Twenty-five Years Working for Justice Download pdf here

Justice is a harmony which comes from fidelity to right relationships with God, people, institutions and the environment.

Foundations and Frameworks

CORI Justice was established in 1981 following recommendations made by a working group that a Resource Centre for Research and Action should be established by CORI (then known as CMRS).

April 1982 saw the establishment of the Justice Office. Fr Bill McKenna SJ was the first Director. CORI was very fortunate in this choice. Bill is one of those rare people who has great vision but is also blest with the ability to name raw reality. In his use of both his timing was impeccable. He is a man of vision and a man of purpose.

In September of that year Sr Brigid Reynolds, SM joined Bill in the Justice Office. In September 1983 they were joined by Fr Seán Healy SMA. In later years Sr Shirley O’Sullivan RGS also worked in the Justice Office for a 3-year period.

Early Years

During the first years the work of CORI Justice focused on awareness raising through numerous workshops and seminars and on research into issues of poverty, injustice and social exclusion.

Between 1984-86 a process to develop a vision and mission statement for the whole Conference was conducted.This process looked at the reality of Ireland and the wider world and reflected on this from the perspective of Christian values and Catholic Social Thought (CST). It understood that building the reign of God involves doing what we can to move the present reality from where it is, towards the vision of the scriptures.

This process produced a shift in focus for the Conference. Prior to the ‘80s the focus of CORI had been on support and service of the individual member organisations.

Justice was understood in the Biblical sense as building right relationships with God, people near and far, and the environment.

This changed to be support of members and leadership in Irish society.There was a lot of concern for the direction of Irish society. CORI Justice was asked to take a more public stand on issues of injustice.

Justice was understood in the Biblical sense as building right relationships with God, people near and far, and the environment. Right relationships were not just the goal they were also to form part of the methodology.

CORI Justice’s 8 strategic objectives

In its Strategic Plan CORI Justice has identified eight key strategic objectives that guide its activities. These are:

1. To play a leading role in the major public policy arenas on issues related to social justice;
2. To give special priority to issues related to poverty, inequality, social exclusion, sustainability, migration and the environment;
3. To provide accurate social analysis, credible alternatives and effective pathways from the present situation to the future in all areas of public policy in which we engage;
4. To explore and develop a spirituality that is capable of underpinning commitment to, and work in, the area of social justice;
5. To be a significant resource in the area of enabling and empowering of people, groups, organisations and communities in all areas of activity in which we are involved;
6. To be one of the leading advocates of the changes required to build a society characterised by a scriptural understanding of justice;
7. To be an effective communicator in the public and other arenas where social justice issues are addressed;
8. To be an effective, coherent, credible and respected voice for religious in all that we do.

CORI Justice core programmes and main projects To ensure both effectiveness and efficiency in its work and to achieve its eight strategic objectives, CORI Justice has divided its work into four programmes, each with a number of projects.

1. Public Policy

2. Enabling and Empowering

3. Spirituality

4. Communication

CORI Justice in action

CORI Justice approach

There are five central aspects of the CORI Justice approach to its work. These are: social analysis, dialogue, vision building, action and reflection. In practice this means doing a number of things. These include:

1. Doing the research and developing the expertise to analyse the present reality competently;
2. Developing some awareness of which alternatives to the present situation are viable or possible;
3. Discovering which of these is closest to the vision of a just society;
4. Taking action to move towards these alternatives;
5. Recycling the process on an ongoing basis.

In all of this CORI Justice recognises and acknowledges that it does not have all the answers. Rather, it is always struggling to get more accurate answers to the questions posed and trying to seek out and develop better alternatives. While doing its research it also engages with how the present reality is experienced by people, especially those who are excluded or marginalised in any particular way. CORI Justice offers its analysis and vision and proposals for action to the wider society for comment and critique.

CST underpins all CORI Justice’s work

CORI Justice approaches its work from the perspective of the Catholic Social Thought (CST) tradition. It understands its role as a call to analyse reality, to take action to transform what is destructive and dehumanising and to cooperate in building structures that promote the reign of God. Its programmes and projects are aimed at progressing this process to build a just society as envisaged in the Scriptures.

The work of religious at local level In doing this CORI Justice draws on the work being done by its member religious
in a wide range of local contexts. It builds on this and ensures that the voice and experience, the knowledge and wisdom of religious are reflected in the various arenas in which decisions are made. In all of this CORI Justice seeks to secure the development of all people and the whole person simultaneously and in solidarity as advocated in Evangelii Nuntiandi.

Consultation – 600+ seminars

Over the past quarter century CORI Justice has conducted more than 600 seminars and workshops across Ireland and abroad. Participants have numbered more than 50,000.

In these and several other initiatives, CORI Justice ensures that religious and their colleagues across the country are consulted, that their experience is shared and that their work is built on in the wider policy arenas. In particular there is an ongoing dialogue to monitor and evaluate the impacts of public policy initiatives.

MA in Social Justice and Public Policy

For a decade (1995-2004) CORI Justice ran an internship training programme which was completed by 30 interns. This has now been developed into an MA in Social Justice and Public Policy. This part time degree programme is validated and accredited by DCU and is run in All Hallows College.

Through an integrated process of study, seminars, workshops, discussions, exposure experiences, practical engagement, workplace integration and personal mentoring each participant builds on and greatly expands their knowledge and skills. It also covers their work within the organisations/groups where they are involved and on the issues/strategies they wish to pursue.

Social partnership

Social partnership as it is structured in Ireland today emerged in the late 1980s when Ireland’s economic and social development was in dire straits. Three pillars negotiated and agreed the first three programmes with Government, namely, the business community, the trade unions and the farming organisations. During that time CORI Justice frequently pointed out that large sections of society (e.g. poor people, unemployed people and women) were not represented in this process but were affected by the decisions made. In 1996 a number of groups, including CORI Justice, were invited to be social partners as part of a new Community and Voluntary pillar of social partnership. Since then CORI Justice has been one of the social partners that negotiated and signed four national agreements. The partnership process provides a unique opportunity to influence policy formation and the sharing of the national resources.

Communications

CORI Justice produces about twelve publications each year. Among these are three books (an annual socio-economic review, an annual social policy book and a book on spirituality for social engagement) as well as a series of Policy Briefings (on issues such as taxation, housing and rural development), a budget analysis and critique and a number of editions of the CONTACT newsletter. The CORI Justice website now receives 1.8 million hits a year and its ‘Thought for the Day’ has proved very popular.

Each year there are a wide range of media interventions with coverage in national and local print and electronic media which result in CORI Justice having a high profile on policy issues. In any given year these interventions produce more than 200 stories in national newspapers, more than 1,400 internet stories as well as more than 100 reports on national radio and TV and a further 100 interviews on local radio. CORI Justice believes that this is an essential part of its justice work in the public arena.

Annual Budget Project

For almost 20 years CORI Justice has run an integrated Budget Project that provides a Policy Briefing on Budget Choices two to three months before the Irish Government’s annual Budget. A detailed analysis and critique of the Budget is published at noon the day after the Budget is announced.

Annual Socio-Economic Review

CORI Justice’s annual socio-economic review is the major publication that develops and updates our analysis each year. It continues to provide a baseline analysis which is used by a wide range of organisations, groups and individuals seeking to impact on policy ranging from poverty to housing, to migration, as well as being used by many students.

This Review sets out the context of Ireland’s society and economy and deals in detail with core policy issues.

Annual Social Policy Conference

Starting in 1988 CORI Justice has organised an annual social policy conference which is accompanied by a book containing expanded versions of the papers presented at this conference. These conferences address a wide range of socio-economic issues and are attended by academics and politicians, by activists and religious.

Social Policy Text-Book – 2nd edition

To mark its 25th anniversary CORI Justice decided to publish a second, updated edition of the social policy text book Social Policy In Ireland—Principles, Practice and Problems first published in 1998.The original version has been used as a basic text in a wide range of third level courses in various universities and colleges and has been reprinted.

The 28 authors of the book’s 22 chapters are drawn from 12 third level institutions as well as a range of other backgrounds.

Other Activities

There are a range of other CORI Justice activities which are not covered in other parts of this document. These include:

• Representation on a range of public bodies: CORI Justice sits on 16 national public bodies, working groups and task forces ranging from the National Economic and Social Council to the Housing Forum, from the Public Transport Partnership Forum to Comhar (the National Environment Partnership Forum) to the National Forum on Europe.Over the past 25 years CORI Justice has been represented on more than 100 national working groups and task forces addressing issues such as environment, unemployment and the labour market, refugees and asylum seekers and racism.
• Networks: CORI Justice facilitates a number of networks of people working for social change.
• Submissions to Government: Every year CORI Justice makes submissions to Government on a wide range of issues including rural development, taxation policy, sustainability, third world aid, refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, the National Development Plan, housing and lone parents.

Spirituality

In recent years CORI Justice has published two books on spirituality for social engagement. Published jointly with Dominican Publications, these books have addressed the issues of Spirituality and Poverty in a Land of Plenty and Human Dignity and Spirituality in a Globalised World. These contain the papers of conferences organised by CORI Justice in 2004 and 2005 together with additional reflective material and study questions to help groups or individuals.

These conferences and publications are a response to an ongoing request to CORI Justice to address the issue of spirituality from the perspective of people involved in social justice ministry—lay as well as religious.

CORI Justice also holds a series of ‘conversations’ on the topic of spirituality for social engagement involving a range of people from different disciplines in various locations across the country. CORI Justice approaches its work from the perspective of the Catholic Social Thought tradition.

Facing the Future

Challenging times

The gains for poor, marginalised and excluded people reflected in recent Budgets and the Towards 2016 Social Partnership Agreement are welcome steps. CORI Justice now seeks to ensure those commitments are honoured and the outcomes monitored. More needs to be done.

CORI Justice promotes the key elements of Catholic Social Thought which include human dignity, solidarity, subsidiarity, and the elimination of social exclusion. It plays a key role in the development of public policy and in keeping the key issues in the Catholic Social Thought tradition on the public policy agenda. In this context its voice was never more needed as Ireland’s population is set to grow from 4 million today to 4.5 million in 2011 and 5 million in 2021.This population growth will provide Ireland with major challenges if poverty, inequality, social exclusion and sustainability are to be addressed in a comprehensive, integrated way.

The work of religious generally and of individual congregations is being enhanced and supported by CORI Justice. Religious and their co-workers are involved in a variety of ways. Ireland is far from being a just society as envisaged in Scripture. The core of the challenge which CORI Justice embraces for the years ahead is to promote the Scriptural understanding of justice as right relationships in all the major developments on this island and beyond. In all the work to be done in this context CORI Justice believes its process (social analysis / theological reflection / ongoing action / further reflection) is a tried and tested approach.

Being credible

Developing and maintaining credibility is crucial if a body such as CORI Justice is to have an ongoing impact. The experience of CORI Justice suggests that a faith-based organisation must meet the following requirements if it is to be a credible actor in the economic, political, cultural and social spheres. This is not an exhaustive list but these are especially relevant in the context of Ireland in the 21st century. These requirements are:

• Social analysis For the most part there is no one, clear, obvious, unambiguous reading of reality. CORI Justice seeks to underpin its work by detailed and objective as possible social analysis.
• Dialogue - the issue of conversation This involves dialogue with CORI Justice’s own membership and constituency, with the wider society and with the policy-making process.
• Being bilingual Dialogue involves CORI Justice in two different ‘conversations’ going on all the time. These dialogues or conversations are with those who share our Faith and with the wider society. The conversation CORI Justice conducts with the wider society is deeply informed by the conversation it conducts with those who share our Faith. The stance taken in the wider society stems from the insights being reached in the Faith conversation.
• Vision-building CORI Justice believes that if we are to be serious about the reign of God being reflected in a just society then we must be serious about the issue of vision-building. We need to be willing to envisage alternatives that are attainable.
• On-going action CORI Justice seeks to design actions that could lead towards reaching that alternative future. This results in CORI Justice being involved in a range of activities that must be addressed if the ‘vision’ issue is to be treated seriously by others who are sceptical, threatened or comfortable with the status quo.
• Being prophetic and resisting the temptation to be absorbed by the status quo The more one is involved in the wider reality the greater the danger that one will be absorbed by the status quo. Instead of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ and working for a world that is closer to its core message, there is a temptation to accept the dominant core meaning underpinning the status quo.This must be resisted.
• Realising credibility comes through involvement Credibility never comes by ‘speaking from on high’. Involvement is essential for credibility to be present. Being a voice is not enough. One must also be involved in action. Talk alone is not enough. If CORI Justice is to be credible in the economic, political, cultural and social context then it is crucial that it be involved in a real way.

Ongoing challenge

CORI Justice always offers its analysis, critique, vision, alternative ideas, and activities etc. as contributions to the public debate on the specific issues addressed. It seeks responses to its positions. It realises that dialogue and conversation with the wider reality are crucial aspects of seeking the truth. It is also aware that it must be open to change in response to what emerges in the dialogue.

CORI Justice also recognises the importance of speaking in a language appropriate to the particular audience whether religious, secular, academic, policy maker or general public.

The Scriptures and our Christian tradition provide us with a rich heritage from which to draw our inspiration and our direction in our engagement with the economic, cultural, and social issues of our time.

CORI Justice Committee

Fr. Finbarr Treacy SVD (Chairperson)

Fr. Martin Coffee CP

Sr. Anna Creagh CSB

Sr. Margot Delaney CHF

Ms Valery Larkin SM

Fr. John Grennan OCD

Fr. Gerry Horan OSA

Sr. Shirley O’Sullivan RGS

Sr. Nora Ryan FMA

Fr. Patrick Ryall OSM

Br. John Burke CFC