International Justice Mission...

Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!" -Proverbs 31:8 (MSG)
 
I am still figuring out what this blog is really about and some days I struggle with whether or not it quite encapsulates who I am yet.  I certainly love fashion and travel and home projects, but much of my heart is for the poor and increasingly for those entrapped and enslaved. 

Human Trafficking is getting a lot of publicity these days, and it should - the more people who know about it and are working to fight it and END IT the better.  I just wanted to share a bit about an organization that we support as much as we can each month - just to give you an idea of some of the amazing things happening right now to free men, women and children from slavery.

International Justice Mission was founded in 1997 and they work tirelessly to stop slavery.  They work with local agencies to train and educate them so that the crazy cycle can be slowed down and eventually stopped.  They have a few different facets to the work.  They work with local authorities to go in and rescue those who are enslaved - busts as it were.  They work to  prosecute those that perpetrate slavery in the countries that they work in.  They also provide after care for those that have been rescued.  The most impressive and amazing thing about IJM to me is, the money I have given them funds them literally going in and freeing slaves. 

I cannot tell you the incredible feeling of getting an email from IJM with the most recent story of modern day rescue happening half a world away - maybe right now.

I thought it would be worthwhile to share something beyond you or me today...

Here is the official spiel from IJM's site on who they are and what they do:

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 15 field offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America to secure tangible and sustainable protection of national laws through local court systems. 
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