The JDPC of the Catholic Diocese of Ijebu-Ode is a structural response of the Catholic Diocese of Ijebu-Ode to the call of the Second Vatican Council. In a very important document of the Council, Populorum Progressio of 1967, Pope Paul VI wrote:

The progressive development of peoples is an object of deep interest and concern to the Church. This is particularly true in the case of those peoples who are trying to escape the ravages of hunger, poverty, endemic diseases and ignorance; of those who are seeking a larger share in the benefits of civilization and a more active improvement on their human qualities; of those who are consciously striving for fuller growth with an even clearer awareness. Since the Second Vatican Council, of the demands imposed by Christ’s gospel in this area, the Church judges it her duty to help all people explore this serious problem in all dimensions, and to impress upon them the need for concerted action at this critical juncture. [No. 1
It was with this desire that Paul VI created the Pontifical Commission, JUSTICIA ET PAX on January 6th 1967. The purpose of the Commission is to awaken in the people of God full awareness of their mission today; to further the progress of poorer nations and international social justice, to further their own development and for more justice and peace in the society. Our corporate mission as JDPC is the promotion of sustainable and integral human development through holistic empowerment approach, enhancing effective structural transformation of the society without any form of discrimination. In carrying out our work at JDPC, we are guided by the following ethical values proposed by the Church to the entire world for an inclusive and caring society:
Fundamental human dignity : All human beings, men and women are created in God’s own image, endowed with inalienable dignity and rights. We should therefore treat one another with equal consideration and respect regardless of race, age, creed, gender or status. The principle of human dignity is the basis of a moral vision for a society that regards the human person not as a means but always as an end.
The common good: Respect for each and everyone’s dignity establishes a common ground that makes social life livable. Stemming from our common humanity, the principle of the common good addresses the good of all people and of the whole person. Because it is common to all, it cannot be divided like a cake but must increase through joint effort. What is common to all peoples is what promotes the dignity of all: “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.
The principle of Subsidiarity: The Church recognizes the interconnectedness of various forms of social life in promoting integral human development but at the same time establishes an order of precedence: “the individual and the family precede the state; that is, individuals do not exist for the state but rather the state exists for the well-being of individuals and families entrusted to its care”. Simply put, what individual persons and lower organisations can do should not be taken up by higher ones.
The principle of Solidarity: According to the Church’s teaching, “Solidarity highlights in a particular way the intrinsic social nature of the human person, the equality of all in dignity and rights and the common path of individuals and peoples towards an ever more committed unity.” Because of our common humanity, solidarity urges us to improve our relationships by turning the structures of sin into structures of solidarity through the creation or appropriate modification of laws, market regulations, and juridical systems. As a social principle, solidarity is a form commitment to act justly, promote social justice and the common good.
At JDPC we adopt and adapt participatory approaches that empower poor people to meet their basic needs and become full actors of their destinies; indeed we see ourselves as catalysts for grassroots mobilization to enable those excluded to take local action to overcome oppressive structures that keep them in bondage. We believe in creative and cooperative solidarity, partnering with a wide range of civil society actors to promote a pro-poor policy environment, where the basic rights of the people are secured.
Through workshops, seminars, training programmes, lectures, production of posters, pamphlets, textbooks, magazines, etc, JDPC informs, educates and conscientises the public so as to enhance their ability to defend and preserve their God-given and inalienable human dignity. We are grateful to Almighty God that our Commission with the entire Staff enjoy good working relationships with relevant Government Organizations and Non-Government Organizations within and outside Nigeria.