About the Peace and Justice Center

History
Norbert of Xanten was known as a peacemaker, one who brought enemies together by inviting them to share together in the Eucharist. In the spirit of St. Norbert, the college sought in the mid-1990's to make more explicit its commitment to justice and human dignity. A group of faculty members, staff, and students began planning for a peace and justice center in 1997. When their vision was funded by a grant from the Norbertines of St. Norbert Abbey, the Peace and Justice Center became a reality. It opened in 1998, the centennial year of St. Norbert College.

The Function of the Peace and Justice Center at St. Norbert College
Paul VI said, "If you want peace, work for justice." More recently, Benedict XVI wrote, "The more we strive to secure a common good corresponding to the real needs of our neighbors, the more effectively we love them. Every Christian is called to practice this charity, in a manner corresponding to his [or her] vocation and according to the degree of influence he [or she] wields in the polis."

The Peace and Justice Center at St. Norbert College seeks to fulfill this calling. We pursue justice not as revenge, but as the establishment of what is right. In that pursuit we hope to love both God and neighbor well. Affirming the inherent dignity of all people as those made in the image of God, we address human needs from a Christian perspective--specifically, through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching. We engage in the study and practice of peacebuilding, both in and out of the classroom. Through our programs and activities, we help students become agents of genuine change.

In order to become agents of change in the world, students must understand contemporary problems, genuinely care about people, and know how best to live out the call to service. To this end, the Peace and Justice Center offers curricular and co-curricular programs while working cooperatively with other centers, departments, programs, and groups on campus. Within the curriculum, staff of the PJC support the Peace and Justice Minor by providing resources for faculty, mentoring students, and offering courses. Outside the classroom, the Center seeks to engage the campus community creatively and consistently through programs that cultivate awareness, compassion, and commitment.

As part of St. Norbert College’s Division of Mission and Heritage, the Peace and Justice Center is particularly mindful of the Catholic intellectual tradition and Catholic Social Teaching in our response to contemporary issues. Alongside the Program of Faith, Learning, and Vocation, we are anxious to see students live out their vocations through integrated, fulfilling lives marked by the love of God and others. Our particular focus is on their response toward other people, especially those whose fate they might not naturally consider. Like our colleagues at the Center for Community Service and Learning, we are committed to lifelong service and the transformation it brings to all concerned. However, our particular role is not so much to create opportunities for such service as much as to stoke the compassion from which it arises. With the Center for Norbertine Studies, we honor the heritage within which we labor, gladly sharing the richness of our tradition and affirming the roots of our shared practice. We are especially mindful of the emphasis on peacebuilding and human dignity in the life of Norbert of Xanten and the ongoing Norbertine tradition, extending the ideal of communio toward our far neighbors and remaining vigilant on behalf of the common good.

Location
The Peace and Justice Center is located in room 128 of the Sensenbrenner Memorial Union on the campus of St. Norbert College. For a campus map, click here