Justice and Peace Association of Barcelona

The Associació Justícia i Pau de Barcelona (Justice and Peace Association of Barcelona) is a Christian entity that has been active in Catalonia since 1968. Its stated purpose is the promotion and defence of human rights, social justice, peace and disarmament, solidarity and respect for the environment. It operates as a canonical association of the Archdiocese of Barcelona, registered in the Registry of Religious Entities of the Spanish Ministry of Justice, and is governed by a General Assembly and a Board of Government. The association works through public campaigns, reports, publications, congresses, conferences, seminars, media interventions and political pressure on governmental institutions and political parties. Its activities include denouncing torture and other human rights violations, promoting increases in official development aid, advocating cancellation of the external debt of poor countries, campaigning for justice in international trade relations, denouncing the perverse effects of militarism, military spending and the arms trade, pressing for disarmament, promoting ethical banking, fair trade and responsible consumption, demanding measures against poverty and social marginalisation, and defending the rights of imprisoned persons and their social reintegration. Historically, the association promoted a campaign against the death penalty in 1974 together with Pax Christi and many other entities, in which Arcadi Oliveres played a prominent role. Notable presidents include Joan Gomis (1976–2001) and Arcadi Oliveres (2001–2014), while Jordi Cots was founder and coordinator of the Childhood Commission between 1979 and 2012. The association has received several distinctions, including the Peace Prize of the United Nations Association in Spain (1982), the Solidarity Prize of the Institute of Human Rights of Catalonia (1992), the Creu de Sant Jordi of the Generalitat de Catalunya (1993), the Solidarity and Overcoming Prize of ONCE Catalunya (2001), the Prize of the Association of Former Students and Friends of the University of Lleida (2012) and a Distinction of the Department of Justice of the Generalitat for its work in favour of the social reintegration of inmates in Catalan penitentiary centres (2016). Currently the association works on four priority axes: Peace, diversity and democracy; Integral Human Development; Human Rights and Restorative Justice. It has territorial commissions in Maresme, Badalona, Terrassa, Sabadell and Sant Just Desvern, and parish commissions in Collblanc and Sagrera in Barcelona. It collaborates with numerous Catalan and international federations and platforms, including the Federation of Organisations for Global Justice, the Platform of Christian Entities with Immigrants, the Catalan Coordinator for the Prevention and Denunciation of Torture, the Catalan Fund for Development Cooperation, Ethical and Solidary Financing (FETS), the Forum of Catholic Adult Organisations, the Table for Peace and Human Rights in Colombia, FOCIR, the Catalan Federation of Social Volunteering, the Bureau International Catholique de l'Enfance (BICE), the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the European Network Against Arms Trade, the International Peace Bureau and the NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court. Its funding comes from members and private donors as well as from the Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Provincial Council, the European Social Fund–Youth Employment Initiative, the Catalan Fund for Development Cooperation, the Archdiocese of Barcelona, the Diocese of Terrassa and the Barcelona Parish Schools Foundation.

The Associació Justícia i Pau de Barcelona is a Christian entity that has been active in Catalonia since 1968. Its purpose is the promotion and defence of human rights, social justice, peace and disarmament, solidarity and respect for the environment. It has a canonical legal nature as an association of the Archdiocese of Barcelona, registered in the Registry of Religious Entities of the Ministry of Justice. Among its presidents, Joan Gomis served as the fifth director and later president from 1976 to 2001, Arcadi Oliveres was president from 2001 to 2014, and Jordi Cots was founder and coordinator of the Childhood Commission between 1979 and 2012. In 1974, together with Pax Christi and many other entities, the association promoted a campaign against the death penalty, in which Arcadi Oliveres played a prominent role. To achieve its objectives, the association engages in awareness-raising and information of the citizenry, and political pressure on governmental institutions and political parties, through various activities such as public campaigns, reports, publishing, organising congresses, conferences, seminars, jornades, media interventions, etc. Among other activities, it denounces cases of torture and other human rights violations, develops actions to promote increases in official development aid, the abolition of the external debt of poor countries, justice in international trade relations, to denounce the perverse effects of militarism, military spending and the arms trade and to press for disarmament, to promote ethical banking, fair trade and responsible consumption, to demand measures to fight poverty and social marginalisation, to defend the rights of imprisoned persons and their social reintegration. The entity's organs are the General Assembly, which is the sovereign body formed by all members, and the Board of Government, which governs the entity. The Board currently includes Eudald Vendrell (president), Maria Bargalló (vice-president), Quima Giménez (vice-president), Joaquim Cervera, Núria Sastre, Àngel Miret, Xavier Puigdollers, Mar Rosàs, Laura Mor (board members) and Josep Maria Fisa (episcopal delegate). The association has a director, Eduard Ibáñez, appointed by the Board of Government, responsible for the general coordination of activities, and Silvia Urbina, responsible for administration and communication. The bulk of activities are driven by sectoral commissions, which are groups of volunteers that promote the entity's actions in specific areas, and territorial commissions, which act at the local or neighbourhood level. Currently, the association works on four priority axes: Peace, diversity and democracy; Integral Human Development; Human Rights and Restorative Justice. The territorial commissions are Maresme, Badalona, Terrassa, Sabadell and Sant Just Desvern. The parish commissions in Barcelona are Collblanc and Sagrera. Justícia i Pau is a member of the following federations and platforms of entities in the country: Federation of Organisations for Global Justice, Platform of Christian Entities with Immigrants, Catalan Coordinator for the Prevention and Denunciation of Torture, Catalan Fund for Development Cooperation, Ethical and Solidary Financing (FETS), Forum of Catholic Adult Organisations, Table for Peace and Human Rights in Colombia, Federation of Catalan Organisations Internationally Recognised (FOCIR), Catalan Federation of Social Volunteering, etc. It is also a member of the following international organisations: Bureau International Catholique de l'Enfance (BICE), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), European Network Against Arms Trade, International Peace Bureau, NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court, among others. In addition to contributions from members and private donors, the entity regularly receives financial support for its operation from the Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Provincial Council, the European Social Fund–Youth Employment Initiative, the Catalan Fund for Development Cooperation, the Archdiocese of Barcelona, the Diocese of Terrassa and the Barcelona Parish Schools Foundation. The association has received various distinctions such as the Peace Prize of the United Nations Association in Spain (1982); the Solidarity Prize of the Institute of Human Rights of Catalonia (1992); the Creu de Sant Jordi of the Generalitat de Catalunya (1993); the Solidarity and Overcoming Prize of ONCE Catalunya (2001); the Prize of the Association of Former Students and Friends of the University of Lleida (2012) and the Distinction of the Department of Justice of the Generalitat for its work in favour of the social reintegration of inmates in Catalan penitentiary centres (2016).

• 2016

  Awarded a Distinction of the Department of Justice of the Generalitat for its work in favour of the social reintegration of inmates in Catalan penitentiary centres.

• 2012

  Awarded the Prize of the Association of Former Students and Friends of the University of Lleida.

• 2001

  Arcadi Oliveres becomes president (until 2014). Awarded the Solidarity and Overcoming Prize of ONCE Catalunya.

• 1993

  Awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi by the Generalitat de Catalunya.

• 1992

  Awarded the Solidarity Prize of the Institute of Human Rights of Catalonia.

• 1982

  Awarded the Peace Prize of the United Nations Association in Spain.

• 1979

  Jordi Cots founds and coordinates the Childhood Commission (until 2012).

• 1976

  Joan Gomis becomes president (until 2001).

• 1974

  Promoted a campaign against the death penalty together with Pax Christi and many other entities.

• 1968

  Association founded and begins activity in Catalonia.

A Christian-inspired civil society organisation advocating human rights, social justice, peace and disarmament in Catalonia and internationally.

• Public campaigns

• Reports

• Publications

• Congresses

• Conferences

• Seminars

• Media interventions

1. 1CAMPANADES A MORT - Justicia i Paujusticiaipau.org
2. 2Associació Justícia i Pau de Barcelona - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Associació Justícia i Pau de Barcelona - Viquipèdiaca.wikipedia.org