8th Day Center for Justice,a coalition of Catholic, religious congregations,
commits to act as a critical alternative voice to oppressive systems
and to work actively to change those systems.
Vision
The Spirituality of justice calls the staff of the 8th Day Center to envision a world of right relationships in which all creation is seen as sacred and interconnected. In such a world all people are equal and free from oppression, have a right to a just distribution of resources, and to live in harmony with the cosmos.
Center Structure
In light of our faith based vision, our ministry is guided by these principles:
– To promote justice and equality among people regardless of ethnicity, religion, cultural background, gender, socio-economic class, and sexual orientation.
– To stand with those who are the object of attack and discrimination.
– To support self-determination for all communities in a context of nonviolence.
– To resist nonviolently the scape-goating and murder of whole communities, religions and nations to protect national interests.
– To model in all our work the nonviolence, justice and right relationships we seek.
– To foster education and awareness of justice and nonviolence.
– To involve young people and elders in our work.
– To uphold the right to dissent against oppressive structures in church and society.
– To respond to emerging critical needs and to enhance the effectiveness of individual and collective energies through an organic model.
8th Day Center staff works from an organic model to fulfill its vision and goals. Each element of this model is integral to our whole effort for justice:
– We will participate with our board in a planning process to assure staffing and funding for the centers ministry.
– We will engage in weekly staff meetings for prayer, common focus, issue integration and staff business.
– We will engage in issue work within a broad range of coalitions, center projects and ad-hoc groups.
– Our efforts will be fluid as suggested by the organic nature of the center and in response to emerging critical needs. That is to say, the collective staff, or an individual staff member, may begin or end such engagements during the year as conditions dictate. This fluidity enhances our effectiveness and the use of our individual and collective energies.
– We will utilize the social justice process based upon experience, social analysis, theological reflection and action.
– We will maintain a system of liaison with member congregations to ensure greater cooperation in our common goals.