Pax Christi

Pax Christi originates on the initiative of French citizens in the final days of World War II. On 5 May 1948, the Dutch branch of Pax Christi was founded in Utrecht. It is a movement with roots in the Roman Catholic Church, animated with one thought: no more war.

Image: Rob Mieremet/Nationaal Archief

Peace programmes

Pax Christi evolved in the 1990s from an association of volunteers to an association with peace programmes and projects in conflict zones, carried out by professionals.

Cooperation with IKV

Since 2006, Pax Christi has officially cooperated with the Interkerkelijk Vredesberaad (IKV). All of Pax Christi’s peace programmes, support work in the Netherlands, staff and all related finances are brought into a new partnership. In 2014, the name of Stichting Samenwerkingsverband IKV Pax Christi changes to Stichting Vredesbeweging Pax Nederland.

PAX

PAX was founded from the organisations Pax Christi and IKV: from the 1960s the figureheads of the peace movement in the Netherlands.Since 2006, they have worked together in one peace organisation, since 2014 under the name PAX.

Today, PAX is one organisation. Independent of political interests, supported by a broad group of committed citizens and civil society organisations. The IKV Board and the Pax Christi Member Council monitor PAX’s mission, based on two central values:

  • human dignity;
  • solidarity with peace activists and victims of war.

Also read PAX’s story.

Pax Christi International

Pax Christi Netherlands is part of the international Catholic peace movement Pax Christi, which consists of over thirty national sections and related organisations, in more than sixty countries on five continents. The movement has over sixty thousand members worldwide.

More on PAX Christi

You can find more on Pax Christi on our Dutch website.