We all know brothers and sisters who not only work with the poor but actually live with them day in and day out. These men and women are a challenge to us, we admire them for the depth of their Dominican commitment in all its dimensions including Justice and Peace. Just the fact that we try to understand them and attempt to grasp the full meaning of their work, is in itself a way of living Dominican mercy.

Several of these members of the Dominican Family committed to the work of Justice and Peace told us honestly that they had been pushed into it by their superiors. Others said that they had always felt the need to live a life of compassion with those most in need, that it was part of their education. Some said they had been involved in situations where they had been touched by the poor in a way they would never have imagined. - they did not reach out to the poor, the poor reached out to them! A certain number of those interviewed told us they were awakened in their ministry by the victims of violence and injustice and entered into solidarity with them, while others said it was the practical outcome of an exercise of social analysis... Commitment cannot happen, it seems, unless there is some kind of direct intervention and personal contact.

In summary, those who have taken sides with the poor and made a commitment to Justice and Peace, have done so reading the Word of God in the light of a personal encounter with someone in need, that urged them to take sides with those rejected by society.

There are many different ways to work for the promotion of Justice and Peace. They are all to be respected... It is our duty to help those who are hesitant and skeptical, those who do not believe that they can make a meaningful contribution to building a better world. It is important that we reach out to those who have reduced Justice and Peace to an optional activity or to an ideological choice (in the pejorative sense).

An attitude of openness and attentive listening, to the stories of those who have accepted to respond to the call and to make an in depth commitment to Justice and Peace, can be an excellent way to develop a sense of respect for the personality of each individual. Therein lies the foundation for the work of Justice and Peace, in the local community, there where the members have no choice but to live what they preach.

There are many reasons why certain people choose to live a life of active solidarity with the less fortunate and the victims of violence. Among the motives expressed we find the sense of adventure, similar to that experienced by our father St. Dominic in Palencia.

St. Dominic was a student at the University of Palencia when a great famine spread across Spain. Jordan of Saxony, in the Libellus, tells the story in this following manner:

"While he was studying in Palencia, a terrible famine fell upon the whole of Spain. Moved by the terrible situation of the poor and burning with the fire of compassion, Dominic resolved to obey the call from the Lord and decided to do all that he could to alleviate the misery of the poor who were dying. He decided he would sell all of his books (which were of absolute necessity to him), and all of his possessions. He set up a "foundation" whereby he gave everything he owned to the poor. The other theologians and professors were so impressed by the generosity of their colleague, they decided to overcome their greed and avarice by donating large sums of money, in the form of alms, for the benefit of the poor."

The word "foundation" here is translated from the Latin word "eleemosynam" meaning an institution responsible for works of charity.

Fr. Stephen in the deposition he gave in Bologna quoted directly from Dominic as he attempted to explain his action: "I cannot continue to study from books written on skins while others are dying of hunger."

Beyond Palencia, the whole of Dominic's life, which was characterized by acts of compassion and mercy, invites us to seek the presence of Christ in acts of kindness towards the poor and the little ones.

As followers of Dominic, many of our brothers and sisters have lived a life of solidarity with the poor of their time, and worked to restore their dignity. The choice to make the Preachers a Mendicant Order went beyond the observance of the vow of poverty and the refusal to own property; it was chosen in solidarity with the poor of the urban areas and their problems.

Among the brothers and sisters who lived their Dominican life in proximity and solidarity with the poor we find:

- Catherine of Sienna,	1347 - 1380
- Antonin des Conseils	1389 - 1459
- Martin of Porres	1579 - 1639
- Marie Poussepin	1653 - 1744 to mention but a few

To this very incomplete list we would have to add; Jeanne d'Orvieto, Catherine de Raconigi, Bartholomeo de Las Casas, Antonio de Montesinos, Pedro de Cordoba, Francisco de Vitoria, Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada, Domingo Salazar, Rose of Lima, Anne of Peru (Arequipa).

Closer to us we have; Praxedes Fernandez, Louis Joseph Lebret. Dominique Pire, Giorgio la Pira, Marie Jean Joseph Lataste, Alex Morelli, Tito de Alencar... and many more brothers and sisters from the various branches of the Dominican family.

You will find more about some of these brothers and sisters in the appendix to this Workbook. They could serve as reference points ( for the list would have to be completed) for workshops and retreats and for helping to teach the history and traditions of the Order that are related to Justice and Peace. They could also be used during the period of initial formation or continuing education

Many of the congregations of Dominican sisters are totally focused on the action of Justice and Peace. By their being and by their doing they give embodiment to the word "preaching." It would be important that we add to our list of models the names of the founders and foundresses of these congregations, for they had the courage to bring a practical, concrete response to the problems of material and spiritual poverty, illiteracy, injustice towards women...

There are brothers and sisters in your province, congregation or country who have left their mark and determined the course of your history because of their commitment to Justice and Peace. Are you aware if there exist monographs about the life of these witnesses, these people who succeeded in living Dominican life to the full? Are they known by all? and especially the young? It is important that we ask ourselves what we can do to help make their intuitions better known to the rest of the Order.

An important facet of the work of Justice and Peace consists in the gathering of information and the writing of biographies; by so doing, we help to "constitute the memory of the Order." It is important that we get the younger members involved and interested in this type of reaearch into our traditions, for it can become an excellent means to raise their level of awareness and to open them up to the global dimension of Dominican life. These would be great topics for papers or thesis presentations.

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