Peace

Peace is the good consequence of a just society, a situation where all can let their guard down and enjoy friendly relationships with one another. Sometimes, we think of peace in a negative way, as the absence of war or violence. But peace is the positive result of social institutions and individual efforts to create and maintain just communities.

When things go badly, as in war, genocide, domestic violence or other disruptions of good relationships, the way of peace calls us to do justice, to heal what is broken and to prepare a new context for encounter. In conflict zones, Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada’s partners contribute to peacebuilding through leadership training, dialogue, and by addressing the underlying reasons for violence, like prejudice, economic instability and scarcity. Sustainable development means ensuring people have the community supports and material security they need to live without fear or desperation.

In Canada, our members build peace by urging our government to oppose war and violence, to divest from the arms industry, and to hold Canadian companies accountable for abuses abroad.

We also believe in truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and justice for all those pushed to the margins of Canadian society.

Because we want peace, we work for justice!