“With liberty and justice for all.” This should be the mantra of the “other”-oriented International Justice Mission.
IJM’s mission is clear: help people “suffering injustice and oppression who cannot rely on local authorities for relief.”
“The agency documents and monitors conditions of abuse and oppression, educates the church and public about the abuses, and mobilizes intervention on behalf of the victims,” according to the Web site.
IJM’s methods are simple: document, intervene and educate.
They document human rights abuses based on the “investigations of legally trained professionals.”
They intervene by providing emergency relief, bringing perpetrators to justice, helping prevent abusive conduct and conditions, and helping victims receive compensation and aid.
They educate based on “the biblical and devotional imperative to seek justice on behalf of the oppressed” and seek to present “a concrete need for intervention” and “overseas examples of the tangible, effective relief that can be brought to the victims of injustice.”
IJM’s Web site provides all the necessary information needed to get involved, whether financially, spiritually or otherwise.
As part of IJM’s goal to bring the realities of abuse to light, it offers curriculum for church use. Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World is IJM’s answer to churches’ questions about how to witness to victims of abuse and injustice. Books, study guides and videos are available at its Web site.
For young people considering their callings, IJM offers suggestions for careers in human rights, like law, political science, journalism, nursing and many others. It goes beyond just providing a list of possibilities and shows youth how to get started on the path and what they can read to prepare for the journey.
IJM’s biblical model of missions is worth looking into and is an example of how God’s people are hearing the call to take care of the abused and hurting in the world.
Jodi Mathews is BCE’s communications director.
Visit www.ijm.org.
