Who we are

We have been working on peace for over 75 years, both in the Netherlands and around the world. We do so independently of political interests, with the support of concerned citizens, civil society organisations and together with hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers. We work with a network of expertise, from our headquarters in Utrecht, from Brussels (EU), New York (UN) and together with our local partners in conflict areas.

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Our Stance

Together, we make peace work. Because peace is never finished. At PAX, everyone worldwide contributes to peace in their own way: ranging from working policies at the United Nations, to conducting peace negotiations in South Sudan. Together, we work to protect civilians from war violence, end armed conflict and build inclusive peace. We believe in equality, solidarity and human dignity anywhere in the world.

Peace as process

To achieve peace for all, work for change on three levels:

Transforming conflict

Bringing change to conflict requires addressing root causes, understanding needs of involved parties, building trust and having a constructive attitude. This is how we make it possible to move from violence and hostility to dialogue, cooperation and lasting peace.

Changing the system

Peace requires systemic change. For this, we need to address structural inequality, promote social justice and replace negative beliefs with positive ones. This requires an effort from people, but certainly also from governments, businesses, the judiciary and the media.

Shifting power

Power needs to be better distributed, in all respects. It involves interaction between individuals, groups and institutions, whether at local, national, or global level. Only when everyone can participate in important decisions is inclusive peace possible.

Where we come from

PAX resulted from the merging of Pax Christi the Netherlands and the IKV (Interchurch Peace Council). These two peace organizations had been working respectively towards peace since World War Two and the 60’s. Both organizations started working together more and more. In 2006, Pax Christi and IKV joined forces permanently and together they are now known as PAX. 

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Nobel Peace Prize 2017

In 2017, the Nobel Committee chose a campaign with which PAX is closely associated: ICAN, the international coalition for the abolition of nuclear weapons. PAX has been campaigning for an international ban on nuclear weapons for years and is a member of the international board of ICAN.

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(Image: Steven Snoep)