International Justice Mission: Seek Justice

Tonight we had a guest speaker for Life Skills (re:think) at re:generation church. Maggie is originally from Atlanta, Georgia and is currently working with an organisation called International Justice Mission at their UK partner office.

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to secure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to ensure that public justice systems - police, courts and laws - effectively protect the poor. 

IJM's justice professionals work in their communities in 16 field offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America to secure tangible and sustainable protection of national laws through local court systems.

IJM investigators, lawyers and social workers intervene in individual cases of abuse in partnership with state and local authorities to ensure proper support for the victim and appropriate action against the perpetrator. Such collaboration is essential to obtain convictions against individual perpetrators and to bring meaning to local laws that are meaningless if not enforced. Find out more about the work of IJM.

In the tradition of heroic Christian leaders like abolitionist William Wilberforce and transformational leaders like Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King, Jr., IJM's staff stand against violent oppression in response to the Bible's call to justice (Isaiah 1:17): Seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

IJM seeks to restore to victims of oppression the things that God intends for them: their lives, their liberty, their dignity, the fruits of their labor. By defending and protecting individual human rights, IJM seeks to engender hope and transformation for those it serves and restore a witness of courage in places of oppressive violence. IJM helps victims of oppression regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or gender.

There are currently more than 27 million slaves in the world (including the UK) and 40-50% of that number is represented by children under the age of 18!! Worldwide trafficking is worth and estimated $32billion (roughly £20 billion)! IJM is an organisation which is not only working on the ground, but is also fighting to change legislation to prevent injustice.

You can donate financially  (UK / US) to the work of IJM, or you can get involved (UK / US) in other ways (e.g. volunteering).

Blessings!

Ronell x

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” {Micah 6v8}