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Justice and Rights Commission

The Justice and Rights Commission 

An integral part of the Racine Dominicans is the Justice and Rights Commission. The commission consists of five working focus groups: 

  • Society
  • Equity
  • Politics
  • Church
  • Earth
     
Each group addresses from its own perspective issues related to the community's current chosen priority of nonviolence.  The commission is open to all Racine Dominican sisters and associates.

The purpose of the Justice and Rights Commission is to provide a vehicle for study and action to live out the Racine Dominican mission: Committed to Truth, Compelled to Justice.
 
The following is from a Statement of Principles by the Racine Dominicans that further describes the motivation behind the Justice and Rights Commission:
"We consider it essential to be continually in conversation with the developing mind of the Church. Likewise, we seek to be informed concerning the social conditions of our times and the needs of God's people, especially the poor and dispossessed. We respond in a life of service, which service also takes the form of influencing social structures through education and direct action."
 
The work of the Commission is coordinated by a central council composed of a representative from each of the five focus groups, plus community leadership, and  eight related supportive departments of the Racine Dominican community.

Justice and Rights Commission Celebrates 25 Years

The Justice and Right Commission (JRC), begun in 1989, was formed out of a need to consolidate efforts, to give a unified voice, to educate, and further the mission: Committed to Truth, Compelled to Justice.  Here's more of the mission found in Sisters of St. Dominic of St. Catherine of Siena (Racine Dominicans) Constitution:

Justice and Rights Commission booklet

Committed to truth in the light of the gospel compels us to consecrate whatever power we have personally and as community, to sustain the fundamental right of every person to pursue the fullness of life and to share in the common good. Today such a stance demands an explicit solidarity – in prayer, struggle, suffering, and hope–with those who are oppressed and alienated by systems designed to serve the interests of the wealthy and advantaged. This perspective governs our every ministry, whether that ministry is among the economically advantaged or among the economically poor…We acknowledge that the basic needs of others can justly lay claim on what we have received.  We, therefore, design our congregational structures, policies, and processes in such a way that our human resources as well as our land, buildings, money, and other material possessions will serve to promote the common good and to help redress injustice.

In honor of 25 years as an organization, the Justice & Rights Commission – Prehistory, Formation and 25 Years of Service booklet, was produced. It celebrates events and accomplishments of JRC placing them in the context of history with a corresponding timeline. The booklet can be downloaded from the above link.