ICMA gathers in Penang, Malaysia
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




