Peace & Security
- Posted by NETWORK on June 25th, 2008 filed in Issues, NETWORK, Peace & Security
Only broadly shared prosperity and a focus on the prevention of deadly conflict and alternatives to war can deliver true and lasting peace and security. Global peace requires international cooperation, the elimination of weapons proliferation, the promotion of human rights and addressing the root causes of terrorism through more equitable and sustainable trade and development policies. Most of the dollars currently spent on national security are for the military as opposed to conflict prevention. A re-prioritizing of security dollars would help address problems before armed conflict occurs.
Catholic Social Teaching
“Peace must be born of mutual trust between nations rather than imposed on them through fear of one another’s weapons. Hence everyone must labor to put an end at last to the arms race, and to make a true beginning of disarmament, not indeed a unilateral disarmament, but one proceeding at an equal pace according to agreement, and backed up by authentic and workable safeguards.”
- The Church in the Modern World, Pope Paul VI, 1965, #82
“The solidarity which binds all men together as members of a common family makes it impossible for wealthy nations to look with indifference upon the hunger misery and poverty of other nations whose citizens are unable to enjoy even elementary human rights. The nations of the world are becoming more and more dependent on one another and it will not be possible to preserve a lasting peace so long as glaring economic and social imbalances persist.”
Mother and Teacher, Pope John XXIII, 1963, 157
“If development is the new name for peace, war and preparations for war are the major enemy of healthy development of peoples. If we take the common good of all humanity as our norm instead of individual greed, peace would be possible,”
On Social Concern, Pope John Paul II, 1987, 10
NETWORK on Peace & Security
Pax Christi USA: the national Catholic peace movement
Helen Prejean, CSJ
Catholics for an End to the War in Iraq
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Resources for dioceses and parishes on Iraq.
Friends Committee on National Legislation
The largest peace lobby in Washington, DC. FCNL staff and volunteers work with a nationwide network to advocate social and economic justice, peace, and good government. FCNL is nonpartisan.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days: Claiming a vision of true security
A movement of the Christian community-grounded in shared traditions of justice, peace and the integrity of creation-seeks to strengthen our Christian voice and to mobilize for advocacy on a wide variety of U.S. domestic and international policy issues. See the EAD Moral Statement, and True Security Budget.
