Short historical revue of the Commission
Spanish Commission for Justice and Peace was created in 1968 by the Bishops’ Conference of Spain. It coordinates a network of more than 20 diocesan commissions that act at different levels, local areas and deal with diverse issues.
During the years of the Spanish political transition from Dictatorship to Democracy, Spanish Commission for Justice and Peace played a relevant role. It should be mentioned, among others, the initiatives aimed at achieving political prisoners amnesty, Capital Punishment abolition, and the recognition of the right to conscientious objection to military service. Later, it promoted the first campaigns for giving 0.7% of Gross National Income as Overseas Development Assistance, and the condonation of the external debt of the poorest countries.
The members of Spanish Commission for Justice and Peace are people working on a volunteer basis who strive to keep a broad-minded, open-to-dialogue and committed attitude while seeking to live in line with the Gospel values. They are people willing to work to transform society and the international order in the hope of a more just, peaceful and human World. A wide diversity of viewpoints and outlooks, along with a democratic performance, are found within it.
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| Work priorities: | In the course of its life, Spanish Commission for Justice and Peace has been working on the following issues:
• Diffusion of Catholic Social Teaching.
• Ecumenical collaboration.
• Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers; racism and xenophobia.
• The building up of a multiethnic, multicultural Europe, where solidarity is to be found.
• The condonation of external debt to the empoored countries.
• Conscientious objection, Peace and non-violence culture, and the constitution of an International Court of Justice.
• The culture of peace, the denunciation of militarism, the promotion of disarmament and a greater control of arms trade. The monitoring of defense policy and military spending in Spain and the arms exports from this country.
• Fair and just Globalization, and Education for Development.
• Unemployment, poverty and the distribution of goods and employment according to justice and simplicity of life values.
• The situation of prisoners.
• Respecting civil and political Human Rights as well as economic, social and cultural ones, and denouncing violation of those human rights.
• Concern for Creation.
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