Jean Vanier

"In 1964 Jean Vanier, a philosopher and former naval officer, moved into a dilapidated house in France with two companions and started the first L'Arche community. In time this grew into an international network of communities in which people with intellectual disabilities and those who assist them share their lives together. Though Vanier's roots are Roman Catholic, the movement is deeply ecumenical and interfaith, and his message of compassion, community, and the dignity of the human person, has struck a universal chord. Pope John Paul II called him "a great spokesman for the culture of solidarity and the civilization of love.'" This collection, published to mark Vanter's 80th birthday, contains his essential writings."--Jacket.

"Jean Vanier reflects on recent world events, identifying the sources of conflict and fear within and among individuals, communities, and nations that thwart us in our quest for peace. Peace is not just the work of governments or armies or diplomats, he argues, but the task of each one of us. We can all become makers of peace. We can do our part. And though it's easy to be a lover of peace and much more difficult to be a worker for peace, Vanier shows us that ordinary people, unknown and unrecognized, are transforming our world little by little, finding peace in our neighbourhoods and lighting the way to change."--BOOK JACKET.

Shows how a life shared with handicapped people calls us to selflessness and risk. The vulnerability that is so much part of their lives reveals our own limists and forces us to ask questions that can lead us to profound liberation.