is a fantastic achievement, but we also need to remember that we only have five weeks to collect the remaining 200,000 signatures.

The situation in Somalia remains critical, with 351 seafarers and 16 ships being held in Somalia, some since October 2009.  Most recently, the Syria Star was fired on and hijacked and two crew members were injured before the ship was released.

Printable petition forms are available at www.endpiracypetition.org.  These PDFs can be emailed to ships, signed, scanned and returned to howard_penny@itf.org.uk.

The petition is now available to be signed on-line in Chinese, Russian and Spanish.  PDFs of the petition are available in these languages in addition to Japanese, German, and French.

Plans are being made for the presentation of the petition to the IMO General Secretary in London on World Maritime Day, 23 September 2010.  Supporters of the initiative are encouraged to organise local events to present the petition to their own governments.  The ITF can provide you with the package of signatures.

These final five weeks will be critical to the success of the petition, and we ask everyone to think about how they can contribute, says Whitlow.

August 18th, 2010 | Category: Advocacy, News | Comments Off

The Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) of New York and New Jersey has appointed Paige Sato as the new Program Manager for its 112-year-old volunteer knitting program, Christmas at Sea.

Paige Sato

And so preparations for Christmas 2010 begin in earnest.   Many ICMA members visit ships bearing gifts at Christmas.  And many of those gifts will be beanies and scarves lovingly knitted by scores of people who want nothing less than to demonstrate the warm heart of God’s coming in Jesus Christ.

Paige Sato is no different.  She zealously supports charitable causes.  And Paige co-owns a knitting store in Montclair, NJ.

The Reverend David M. Rider, SCI President & Executive Director, says: “Paige brings incredible personal energy, life experience, and entrepreneurial skills.”

More »

August 11th, 2010 | Category: Ministry, News | Comments Off

Fishers plying their trade. Source: R.N.M.D.S.F.

10 August 2010.

The BBC reports today that deep sea fishing is the most dangerous occupation in Britain.

Fishers are most at risk of losing their lives at work.

• The risk that a fisher might die while working is 115 times greater than any other.
• One in 20 fishers are at risk of serious injury.

The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishers report that fishers are unlikely to survive if lost overboard. 

Read more on the website of ICMA member The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishers.

The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishers is one of several ICMA members dedicated to caring for fishers.  Almost all other members of ICMA care for fishers as part of their service to all merchant seafarers.

ICMA is presently looking at ways to enhance its ministry to fishers.  At its Consultative Forum planned for September in Penang a workshop on ministry to fishers will be led by Father Bruno Ciceri.  It is hoped that a sub-committee on fishers might be established.

ICMA calls for prayers and support for fishers.

Hennie la Grange, General Secretary

August 10th, 2010 | Category: News | Comments Off