IJM stands for International Justice Mission, an international organization founded in 1997 by 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 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.
Today, millions of lives around the world are in the grip of injustice. For example:
The total market value of illicit human trafficking is estimated to be in excess of $32 billion (source: U.N.)
Each year, more than 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade (source: UNICEF)
The AIDS pandemic continues to rage, and the oppression of trafficking victims in the global sex trade contributes to the disease’s spread.
The land rights of women are violated on a massive scale worldwide, but with particular ferocity in Africa, leaving widows and other women in vulnerable positions unable to care for themselves or their children. Around the world, women suffer the double indignity of rape and seeing their perpetrators face no consequences for crimes of sexual violence.
In all of its casework, IJM has a four-fold purpose: 1. Victim Relief IJM’s first priority is immediate relief for the victim of the abuse being committed. 2. Perpetrator Accountability IJM seeks to hold perpetrators accountable for their abuse in their local justice systems. When would-be perpetrators are rightly afraid of the consequences of their abuse, the vulnerable do not need to fear them. 3. Victim Aftercare IJM aftercare staff and trusted local aftercare partners work to ensure that victims of oppression are equipped to rebuild their lives and respond to the emotional and physical needs that are often the result of abuse. 4. Structural Transformation IJM seeks to prevent abuse from being committed against others at risk by strengthening the community factors and local judicial systems that will deter potential oppressors.
In short, IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems. http://www.ijm.org/ Return to the homepage (updated: April 23, 2010)
Today, millions of lives around the world are in the grip of injustice.
For example:
In all of its casework, IJM has a four-fold purpose:1. Victim Relief
IJM’s first priority is immediate relief for the victim of the abuse being committed.
2. Perpetrator Accountability
IJM seeks to hold perpetrators accountable for their abuse in their local justice systems. When would-be perpetrators are rightly afraid of the consequences of their abuse, the vulnerable do not need to fear them.
3. Victim Aftercare
IJM aftercare staff and trusted local aftercare partners work to ensure that victims of oppression are equipped to rebuild their lives and respond to the emotional and physical needs that are often the result of abuse.
4. Structural Transformation
IJM seeks to prevent abuse from being committed against others at risk by strengthening the community factors and local judicial systems that will deter potential oppressors.
In short, IJM is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems.
http://www.ijm.org/
Return to the homepage
(updated: April 23, 2010)