About Us
About Us
Mission Statement
We are a Faith-Based non-profit organisation, committed to promoting holistic development for humanity through capacity building, community mobilisation, peace building, youth and women development, human rights and environmental care.
Vision Statement
A just and peaceful society where the dignity of the human person is promoted in an eco-friendly environment
Executive Summary
Justice Development and Peace Caritas (Commission) (JDPC) is one of the Commissions of the Catholic Archdiocese of Jos which has the mandate of promoting and propagating social development in the Archdiocese of Jos and its neighbouring Dioceses. The Commission is registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) with the name: Social Justice and Human Development for Peace Initiative. It reaches out to all humanity regardless of their religious, political or ethnic affiliation and gives special attention to the less privileged in the society. It works in line with its vision and mission statements and organisational structure which has the Archbishop as the Legal Holder, followed by the Coordinator and Assistants who coordinate and ensure the smooth running of the organisational daily activities. The Program Managers on the other hand are responsible for program design and development, planning, implementation, and monitoring of projects/activities implemented.
Brief History of JDPC Archdiocese of Jos
Justice Development and Peace/Caritas Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese of Jos operates as the social arm of the Catholic Church, a Faith-Based Organisation (FBO) with the mandate to take care of the social needs of the Church through communities. With acceptable international standard and global best practices, we offer service delivery, advocacy and fill the gaps where we have the capacity to do so. We serve all humanity irrespective of religious, ethnic or racial affiliation to uphold the dignity of the human person.
Justice and Peace in the Archdiocese of Jos dates back to the 80s with awareness creation of its function in Parishes led by Late Rev. Fr Mike Nwodo as Coordinator. In 1992, Late Archbishop Gabriel Ganaka appointed Very Rev. Fr Maurice Henry (SMA), then a Vice Principal of St. Joseph’s College Vom, to take over the organisation. Fr Henry combined this task with his Parish work and reorganised the Commission into the Integral Development Commission (IDC). He took over the leadership of the Trade and Adult Education Schools in Jos and Kuru, the Rural and Urban Development Programme (CARUDEP), also in Kuru. He introduced the Diocesan Development and Awareness Programme (DAP) and the Hausa version (KOGI), based on the principle of Paulo Freire’s work on critical awareness, aimed at training staff and Parish Committees in animation techniques and leadership for personal development and community mobilisation. This programme was implemented in Parishes within the Archdiocese and beyond.
In 2001, Rev. Fr Anthony Fom took over the mantle of Leadership of the organization. In compliance with the decision of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) that all Diocesan social developments were to be called Justice Development and Peace/Caritas (JDPC), then, IDC ceased to exist. The Commission was further reorganised into four thematic areas; namely Research and Animation, Social Welfare, Good Governance /Human Rights and Urban and Rural Development with each having its own Board. Projects being implemented include, Women Empowerment, Peace Building, Humanitarian and Disaster Response, Good Governance and Human Rights, Prison Apostolate, Care for Vulnerable Children programme in the Remand Home and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) within the Archdiocese.
In 2011, the organisation was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a non-profit organisation with the name; Social Justice and Human Development for Peace Initiative. The then Local Ordinary, Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, Mgrs. Cletus Gotan, Benedict Obidiegwu, Mrs Lucy Kwardem and Mrs Cecilia Pinta as members of the Board of Trustees.
Current Status
The Commission has 16 Board members led by Prof. Longmas Wapmuk that serve as the Advisory Board and holds quarterly meetings a year. There are 53 Staff (8 Priests inclusive) working in both Kuru and Jos Offices:
- 32 in Jos Office
- 10 @ CARUDEP; Kuru Office
- 10 @ Domus Pacis
The Commission is involved in different aspects of human development which are categorised under four thematic areas of focus namely: Research and Animation, Social Welfare, Good Governance and Human Right, and Rural/Urban and water Development.
The Scope and Role of JDPC Jos
- To be the Policy-making body for the Archdiocese in the area of social development
- To create awareness of the meaning and application of Catholic Social Teaching among people in the Archdiocese.
- To coordinate all programmes relating to Human Rights/Good Governance, Social Welfare, Rural, Urban and Water Development and Animation for integral human development.
- To recommend programmes, projects and proposals to the Ordinary for funding.
- To promote the dignity of God’s creation.
- To organise the annual Lenten Campaign.
- To set up Committees to pursue the objectives of the JDPC.
- To approve the budgets and plans-of-action of its component committees.
- To organize the annual “JDPC DAY” and “JDPC WEEK” with specific goals.
- To speak out on behalf of the Archdiocese, with the approval of the Ordinary, on issues of Social Justice.
Our partners
