Account for TWO ecumenical developments in Australian Christianity since the Second World War. Ecumenism, in the sense of Australian Christianity, is the religious initiative towards unity within the Christian church. It is the promotion of cooperation and better understanding between distinct religious groups or denominations within Christianity and other religions. NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES AUSTRALIA (NCCA) The NCCA is an example of an ecumenical movement: it brings together a number of Australian Christian churches in dialogue and practical support. It was also the first recognized coalition between the Catholic Church and other major Christian faiths. Out of the desolation of the Second World War arose the Australian Committee for the World Council of Churches. This developed into the Australian Council of Churches which, in 1994, became the National Council of Churches in Australia. The NCCA is made up of 15 Christian churches, gathered from across Australia, who have undertaken a pilgrimage together. Each brings with them a very different record of place, experience, and theology, but all share a mutual faith and confession in Jesus Christ as God and Savior. They all share a common future as they are confident that the future of Christians in Australia is in unity, not in division. The purpose of the NCCA is to deepen the relationship of the member Churches to communicate more visibly the unity desired by Christ and to mobilize to realize their mission of common testimony, proclamation and service. On behalf of 85% of the country's Christians, it could prove to be the most influential lobby group in the country. The Council made proposals to governments on behalf of member churches. He lobbied governments on unemployment benefits, GST on food and increased Aboriginal health budgets. He spoke out strongly against the Australian government's policy of detaining refugees and called for children to be released from detention camps. Over the years since the Council was founded, it has taken part in numerous charity and aid projects. The NCCA rallied to the aid of East Timor after the Indonesian army and local militia massacred large numbers of its inhabitants and ruined much of the country. During the civil war in Ambon, Indonesia, the Muslim Council of Australia and the NCCA organized a joint demonstration of Prayers for Peace. The combined Prayers for Peace gathering is an example of interreligious dialogue. The NCCA has been a significant ecumenical movement in Australian Christianity since the Second World War, through its federation of all major Christian churches in Australia and its faithful commitment to the unity of the Christian Church.