"If You Want Peace, Work For Justice"
Dominicans for Justice and Peace (Order of Preachers) was created in 1998 by the International Dominican Commission for Justice and Peace and endorsed by the General Council of the Order as a Permanent Delegation of the Order to the United Nations (UN). The Delegation is based in Geneva and obtained its Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC) in 2002.
Overall, the Delegation is dedicated to the promotion of the Good News of justice and peace in the world, proclaimed by Jesus Christ and instilled in the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church, as an integral element of the Order’s mission to preach the truth. With a presence in over 120 countries, Dominicans are involved in many areas related to justice and peace, such as: land grabbing, pollution by businesses, indigenous rights, street children, refugees, internally displaced persons, corruption, prostitution, human trafficking, empowerment of women, demilitarization, environmental issues and sustainable development.
Since these local issues are often diametrically opposed to the powers-that-be, they can only be effectively addressed at a global level. The Delegation was established to connect local partners to decision-makers on the global stage. By advocating for people in remote areas, the Delegation plays a unique role at the UN by ensuring that these local struggles remain on the fore-front of the global discourse. Through its office in Geneva and representations in Vienna and Nairobi, Dominicans for Justice and Peace plays an active role in various UN bodies.
The Delegation supports Dominican causes by seeking peaceful solutions to conflicts, addressing the root causes of contemporary challenges, working to change structures that perpetuate injustice and impinge on the dignity of God’s children, and by bringing justice to people whose rights have been violated.
The specific objectives of the Delegation are to:
1. accompany and empower Dominicans and their partners on the ground in the defence and promotion of human rights, the care of Creation and the common good, by providing the necessary tools to work with the United Nations;
2. advocate in the United Nations for the issues addressed by Dominicans at all levels, by highlighting especially abuses in the fields of human rights and the environment;
3. provide a Dominican contribution, as a civil society actor, to strengthening the work of the United Nations and to deepening the reflection on key contemporary issues.
