St Columban’s Mission Society’s concerns for issues of Peace, Ecology and Justice (PEJ) derives from our commitment to solidarity with the poor and our care and respect for all of Creation. Peace, Ecology & Justice links the Gospel to living justly, respecting ecological systems and growing a culture of peace. It stands by the belief that God loves all creation, all the people living on planet Earth, and calls us to be joyful.
Jesus said, I have come that you have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)
Our work for justice, peace and care for the Earth requires consideration of all three pillars: Peace, Ecology and Justice when looking at any particular issue rather than keeping them in silos. Peace, Ecology and Justice as faith in action invites us to work in communion both within the Society and the wider world through our partnerships with other faith-based and civil society groups. Our way of mission is through partnership and dialogue.
In the 1970-90s, Columban PEJ international priorities included facing the evil structures of military dictatorships; the crippling national debt of developing countries; and the fallacy that genetically modified food crops (GMOs) would feed the world. The current Columban PEJ priorities have expanded to include Economic Justice, Migration and Refugees, Ecological Justice (Climate Change, Water, Oceans, Biodiversity and Fossil Fuels), and Just Peace.
In Australia, the Columban Peace, Ecology and Justice (PEJ) office is based at the Columban Mission Centre in Melbourne. The current Columban Peace, Ecology & Justice Coordinator for Australia and New Zealand Region are Fr Peter O'Neill SSC for Australia and Fr Thomas Rouse SSC for New Zealand.
