September's Focus: International Justice Mission

Isaac determined our focus for September and he came up with the wonderful idea of supporting the International Justic Mission, a human rights agency based in Washington DC but with field offices all over the world. IJM is a relatively new organization; it was founded in 1997 and offers a unique perspective to serving those who have been oppressed. Here is an excerpt from their website explaining their history and approach:

Historically, humanitarian and missions organizations worked faithfully and courageously to bring healthcare, education, food and other vital services to those who needed them. But little had been done to actually restrain the oppressors who are a source of great harm to the vulnerable.

Concerned by this need, a group of lawyers, human rights professionals and public officials launched an extensive study of the injustices witnessed by overseas missionaries and relief and development workers. This study, surveying more than 65 organizations and representing 40,000 overseas workers, uncovered a nearly unanimous awareness of abuses of power by police and other authorities in the communities where they served. Without the resources or expertise to confront the abuse and to bring rescue to the victims, these overseas workers required the assistance of trained public justice professionals.

Gary Haugen, working as a lawyer at the U.S. Department of Justice and as the United Nations’ Investigator in Charge in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, founded International Justice Mission as a response to this massive need. Today, IJM has grown to more than 300 professionals working in their own communities to fight injustice.

IJM works in over twelve countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to "secure tangible and sustainable protection of national laws through local court systems." IJM not only works to bring justice to the perpetrators of violence, but also to restore dignity to those who were abused or oppressed. Ultimately, IJM hopes their work in protecting individual human rights will transmute to a larger, community, national, and even global level. IJM staff seek to obey the biblical call found in Isaiah 1:17. Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

Go check out IJM's website; they have a ton of great information and resources!