Assist the poor and vulnerable overseas; cherish, preserve and uphold the sacredness and dignity of all human life, foster charity and justice, and embody Catholic social and moral teaching as we act to promote human development by responding to major emergencies, fighting disease and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies, and serve Catholics in the United States as they live their faith in solidarity with their brothers and sisters around the world; assist people on the basis of need, not creed, race or nationality.

Prepare effective leaders for the Church, ready to witness to Christ's good news of justice, love, and peace.

Create a confidential space free from judgment, where each individual can speak freely regardless of their cultural, spiritual, social or economic background; encourage individuals and organizations to act according to a common set of human values.

Provide nonviolent communication tools to bridge social differences and create a more equitable society.

Bring people of all faiths together to learn about history, shared values and why people must live and work together toward a society of justice and peace; explore the theological foundations and common goals of the world's religions; fight religious stereotypes and intolerance to foster genuine understanding.

Promote peace and social justice through spiritually based interfaith activities.

Seek to enhance the understanding of and find solutions to the most pressing 21st century challenges related to peace and conflict; Promote cutting-edge research and scholarship on issues such as genocide, conflict resolution, sustainability, justice, global health, and human rights.

EDyR aims at being an academic space of analysis, reflection and participation in relation to all subjects linked to rights and religions, especially in regard to the right to freedom of religion and conscience, and in matters of the relations carried out between States and religions.

Monitor the development in the social, political, and ecclesiastical life and to represent the concerns of Catholics in public; give suggestions for the apostolic work of the Church and of Catholics in society; contribute to the ecclesiastical decisions on the diocesan level and to advise the German Bishops' Conference on issues of social, political and ecclesiastical life; prepare and undertake joint initiatives and events of German Catholics; observe the concerns and responsibilities of German Catholics abroad and at international level; contribute to the implementation and compliance with relevant measures.

Help prevent, mitigate, and resolve armed conflict through dialogue and mediation.