international justice mission

Anti-Slavery Campaign

2011-02-22T16:47:00.002-05:00

William & Mary's chapter of IJM is hosting an anti-slavery campaign March 28th - April 1st. Throughout the week, we will focus on different aspects of modern day slavery, but for those just learning about the issue, here are some introductory videos:

Kevin Bales on Modern Day Slavery

Top 10 Facts about the "S" Word

Reply with reactions or your own educational resources!

Alternative Gift Fair!

2010-11-24T22:55:00.004-05:00

This Wednesday, December 1st, International Justice Mission is hosting the 6th Alternative Gift Fair, a gathering featuring a number of service-minded campus groups and outside vendors. At each table you'll find unique gifts supporting groups' particular causes and projects. Come by Sadler Center, Tidewater A between 3pm and 7, and browse jewelry, bags, cards, photographs, chocolate, art and more. This is a great opportunity to shop for friends and family while knowing that your purchases support innovative outreach, advocacy and community partnerships where they're needed most.

The Sadler Center is located next to Zable Stadium, off of Richmond Road and across from the Hospitality House. Tidewater A is on the 3rd and top-most floor of the Sadler Center (SC).

POSTPONED: LessFest: November 11th

2010-11-04T14:18:00.003-05:00

We're sorry!

LessFest '10 has been postponed due to rain, until November 11th, 2010
Crim Dell Meadow, 1pm - 6pm
(rain location: Trinkle Hall, Campus Center)

We just figured the rain wouldn't be great for our awesome clothing donations, or for mending clothes. But as a teaser: we've got some great material for patching up those hole-y jeans... Come by next week!

LessFest 2010!

2010-11-01T20:44:00.002-05:00

William & Mary students, staff and faculty:

Wondering what you should wear today?

Maybe we have too many choices...

LESS-FEST is returning on Thursday, November 4th, 2010!

IJM will be in the CRIM DELL MEADOW from 1pm - 6pm passing out bookmarks w/ facts on consumerism and verses dealing with simplicity. We'll also be collecting clothing donations for FISH clothing bank in Williamsburg, and encourage all to bring other well-worn clothes to be mended! We'll have needles, thread and patches at the ready!

They did fine with just a few leaves...

Sex Trafficking in the US

2009-11-27T18:06:00.004-05:00

We've been talking a lot in leadership meetings about topics for next semester, and a number of interrelated issues have floated up time and again: modern-day slavery, human trafficking, and sex trafficking. All of these occur in staggering numbers both within the United States and abroad. Below is an important article chronicling the struggle of sex trafficking victims in the US, and an overview of this issue in the US.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/11/25/carr.human.trafficking/

For international information, check out www.ijm.org

We know it exists, now let's spread the word.

2009-10-08T08:50:00.002-05:00

LessFest '09

Friday, October 16

Crim Dell Meadow

9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

International Justice Mission is hosting the second annual Less Fest all day Friday, October 16, in the Crim Dell Meadow to celebrate simple living and give members of the campus community an opportunity to share some of our excess with those in need. All next week, when we first get back from Fall Break, students, staff, faculty, and community members will be able to drop off clothing donations in boxes in most residence halls, the Sadler Center, the Campus Center and other spots around campus.

Then, Friday, October 16, IJM will bring all the donated clothing to the Crim Dell Meadow in order to show (1) how much excess our community possesses and (2) the redistributive power we can achieve when we unite as a community. We'd appreciate your support of the clothing drive and event, so be looking through your closets now and over Fall Break! The clothes will be donated to local non-profits and sent to the Philippines in the wake of their recent natural disaster. We hope that this will be a starting point toward greater simplicity in our lives and on our campus. Questions? Contact Kristen Marshall at kemars@wm.edu .

2009-09-30T09:55:00.006-05:00

"HOMELESS FOR A NIGHT"

sponsored by Hillel

Sat-Sun October 3-4

Sunken Gardens

~starting @ 7pm~

On October 3-4, Hillel, is sleeping outside in a Sukkah (a temporary thatched-roof structure) on the Sunken Gardens to observe the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, and to raise awareness and money for the homeless in Williamsburg.

Hillel would like to invite all IJM members to participate in our event, which seeks to educate the William and Mary community about a population that your organization cares about as well. Participants will experience being "Homeless for a Night" on Saturday October 3, and learn about the homeless in Williamsburg from local activists and organizations to spark discussion and spread awareness of this issue on campus. Information about the homeless in Williamsburg will be displayed and distributed for participants and casual observers to become more aware of the Williamsburg homeless, and hopefully compel them to act on that knowledge.

We are also asking for support from local residents and businesses so that at the end of the event, we can donate the contributions to an organization serving the local homeless population. In the spirit of inter-faith education, we'd like to explain the Jewish holiday of Sukkot to IJM members and other non-Jews, and how it is connected with homelessness.

New Semester

2009-02-01T10:36:00.003-05:00

To avoid any confusion, the William and Mary chapter of IJM is meeting on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. in Blair 201 during the spring 2009 semester. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Nik Belanger at nik.belanger@gmail.com or Anna Dausman at acdausman@wm.edu.

2008-12-03T20:41:00.002-05:00

Alternative Gift Fair

Thursday, December 4

Lodge 1 3-7 p.m.

This Thursday, International Justice Mission is hosting the fourth annual Alternative Gift Fair. Student organizations and outside vendors will be selling jewelry, bags, cards, chocolate, and more--all for great causes. Stop by, take care of all your holiday shopping and know that your purchases support programs you care about! Check out the Facebook event for more information: http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1005421870487&f=1&e=-12#/event.php?eid=46799891163 . Other questions? Email jalesh@wm.edu .

Another Victim of American Greed

2008-11-29T02:14:00.002-05:00

This Friday, American greed claimed another victim at a New York Wal-Mart. A worker was trampled to death by a crowd of "eager bargain-hunters," who then complained when told that the store was closing for a few hours due to the man's death.

Here's the New York Times article about what happened.

Wherever the blame lies--be it with the mob that trampled the man, the national economy that's thinning working people's pocketbooks to the point that desperation overpowers good judgment, Wal-Mart for failing to provide appropriate security to its workers or the unfair economic system of the world in which we live--, this tragedy speaks to the miserable hierarchy in our society today. Profits supersede people. Money makes men and women seem meaningless in others' eyes. However you choose to understand what happened yesterday morning, please respond. Do not accept the devaluation of human life. Stand up for what you believe in. Change what you buy, where you buy... HOW you buy.

Our hearts go out to the man's family and to those shoppers who've reached the point that human life means so little. We all pray for an end to greed and a renewed care for our fellow human beings, here in the United States and abroad.

Living Simply

2008-10-17T11:32:00.011-05:00

This post is intended to be a jumping point for those looking to get more involved in simple living and the fight against economic injustice on the national and global scale. You can see where the injustice exists and maybe think up some creative ways of tearing it down -- or just make yourself more informed of the world outside our own community. Check out the links and don't be afraid to comment if you have any questions or concerns with what you're reading.

The following information is from the World Centric site. Please visit the page and support the group's work.

Rich Man, Poor Man

The amount of money that the richest 1 percent of the world's people make each year equals what the poorest 57 percent make.
World's 358 billionaires have assets exceeding the combined annual incomes of countries with 45 percent of the world's people
The richest 5 percent of the world's people have incomes 114 times that of the poorest 5 percent
The combined wealth of the world's 200 richest people hit $1 trillion in 1999; the combined incomes of the 582 million people living in the 43 least developed countries is $146 billion
The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the poorest 48 nations (i.e. a quarter of the world's countries) is less than the wealth of the world's three richest people combined
A few hundred millionaires now own as much wealth as the world's poorest 2.5 billion people

Rich Nations, Poor Nations

20% of the population in the developed nations, consume 86% of the worlds goods
A mere 12 percent of the world's population uses 85 percent of its water, and these 12 percent do not live in the Third World.
Globally, the 20% of the world's people in the highest-income countries account for 86% of total private consumption expenditures - the poorest 20% a minuscule 1.3%. More specifically, the richest fifth:

Consume 45% of all meat and fish, the poorest fifth 5%.
Consume 58% of total energy, the poorest fifth less than 4%.
Have 74% of all telephone lines, the poorest fifth 1.5%.
Consume 84% of all paper, the poorest fifth 1.1%.
Own 87% of the world's vehicle fleet, the poorest fifth less than 1%.

An analysis of long-term trends shows the distance between the richest and poorest countries was about :

5 to 1 in 1820
11 to 1 in 1913
35 to 1 in 195-
44 to 1 in 1973
72 to 1 in 1992

The cost of providing basic health care and nutrition for all in the world would be less than is spent in Europe and the US on pet food

Rich Corporations, Poor Nations

The annual revenue of Motorola is almost equal to the annual income of Nigeria, Africa's second largest economy, almost the size of Europe and with a population of 118 million people.

Poverty, Hunger

More than 840 million people in the world are malnourished—799 million of them are from the developing world. More than 153 million of them are under the age of 5.
Hunger kills. Every day, 34,000 children under five die of hunger or preventable diseases resulting from hunger or 6 million in a year
Of the 6.2 billion people in today's world, 1.2 billion live on less than $1 per day. Nearly 3 billion people live on less than $2 a day
1.2 billion lack access to clean water; 2.4 billion live without decent sanitation; and 4 billion without wastewater disposal.
12 million people die each year from lack of water, including 3 million children from waterborne disease: More than 113 million children in the developing world are without access to basic education; 60 percent of them are girls.

The following information comes from the World Revolution page.

The assets of the 200 richest people in 1998 were more than the total annual income of 41% of the world's people.

UNDP Human Development Report 1999

The richest 20% of the world population now receives 150 times the income of the poorest 20%.

UNDP Human Development Report 1992

The richest one-fifth of the world:

- Consume 45 percent of all meat and fish, the poorest fifth 5 percent

- Consume 58 percent of total energy, the poorest fifth less than 4 percent

- Have 74 percent of all telephone lines, the poorest fifth 1.5 percent

- Consume 84 percent of all paper, the poorest fifth 1.1 percent

- Own 87 percent of the world's vehicle fleet, the poorest fifth less than 1 percent.

UNDP Human Development Report 1998

The richest 20 percent of the population now receives 150 times the income of the poorest 20 percent.

UNDP Human Development Report 1992

The bottom line for poverty and incomes: The share of the poorest 20 percent of the world's people in global income now stands at a miserable 1.1 percent, down from 1.4 percent in 1991 and 2.3 percent in 1960. It continues to shrink. And the ratio of the income of the top 20 percent to that of the poorest 20 percent rose from 30 to 1 in 1960, to 61 to 1 in 1991 - and to startling new high of 78 to 1 in 1994.

UNDP Human Development Report 1997

The income gap between the richest fifth of the world's people and the poorest fifth, measured by average national income per head, increased from 30 to one in 1960, to 74 to one in 1997.

Human Development Report, United Nations Development Program, 1999.

Within nations, the income gap has been growing as well. Russia now has the world's greatest inequality, with the richest 20 percent having 11 times the income of the bottom 20 percent. Income inequalities have also grown dramatically in China, Indonesia, Thailand, other East and South-East Asian countries, and in the industrialized countries, especially Sweden, Britain, and the United States.

"The State of the World," Stephen R. Shalom

Want to learn more about living simply? Visit http://www.simpleliving.net or check out our reading list for some suggestions.

2008-10-03T17:35:00.005-05:00

LessFest '08

Friday, October 17

Crim Dell Meadow

9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

International Justice Mission is hosting the first annual Less Fest all day Friday, October 17, in the Crim Dell Meadow to celebrate simple living and give members of the campus community an opportunity to share some of our excess with those in need. Starting Monday, October 6 through Thursday, October 16, students, staff, faculty, and community members will be able to drop off clothing donations in boxes in most residence halls, the Sadler Center, the Campus Center and other spots around campus.

Then, Friday, October 17, IJM will bring all the donated clothing to the Crim Dell Meadow in order to show (1) how much excess our community possesses and (2) the redistributive power we can achieve when we unite as a community. We'd appreciate your support of the clothing drive and event, so be looking through your closets now and over Fall Break! The clothes will be donated to local non-profits and departments of social services in Williamsburg and Newport News. We hope that this will be a starting point toward greater simplicity in our lives and on our campus. Questions? Contact Kristen Marshall at kemars@wm.edu .

In Transit: End Vaginal Fistula

2008-09-17T12:20:00.002-05:00

More About In Transit from Directors and Producers Bent Jorgen Perlmutt, Nelson Walker III and Louis Abelman (From MediaThatMattersFest.com) :

The Goma Film Project came about when Doctors on Call for Service (DOCS—now called HEAL Africa), a teaching hospital and nonprofit organization located in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), enlisted filmmakers Louis Abelman, Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, and Nelson Walker III to produce assorted informational videos. The first of our assignments was to create a small series of surgical training videos documenting vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF) repair, the most common procedure performed at DOCS on any given day.

A vesico-vaginal fistula is a tear in the vaginal wall that opens into the urethra. In the first world, fistulas are rare; in most parts of the third world, they are caused by complications during childbirth. In the eastern Congo, they are primarily caused by an epidemic of violent rape and torture taking place in the war-ravaged countryside. Marauding armies and militias, some responsible for the Rwandan genocide of 1994, continue to stalk the forests and villages of the region. Women and girls of multiple tribal and ethnic backgrounds have increasingly become victims of plunder, rape, and slavery by the many armed groups involved in the ongoing conflict. At least 40,000 rape cases have been documented in the past several years, with some estimates of up to a million additional undocumented cases. DOCS/HEAL Africa is the only hospital in the region that offers a comprehensive rehabilitation program for women who have acquired fistula from rape.

Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the (for us, previously unheard of) situation, we decided to make a feature film about these women and their rehabilitation program, In Transit. After two months of filming in the Congo in late 2004, we spent much of the following year editing. We decided to return to Congo again in fall of 2005, and enlisted Lynn True, an editor who had worked previously with Nelson, to come along. It was a true experiment in on-site editing made possible by advances in technology. After another amazing few months in the Congo, we returned and have since continued editing. We expect to finish a full-length (80 min.) version of the film in April 2006.

Conflict continues in eastern Congo, and we hope to use our completed film to raise awareness of this massive, yet unheralded, humanitarian catastrophe. With the guidance of counselors (many of whom were former VVF patients themselves), the women we filmed go through an intensive rehabilitation program through which they receive physical therapy, counseling and training in micro-finance projects that aim to help them become self-sufficient after their treatment. As a result, many of these women leave the program not only physically healed, but with a new sense of dignity and awareness that they will be able to resume their lives. Unfortunately, the homes they have to return to are all too often sites of continuing armed conflict and danger — putting their recoveries at risk.

2008-09-14T12:55:00.006-05:00

Media That Matters Film Festival

Thursday, October 2

Crim Dell Meadow 8 p.m.

Thursday, October 2, the Meddia That Matters Film Festival is coming to the W&M campus. UCAB, NAACP, AID and IJM are working together to make this event a reality. To learn more about the Festival, check out their Web site here. More information on what films will be shown will be made available in the near future.

At IJM's weekly meetings for the month of September, we'll explore some of the issues raised by the films. Last week, we screened Esmeraldas: Petroleum and Poverty and wrote letters to the CEO of Chevron about the tragedy addressed in the film.

We hope to see you at our next meeting, this Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. in Blair 221.

Class of 2012!

2008-08-30T11:27:00.001-05:00

International Justice Mission will host our first meeting of the semester this Tuesday, September 2, at 7:15 p.m. in Blair 221. This is an open interest meeting, so invite others to come and hear what we're all about. We'll talk a little bit about what we've done in the past, what we're thinking of doing this semester, and what's going on in the world today that needs our attention. And, of course, we're open to new ideas; so if there's something you're passionate about, this would be a great time to let us know.

Everyone is welcome, and we'd love to see all of you there. I hope you had a great first few days of classes and are having a great weekend. See you Tuesday!

W&M Fundraising Efforts Help Make Change in Guatemala

2008-07-25T22:04:00.002-05:00

Dear College of William & Mary Chapter,

Thank you for your hard work and commitment to making the SANE training possible in Guatemala! I am very pleased to update you on their exciting plans for this training.

Our Guatemala office will host a number of local forensic experts for five days this fall. A Forensic Nurse Consultant will travel to Guatemala and lead various lectures and practicums, teaching on the following topics and more: medical findings in sexual assault, male sexual assault, investigating a case, identifying injuries using photographs, documentation of sexual crimes, crime lab role and evidence collection.

As you can imagine, this training will be invaluable to the clients we serve and would not be possible without your financial support and prayers. On behalf of the Guatemala office, our Field Director, Pablo Villeda, would like to personally thank you. Click here to download video. Feel free to share this email and video with your Campus Chapter.

Lastly, to have a more specific idea of who this training will benefit, I would like to share Kiara*’s story with you. Click here to download her story. Through this story I hope you are able to see how we believe this training will help obtain justice for more children like Kiara*. The SANE trainings will benefit child victims of sexual assault in Guatemala by enabling Guatemala’s forensic doctors to provide a response to sexual violence that is both sensitive to the victim’s needs and will document the type of evidence necessary to pursue accountability under the law for their perpetrators.

Please feel free to contact me if you need anything at all. Thank you again for making this possible!

Warmest regards,
Alicia

* In order to protect the individuals IJM serves and safeguard ongoing IJM casework, a pseudonym has been used, though the account is real.

2008-03-20T10:56:00.005-05:00

Affordable Housing
in Williamsburg
w/ Mayor Zeidler and Vice-Mayor Haulman
Wednesday, March 26
7-8 p.m. Tyler 336

Mayor Jeanne Zeidler and Vice-Mayor Clyde Haulman will join us to discuss the issue of affordable housing and let the student body know what the Williamsburg City Council is doing about it.h

Check out this VOP publication for more information.

The average selling price of a home in Williamsburg/James City County is over $350,000. For the average area worker, living here is nearly impossible. We believe that people should be able to live in the places they work. With affordable housing options becoming more and more scarce, the city is heading down a road not only to complete homogeneity but also to a severe labor shortage. Commuting itself has costs, and low-wage workers are most affected. The city's lack of affordable housing presents both economic and social problems that must be addressed. We recognize that there are ways to make change for the better and are glad that Mayor Zeidler and Vice-Mayor Haulman are coming to discuss those possibilities with us.

Please visit our Facebook event and RSVP. We hope to see you there!

2008-02-18T23:16:00.001-05:00

Steve Gillard '07

Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) in Tuscon, AZ

on Extreme Poverty in the U.S.

Wednesday, February 20

7:30 p.m. Blair 2nd

This week, Steve Gillard will join us from Tuscon, Arizona, to share his experiences working with extreme poverty in the United States. Since graduating last May, Steve has been spending the year working in Tuscon through the Presbyterian Church's Young Adult Volunteer program, living in a community house and connecting with the people he serves. Come hear what he's done, the problems he's faced and his thoughts on domestic poverty.

We'll meet on WEDNESDAY at 7.30 p.m. in Blair 2nd. Look for other group members, and we'll find a room from there. Our first choice will be Blair 221, but it may be occupied. Just keep your eyes open.

Northern Illinois University Shooting

2008-02-16T03:24:00.001-05:00

Dear friends,

In a time when our campus is feeling torn apart, another campus has experienced a much greater pain than the resignation of a president. Five students were killed at Northern Illinois University by a single gunman, and many more were wounded. Please keep this school in your thoughts and prayers.

Here's a NY Times article about what happened: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/15shoot.html?hp.

Let this serve as a reminder that, while some of us might feel hurt by recent events here at the College, our problems are small in comparison with those of others--even those of other US universities. We can continue fighting for what we believe in here in Williamsburg, as we should, but we must never forget how numerous the pains in this world really are--and how we are all called to bind up the brokenhearted and serve as comforts for those who mourn. Let's answer that call.

If you need anything during what could be a difficult time for many, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Peace,
Nik Belanger
njbela@wm.edu

2008-02-06T19:57:00.000-05:00

The Only Payday Loan Shop in the City of Williamsburg
Doesn't Play Fair When It
Comes to Lending

Join us for a Demonstration on
Monday, February 11th

Noon to 1 p.m.

March, Speak to the Press, then Peacefully Disperse

-
Meet at the UC bus stop for the 11:54 bus to the Bloom shopping center (one mile from campus), and plan to return in time for your 1 o’clock classes!

Raise Your Voice for

Fair Credit Options,

-
Not Debt Traps!

*Organized through the Virginia Organizing Project. For more information, visit http://virginia-organizing.org/. W&M IJM is joining this effort to promote the interests of the abused and impoverished residents of the Williamsburg community and the state of Virginia on the whole.
-
-

-
For more information, please contact Nik Belanger at njbela@wm.edu (students) or Ben Thacker-Gwaltney at 757-570-3005 (community members).

Focus the Nation

2008-01-29T01:16:00.000-05:00

This week, W&M IJM is focusing on global climate change, its implications and the right response. Through this Tuesday's (January 29) IJM meeting, we hope to gain insight into the problem and discuss as a group what we can do to help--both as individuals and as members of a larger organization. Then on Wednesday, the Student Environmental Action Coalition is hosting a broadcast of "The 2% Solution," which will address similar issues and provide enough deeper information.

As Christians, we are called to be stewards of the environment. This week, we will delve into what that means and how we can follow that call in an effective, proactive way.

Have you ever wondered what an IJM investigator does in a day? Read on.

2007-12-05T12:07:00.000-05:00

It’s early on a Saturday morning in March 2003, and IJM investigator Jasper Ayelazuno is already out of bed after a brief night’s sleep. Though the day is just beginning, Jasper is busy. Along with the rest of his team, he reviews countless details of the day’s mission: entering the brothels of Svay Pak to rescue children held in sexual slavery. For years, IJM has meticulously
documented evidence against human traffickers in this Cambodian village notorious for the open sale of sex with children. The practice is illegal in Cambodia, but nobody has stepped in to defend the innocent victims. Today is the day the oppressed will have a voice, as local authorities and IJM plan for the rescue of young girls and the arrest of their perpetrators. The team has painstakingly documented the locations of the children who need rescue; they review the facts, preparing for the mission. The mission is as complex as it is urgent: The number of children held in forced prostitution in Svay Pak is astounding.

Jasper and the IJM team walk through the logistics of the day. Each member of the team is commissioned to his or her respective position: Jasper remains at headquarters to direct the staff and assist police, while five investigators go to the brothels to gather perpetrators and victims, whom they will bring to a secure location where arrests and rescue will occur.

A complication in the operation arises. The five investigators discover that they will not be able to bring the perpetrators and victims to the offsite location as previously planned. The plan must be amended; the team makes immediate decisions. Jasper answers the other investigators’ urgent call and helps to lead the police to the brothels where the girls remain trapped. The investigators and the police travel door-to-door, bravely arresting human traffickers and removing their victims from danger.

As a result of the team’s actions, 37 girls are rescued and 13 traffickers are arrested.
Jasper and other members of the team escort the girls and the brothel owners to the police station. Jasper monitors the situation, ensuring that both victims and perpetrators are treated fairly. Though they will soon be transferred to a safe and secure aftercare facility, the victims’ immediate testimony in the aftermath of their traffickers’ arrest is extremely valuable to police as they document evidence. Jasper helps the team ensure that the traumatized victims are treated with sensitivity and compassion. Through the entire process, Jasper works to build on IJM’s existing rapport with Cambodian police, equipping law enforcement officials to best meet the needs of these victims.

Though several years have passed, Jasper retains the shock he felt on that day in 2003 when he saw just how young the girls in Svay Pak were and the disgusting conditions in which they lived. Jasper has a daughter himself – thinking of her makes it particularly hard to comprehend the violence committed against the girls of Svay Pak. Though his work in Cambodia was difficult, there was, as Jasper puts it, “a job to be done.” He still thinks often of the rescued girls and thanks God for the opportunity to have been part of the mission.

It is the daily work of investigators like Jasper Ayelazuno that brings IJM one day closer to securing justice for the victims of oppression and slavery. Because of the work accomplished on Jasper’s mission and other IJM initiatives in cooperation with Cambodian police, there has been a huge reduction in child sexual exploitation in Svay Pak.

Alternative Gift Fair

2007-11-29T22:39:00.000-05:00

International Justice Mission will host the third annual Alternative Gift Fair, a gathering that will feature numerous charitable campus groups and outside vendors selling unique gifts to support their individual causes and projects. Stop by UC Tidewater A any time between 4 and 8 p.m. to see what they've got. This is your chance to shop for family and friends while knowing that the money you spend will be used where it is needed most.

Organizations represented include: Maasai American Student Association, Students for Fair Trade, Students Helping Honduras, Global Village Project, W&M Habitat, Tidewater Labor Support Committee, Project Mexico, Nothing but Nets and Developing Tomorrow: Destination China, with a few more campus groups and outside vendors expected.

Williamsburg Uninhabitable (for many)

2007-11-26T15:10:00.000-05:00

The week before Thanksgiving break, members of IJM conducted an affordable housing calling campaign targeting the members of the Williamsburg City Council. With the support of the Williamsburg chapter of the Virginia Organizing Project, we focused on the city's purchase of and plans for the property formerly occupied by the Tioga Motel on Richmond Road. While the city did address the immediate needs of those living on the property in the months following its closing of the motel, we hope that the members of the local government will work to include affordable housing in their plans for the recently purchased property.

For more information on affordable housing in Williamsburg/James City County, check out this flyer published last year by Williamsburg VOP.

The William and Mary campus chapter of International Justice Mission will meet with the mayor of Williamsburg this Thursday. Please keep this meeting in your prayers, as all involved are interested in promoting the best interests of those living and working in the city and beyond. The conversation will continue in the future, and we hope to see real change in the realm of affordable housing here in Virginia.

LOCAL, INTERNATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION BUILDS PERPETRATOR ACCOUNTABILITY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

2007-11-22T05:04:00.000-05:00

An IJM investigation in conjunction with local police has prompted the arrest of an American for his abuse of a minor in the Philippines. The 43-year-old man, a convicted sex offender in the U.S., is accused of sexually abusing a Filipina adolescent over a three-year period, beginning when the victim was 14.

IJM investigative staff in the Philippines received a tip that an American expatriate had habitually sexually abused a young teen for over three years and had gone so far as to illegally “marry” the victim when she was 15 in an attempt to legitimate his abuse. After preparing an initial investigation report, IJM worked closely with Philippine and U.S. authorities to locate the perpetrator under the auspices of the PROTECT Act, the U.S. law that makes sexual offenses committed against minors abroad by American citizens punishable in U.S. courts. Presented with documentation of the suspect’s sexual abuse of a minor, the Philippines Bureau of Immigration issued an order for his arrest in June.

However, the suspect was tipped off that police were looking for him and subsequently fled to an island several hours away. Despite his attempts at evasion, IJM investigators were able to track him down and resume surveillance. With confirmation that he was still at large, the Bureau of Immigration worked in collaboration with local police to arrest him.

After his arrest, the suspect and investigators traveled nearly five hours to return to the immigration office police station, where he was booked into immigration custody pending deportation.

In September, the suspect was deported to the U.S., where he was arrested upon arrival and charged under the PROTECT Act.

“These cases are critically important to demonstrate to pedophiles that there are no ‘safe harbors’ left in the world for the sexual exploitation of children,” explains IJM Southeast Asia Director Kaign Christy.

The victim has been placed in a safe aftercare home, where she is doing well. She is taking tutorial classes to prepare for her upcoming educational exams and will enroll in computer training courses.

CASEWORK BRIEFING: MILESTONE SENTENCE IMPOSED ON SLAVE OWNER IN INDIA

2007-11-12T14:15:00.000-05:00

In a landmark conviction in India last month, a man guilty of holding six people in slavery was sentenced to one year in prison and assessed a fine of 900 rupees. This sentence culminates a legal process that began four years ago, when an IJM investigation resulted in police intervention on behalf of six victims held as slaves in the perpetrator’s business, a snack stand.

In India, perpetrator accountability for slavery remains extremely rare, despite stiff penalties for the crime mandated by law. Slave owners are rarely tried, and when they are brought to trial, they receive token sentences of a few hours for this human rights abuse. This one-year sentence for slavery is a major victory as the tide of opposition to slavery grows in India.

The victims had been enslaved since childhood and suffered physical and verbal abuse, working in conditions so severe that one laborer reportedly died as a result. Since their release from slavery, the former slaves have received rehabilitation assistance from the government and have succeeded in supporting their families and pursuing stable livelihoods. They remain in contact with IJM’s aftercare staff, who report that the former slaves are overjoyed that justice has been served in their case and that their perpetrator has been held accountable for his actions.

Seek Justice @ W&M

2007-10-04T20:11:00.001-05:00

The night's almost here. In less than 48 hours, the Seek Justice event will finally reach the campus of William and Mary. This Saturday, October 6, at 7:00 p.m. in Little Theatre (Campus Center basement), Children of the Light Dance Ministries (D.C.) and Feat of Grace (W&M) will give a presentation of dances highlighting the work of our parent organization. Our campus chapter of International Justice Mission will participate through prayer, support and a message during the event.

If you're able to come out, please do. Spread the word. This promises to be a serious opportunity to speak and act on God's heart for the oppressed--and a great chance to worship in a new way.

Check out the Facebook event "Seek Justice" or email njbela@wm.edu if you have any questions.

Guatemala Initiative

2007-09-29T10:11:00.000-05:00

This year, along with our continued advocacy efforts at William and Mary, in the United States and abroad, the W&M chapter of International Justice Mission will raise $1,000 for a program run by our Washington, D.C., parent organization.

Our contribution will be combined with those of other campus chapters around the country to send SANE(Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner)-trainers to Guatemala to train nurses to properly gather evidence from victims of rape. This will increase prosecutions and convictions of offenders in a country where many go free thanks to antiquated, medically inaccurate policies.

More information on the program can be found in this packet distributed by International Justice Mission headquarters in D.C.

We hope to host several fundraisers in the upcoming months. Ideas can be sent to njbela@wm.edu or brought to one of our meetings (Tuesdays, Tucker 202, 7:30 p.m.).

We especially ask for prayers for those who have suffered and who are suffering from the injustices of the criminal court system of Guatemala. Pray for healing, and that our efforts might be a part of that healing.

FIRST PERSON: IJM SOCIAL WORKER REFLECTS ON CAMBODIAN EXPERIENCE

2007-09-11T22:21:00.001-05:00

IJM Cambodia Director of Aftercare Christa Hayden takes you into her work in Southeast Asia

I am sitting on the hard tile floor of a Cambodian jail cell, trying unsuccessfully to light a mosquito coil while wiping sweat out of my eyes, shooing ants away and swatting at mosquitoes. It has been two years since I graduated with my master’s degree in social work. I definitely cannot remember any of my professors lecturing on mosquito management in Southeast Asia! However, I have three small teachers with me in this jail cell, and they all pitch in to show me the fine art of keeping a mosquito coil lit and balanced on its tiny metal tray.

My wise teachers are actually three Cambodian girls, ages nine, 10 and 12, whom we helped rescue tonight from sexual slavery. International Justice Mission investigators and Cambodian national police worked together to free these children from months of torture, forced drug use, rape and pornography at the hands of a foreign pedophile and the local female traffickers in his employment.

In Cambodia, IJM’s mission is to mobilize efforts to suppress systems of commercial sexual exploitation of minors in Cambodia through assisting investigations and prosecutions, and by training Cambodia’s anti-human trafficking police. My aftercare colleagues and I work together to welcome children upon their rescue, provide crisis care while they undergo police interviews and partner with governmental social service officials to place the children in aftercare homes that provide specialized care for sexual violence survivors. After placement, we monitor the children’s recovery, prepare them to testify at trial and act as a professional resource to our aftercare partners.

At this moment, our aftercare intern is creating a sense of normalcy and play for the children as they spend the evening coloring, teaching each other songs and decorating the gray walls with colorful stickers. She is sprawled on a mat on the hard floor, drawing pictures with the two youngest rescued girls, an activity that can cross any language barrier. The girls are teaching our intern some basic Khmer words and they break into uncontrollable giggles when they hear her use the Cambodian language. The oldest child and one of my Cambodian colleagues are intently talking in a corner of the room about the child’s experiences, pain, feelings, fears and hopes; tears flow, hands are held, and conversation is often interrupted by times of emotional silence. A small space of release, freedom and acceptance has been created in the middle of a police station.

For the next three days, my teammates and I will take turns staying day and night at the police station with these three girls throughout their interviews, as this time is critical to documenting their case so that authorities can effectively prosecute their abusers. These children’s young lives have already been filled with violence, torture and betrayal beyond imagination. Shame, exhaustion, grief, loss and confusion fill their hearts and minds, and seep out through their tears as they talk with us and go through interviews with the police. The most important priority of these first few days is to provide the children with a sense of safety, hope and rest. The long road of healing and restoration will continue as the girls are placed in a loving, high-quality aftercare home.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve these children, work in this country with passionate Cambodian teammates and partner with innovative and committed aftercare organizations. International social work has challenged me to provide care with more adaptability and flexibility, trained me to think more broadly and creatively, and has sharpened my professional skills and cross-cultural competency. The lessons I have learned in Cambodia fill me with passion, energy and a renewed commitment to serving the hurting and the oppressed around the world. It is an honor to know these children and a joy to walk with them as they begin the long journey toward healing and wholeness.

These reflections first appeared in a different form in Catalyst, the newsletter of the North American Association of Christians in Social Work.

FREEDOM SECURED FOR VICTIM OF WRONGFUL IMPRISONMENT IN KENYA

2007-09-11T13:42:00.000-05:00

Dalton* worked as a night watchman at a housing complex. When he noticed early one morning that the vehicle belonging to one of the residents was missing, he knocked on the owner’s door to alert him. Because Dalton had recently needed to remind this particular resident of some of the rules of the housing complex, the man still harbored a grudge from their earlier conversation and did not take kindly to his appearance. Upon searching the complex with the owner and determining definitively that the vehicle was not there, Dalton went to the police station to report the theft. The vehicle’s owner, frustrated at the loss and still angry with Dalton, made the unsubstantiated allegation that perhaps Dalton himself had taken the vehicle. After his initial report, Dalton returned to the police station to make a second report. During this second visit to the police station, the policewoman taking his report alleged that he was lying, likely upon the suggestion of the vehicle’s owner. On these grounds, Dalton was thrown in a cell and charged with the offense of stealing the vehicle. He was told by the police that the only way for him to get out of jail was to produce the vehicle himself. On the basis of an empty accusation made in anger, Dalton was trapped in jail.

Upon discovering Dalton’s case, IJM Kenya was determined to see him released. IJM lawyers met with the owner of the vehicle, who informed them that he had been told that Dalton was released from police custody upon providing his report. His anger over his previous confrontation with Dalton had cooled; he was very surprised to hear that Dalton was being held in jail and explained to IJM investigators that he had pressed no charges against Dalton and did not believe that he should be held in prison.

Dalton’s lawyer persisted in advocating for his right to a fair trial, even as the court date was repeatedly canceled and changed for reasons from holiday celebrations to prosecution witnesses who didn’t bother to show up. With each delay, Dalton’s imprisonment stretched on, despite the fact that the prosecution had never presented a single piece of evidence to actually connect him with the theft of the vehicle.

While his lawyer worked to ensure that Dalton was given the opportunity to defend himself against the false charge, the IJM Kenya aftercare team also made sure that his wife and three children received support. Staff members ensured that his children were able to continue with school and that his wife, understandably distraught at her husband’s imprisonment, received counseling.

Finally, at a rescheduled hearing, the magistrate called Dalton and his IJM lawyer into his chambers and told them that his judgment was not yet complete and that he would reschedule his verdict. Dalton’s advocate was not ready to see this innocent man shackled and led back to jail after another fruitless court date. He was able to persuade the magistrate to complete the judgment as scheduled.

That afternoon, Dalton was acquitted. When he pronounced the ruling, the magistrate stated that there was absolutely no evidence linking Dalton with the theft. His papers were processed and he was able to leave court without handcuffs for the first time in over a year. Dalton’s sister, who was in attendance at the hearing, said to the IJM staff present, “We are grateful for all the work that went into this. Thanks to IJM for their involvement.” When Dalton left the courtroom, he was a free man. After 13 months of separation and injustice, he has returned to his wife and his children.

HUNDREDS OF ZAMBIANS IMPACTED BY IJM TRAININGS: KNOWLEDGE OF LEGAL RIGHTS EMPOWERS CITIZENS

2007-09-09T23:54:00.000-05:00

"Just four days after [IJM Zambia] conducted a workshop here, people have started reporting sexual offenses to my office.”—Zambian government official

Hundreds of Zambians have equipped themselves to fight injustice in their communities by attending IJM’s legal training sessions this year. Many Zambians victimized by illegal property seizure and sexual assault are unaware of the laws designed to protect them. IJM’s Zambia office is fighting to change this: Since the beginning of this year, more than 1500 individuals have attended IJM Zambia’s trainings on property rights and sexual violence.

Land and property are often stolen from a widow by men in the extended family following the death of her husband. Despite the fact that this property theft is a criminal act according to Zambian law, property seizure is often viewed by the community as a family matter rather than a crime. Not only is property seizure illegal, it is also devastating for its victims, who can lose their spouses, their homes, and their livelihoods in rapid succession. Possessing property or land – and thereby a means of income and shelter - can literally be a matter of life or death in Zambia.

At these trainings, IJM staff present on the law of succession, which states that widows have the right to at least a portion of their deceased husbands’ property. Knowing that they are entitled to their own property empowers widows within their communities and in their interactions with potential perpetrators.

The trainings also educate community members on the Zambian laws relating to sexual violence. These sessions are making a tangible impact on the reporting of sexual crime in the communities where they have been held. This summer, in an article in the Zambian newspaper The Post, a local government official gave evidence to this fact, stating that his community knows the importance of reporting sexual offenses to the appropriate governmental authorities because IJM staff conducted a training there. “Just four days after [IJM Zambia] conducted a workshop here, people have started reporting sexual offenses to my office,” he explained.

Training sessions have also been an important tool in deepening IJM Zambia’s partnership with local police – enabling the two groups to work together to ensure that vulnerable members of their communities have access to the protections of law enforcement. This summer, IJM Zambia held its first official police training, attended by officers of the Zambian Police. The training provided the opportunity for officers and IJM staff to discuss the concerns of Zambian citizens in regards to sexual violence and illegal land and property seizure. The event was notably attended by a senior court justice official, who expressed his commitment to upholding the rights of widows and encouraged the officers gathered there to pursue these cases.

By educating themselves about the laws that affect their lives and livelihoods, attendees work with IJM to create structural changes in their communities that will uphold rights of widows and children. Pamela Mumbi, director of IJM Zambia, reports, “What a joy it is to see the look of relief on many of the women’s faces when they learn that the law protects them and the orphans against property grabbing and against sexual violence. To have someone in the flesh teach them the law and tell them they can access that justice for free is often overwhelming. We are set to have more of these trainings on a regular basis in different compounds in our city, and to different classes or groups of people within the compounds. Lives are being changed.”

Welcome, Class of 2011

2007-08-28T13:40:00.000-05:00

All of us at IJM are excited about the coming year, especially about the new opportunities and people it brings to this campus. Hopefully, we had a chance to meet and speak with most of you at the Student Activities Fair last night; if we missed each other, though, please come to the first meeting. It will be held September 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Tucker 202. We'll be discussing what IJM does internationally, here in the United States, and on the campus of William and Mary. We hope you'll all be there. Thanks for your interest, and let us know if you have any questions.

Check out our WM Web site: www.wm.edu/so/intjusticemission

Help IJM win $100,000

2007-07-10T13:55:00.000-05:00

International Justice Mission is in the final round of a competition to win $100,000 to support our work, and we need your vote to win!

Everyday, from July 9 through August 10, we need as many people as possible to go online to www.Rezoom.com/ABETTERWORLD and vote for IJM as the number one charity in the United States. You can vote once a day, everyday, for the entire month.

Over 5,000 charities were originally nominated for this competition, and through a combination of public voting and judging International Justice Mission has been elected into the top 21 Regional charity winners. Each of the 21 winning charities received a $5,000 cash award and now has the opportunity to compete for a $100,000 national award. The winner will be chosen based on the highest number of votes throughout the month long competition and we can’t do it without you!

We are asking for your participation, as well as your support, in rallying your family, friends, and Chapter members to log on and vote for IJM daily, July 9 through August 10, at www.Rezoom.com/ABETTERWORLD. So email all of your friends, post it on your facebook page, spread the word and encourage people to cast their vote.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership with us.

Sincerely,

Cheryl C. Noble
Student Ministries

8/29 Commission

2007-07-05T14:43:00.000-05:00

Please read this brief history of the New Orleans levee disaster, visit Levees.org and contact your representatives to let them know that you support the 8/29 Commission (in the Water Resources Development Act).

In 1965, Congress gave the US Army Corps of Engineers authority for the design and construction of the flood protection in metro New Orleans. This was called the Pontchartrain Hurricane Protection Project. The local interests' role was maintenance once the projects were complete. When authorized, this mandate was projected to take 13 years to complete.

When Katrina struck in 2005, the project was between 60-90% complete, and the projected date of completion was estimated to be 2015. That is 50 years after it first gained authorization. To put that in perspective, President Roosevelt's construction of the Panama Canal, one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, took 10 years.

After Hurricane Katrina and Rita, a federally led investigation task force was established to examine the technical failures of the Greater New Orleans flood protection system. That investigation by the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) was managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since the Corps of Engineers was the sole agency responsible for the design and construction of metro New Orleans' levee system, such an investigation has an apparent conflict of interests. The Corps investigated itself.

If you look at the IPET report, you can see that every chapter is chaired or co-chaired by a US Army Corps of Engineers employee. And the Corps paid all consultants who contributed to the report.

If you investigate yourself, what do you think you're going to find? Additionally, since the release of the IPET report on June 1, 2006, two independent levee investigation teams (National Science Foundation/U Cal Berkeley and Team Louisiana ) have criticized the IPET report as incomplete in the realm of how decisions were made.

And there is a pattern to the issues in dispute. In virtually all cases, the Corps-sponsored IPET report reaches conclusions that tend to shift responsibility away from Army Corps engineering practices. The is no significant discussion of poor construction. Additionally, the report remains incomplete in areas that would address potentially dysfunctional organizational processes, communications failures and decision making at and by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Levees.Org has reason to doubt the reliability of the flood protection system currently being redesigned and constructed that protects the lives and property of 1.5 million Americans. To date, Congress has appropriated a total of $5.8 billion to the Corps of Engineers to repair and strengthen metro New Orleans' flood protection system. The results from the possibly inaccurate and incomplete report will probably be used to change policies and create the plans to repair and strengthen the flood protection system.

An independent analysis of flood protection failures is needed to assure that all possible opportunities for improvement are considered. Taxpayers need a full return on the investment dollars that Congress authorizes and the citizens of south Louisiana need the best protection possible.

How Would This Commission be Structured?
This Commission would be mainly a fresh look by "unbiased objective eyes" at data already collected. The 9-11 Commission's model of bipartisan co-chairmanship provides a good model in assuring objectivity. Those who serve on this Commission would be required to meet certain standards of objectivity and expertise in the fields of engineering and flood control.

How much time and how much money are needed?
The Commission would require simply reexamining data from studies already completed so there is no need to go back to pulling out sheet pilings from the canal walls or taking soil samples from the levees. This means that the study will not take much time nor be very expensive.

Conclusion:
An independent commission to examine and make recommendations regarding Louisiana's flood protection is vital to reestablishing public trust. This Commission would examine decades of possibly flawed governmental policy at the federal, state and local level. This is not about placing blame, but about moving forward in the best way because taxpayers need a full return on the investment dollars that Congress authorizes and the citizens of south Louisiana need the best protection possible.

Submitted by:
Sandy Rosenthal, Executive Director, Levees.Org
Vince Pasquantonio, Legislative Director, Levees.Org

SEVENTEEN MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN RELEASED FROM SLAVERY IN SOUTH ASIAN RICE MILL

2007-07-04T12:11:00.000-05:00

Four years ago, when the owner of a rice mill offered him an advance of about $75, Gunamay* had no idea of the obstacles he would face in repaying it. The owner used the debt incurred by the advance to trap Gunamay’s family in slavery, forbidding them to leave his compound or seek work elsewhere before the debt was repaid. The owner provided Gunamay less than a dollar a day for the labor he, his wife and three of his five children – sons of only six, eight and 10 years of age – performed. Barely able to support his family on this wage, there was no way that Gunamay would be able to repay the loan, ensuring his family’s labor to the mill owner in perpetuity.

Gunamay, like millions around the world, had been tricked into a life of slavery through the illegal practice of debt bondage. The family’s situation was brutal: The mill owner forced Gunamay’s wife to perform exhausting physical labor while pregnant and assaulted his young sons when he felt they were not working hard enough. The children were unable to attend school, instead spending their days preparing rice alongside the adults and performing petty tasks for the mill owner.

Unwilling to watch their family suffer, Gunamay and his wife decided to flee the mill. They left their few possessions behind and escaped with their young children. However, the mill owner immediately tracked them down, capturing them at a nearby bus station and forcing them to return to work.

Though the mill owner may have thought he was safe oppressing Gunamay and his family, IJM became aware of his gross abuse of several families trapped in his mill. IJM agents compiled evidence of slavery at the mill, determined to see the families released. When presented with this proof, the local authorities agreed to intervene and rescue the individuals held captive by the mill’s owner.

With IJM’s assistance, the local government immediately raided the facility, rescuing 17 victims – including eight children – from slavery in the mill. The government issued release certificates, assuring the former slaves of their freedom.

The families released from slavery were conveyed to their home villages in safety, and IJM distributed vital provisions to them. Gunamay’s children plan to return to school soon. His family, along with the others released from slavery that night, no longer belong to the mill owner. Person by person and family by family, IJM will continue to work with local authorities to rescue people like Gunamay from the brutality of slavery.

-IJM News, July 2007

2007-06-28T15:14:00.000-05:00

To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God.
When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.

Jonah 2:6-7

Isaiah 58

2007-04-25T12:18:00.000-05:00

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing with quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer:

Here am I.

Deliver me, O Jesus

2007-03-21T15:34:00.000-05:00

From the desire of being loved,

From the desire of being extolled,

From the desire of being honoured,

From the desire of being praised,

From the desire of being preferred,

From the desire of being consulted,

From the desire of being approved,

From the desire of being popular,

From the fear of being humiliated,

From the fear of being despised,

From the fear of suffering rebukes,

From the fear of being slandered,

From the fear of being forgotten,

From the fear of being wronged,

From the fear of being ridiculed,

From the fear of being suspected.

And, Jesus, grant me the grace

to desire that others might be loved more than I,

That others might be more esteemed than I,

That in the opinion of the world,

others may increase and I decrease,

That others may be chosen and I set aside,

That others may be preferred to me in everything,

That others may become holier than I,

provided I become as holy as I should.

god, write this on my heart

2007-03-18T12:49:00.000-05:00

Love without courage and wisdom is sentimentality, as with the ordinary church member.
Courage without love and wisdom is foolhardiness, as with the ordinary soldier.
Wisdom without love and courage is cowardice as with the ordinary intellectual.
But the one who has love, courage, and wisdom moves the world.
~ Ammon Hennacy (Roman Catholic activist, 1893-1970)

perseverence and purpose

2007-03-08T00:49:00.000-05:00

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
-----because the LORD has anointed me
-----to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
-----to proclaim freedom for the captives
-----and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
-----and the day of vengeance of our God,
-----to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
-----to bestow on them a crown of beauty
-----instead of ashes,
-----the oil of gladness
-----instead of mourning,
-----and a garment of praise
-----instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,
-----a planting of the LORD
-----for the display of his splendor.

-isaiah sixty-one : one through three

http://www.shanebweb.com/lyrics.html
[check out the song "beauty for ashes" under the upstairs album]

i am encouraged by what i see happening week after week at our meetings--people showing up to share in an active pursuit of justice. i do not doubt that there are big plans in store for us. this campus is ready for change; so is our church, and so is our world. when we spoke earlier tonight about our own lives--about the simplicity we are pursuing and at the same time lack--, i realized how much bigger than us this movement really is. we are shaking things up on campus and in our own churches (and in our own lives most of all), but there is so much left to be done; nevertheless, persevere. we can be the change; through christ, we are the change, and never let anyone tell you otherwise. stay strong over spring break, and i look forward to seeing you again on the twenty-first.

hosea 2.19

2007-02-18T02:18:00.000-05:00

I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in
righteousness
and
justice,
in
love
and
compassion.
I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD.

a voice for silent children

2007-02-07T21:39:00.000-05:00

O LORD, how have I been ignorant?
Forgive my callous heart

and may I have compassion.

No to sympathy, No to empathy

and Yes to action.

Yes to prayer and to enlightment.

Give me the words to say

and perseverance

and persistence

and passion.

Above all passion

for these little ones.

God, dear God!

Please break this cycle.

Cycle of violence.

Generations to come are ruined

now jaded by blood.

They have bathed in it

and see no other way.

Peace, peace for the little ones.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information on the plight of child soldiers, please visit these sites:

micah's meditation 6.8

2007-02-05T00:29:00.000-05:00

he has showed you, O man, 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.