Campus Chapter Tool Kit

International Justice Mission

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Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..2What is IJM?...........................................................................................................................................4Injustice 101………………………………………………………………………………..5Chapter Formation Check List……………………………………………………………10Chapter Leadership Structure……………………………………………………………...12Team Building…………………………………………………………………………….15Pray……………………………………………………………………………………….16Pay……………………………………………………………………………………...…21Participate………………………………………………………………………………....24Promote…………………………………………………………………………………...26Prepare……………………………………………………………………………………28Persevere………………………………………………………………………………….35Appendix A: Fundraising Ideas…………………………………………………………....37Appendix B: Devotional Selections………………………………………………………..41Appendix C: Justice Scriptures…………………………………………………………….42

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Hello from International Justice Mission!

It is so exciting to us that you have decided to start an IJM Campus Chapter on your college campus. I truly believe that God is raising up students to be the catalysts for huge change in our world as they come to understand His heart for justice and answer the call to seek justice with their lives. By desiring to start a Campus Chapter, you are a catalyst for change, and I am excited to see how God is going to use you on your campus.

In this Tool Kit, you will get a picture of what an IJM Campus Chapter looks like. You will also get practical tips and tools which will help your group be successful. It is meant to be a guide and resource for you as your team works together to seek justice. We understand that each group is different, so feel free to structure your group in the way that best fits you.

As you do that, I would encourage you to keep in mind these foundational goals for IJM Campus Chapters:

IJM’s vision is that Campus Chapters will:

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Raise up their voices in prayer to intercede on behalf of victims of abuse and oppression;

Raise awareness of injustice in our world on their campuses, churches, and communities;

Raise understanding of God’s call to everyone to seek justice with their lives; and

Raise money to support IJM’s work to bring rescue to more victims of abuse and oppression in our world.

I hope that this Tool Kit proves to be useful to you as you start out on this journey with us. My encouragement to you as you embark comes from 1 Timothy 4:12

“Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”

If you have any questions or need anything from us, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I would also love to hear how your group is doing and how we can specifically be praying for you. I can be reached at 703.465.5495, or via email at ccurrie@ijm.org.

Thank you for your commitment!

Sincerely,

Cheryl NobleStudent Ministries

Why College Students?College students play a large part in the strategy of International Justice Mission. We believe that students are at a particularly unique stage in their lives when they can be most open and ready to answer God’s call to seek justice for the oppressed in our world. One of the greatest hindrances to the biblical work of justice is fear – fear of discomfort, fear of having to step out of our comfort zones, fear of stepping out the current responsibilities that take up our time and energy (see Luke 9:57-62). God calls us to a life of courage, adventure, and abandon to His will in our lives. And, the honest truth is that this gets harder and harder as we get older and more set in our careers, families, and responsibilities. As students, a whole realm of possibilities is before you. You can easily dream big with God and have the freedom to serve him with reckless abandon.

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IJM firmly believes that today’s students are tomorrow’s heroes of the faith that will “preach good news to the poor,…to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1-3, NIV). Our hope is that you will start on this journey today, and that you will let God use you to call others to the work as well.

What is a Campus Chapter?An IJM Campus Chapter is a group of students concerned about issues of injustice that desire to work together to be agents of change in a world of suffering by raising awareness on their campuses and in their communities of the reality of injustice, by praying for victims of injustice, and by participating in the work of justice by raising money, preparing for how God has called them to be involved in the work of justice, and persevering in their efforts to serve the oppressed. These groups come in all different shapes and sizes, as the students on each college campus are uniquely suited to do different things. All groups look different – some consist of two people who meet together to pray for issues of injustice, others are large, active clubs on their campuses, while others are parts of larger campus ministries such as InterVarsity, Campus Crusade, etc…Whatever your group looks like, know that showing up on behalf of the victims of abuse and oppression is the most important step you can take. Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” By starting a Campus Chapter, you have already decided to do something.

What does a Campus Chapter do?There are six specific things we are asking you to do as an IJM Campus Chapter, what we like to call the “6 Ps”:

Pray Pay Participate Promote Prepare Persevere

The following pages will provide ideas on how to do these six things.

What is IJM?

International Justice Mission (IJM) began operations in 1997 when a group of human rights professionals, lawyers and public officials

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launched an extensive study of the injustices witnessed by overseas missionaries and relief and development workers. The study surveyed 65 overseas ministries representing 40,000 overseas workers and found that almost 100 percent were aware of abuses of power by police and other authorities in the communities where they served. These overseas workers, however, did not have the resources or expertise to confront the abusive authorities and bring rescue to the victims. They required the assistance of trained public justice professionals to meet these needs. Accordingly, IJM was established to help the Christian community “seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan (and) plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17).

Based on case referrals from overseas workers, IJM mobilizes its human rights experts, attorneys and law enforcement professionals to conduct confidential investigations of the abuses. Then IJM mobilizes interventions that bring the perpetrators to justice, provides care for the victims and encourages structural changes to prevent these abuses from happening again. In addition, IJM partners with local ministries and churches to ensure effective and appropriate aftercare for the victims that will help them heal spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally and economically.

In recent months, IJM has focused its operations on issues of child bonded slavery in South Asia, forced child prostitution in South Asia and Thailand, police abuses against street children in Bolivia, and illegal detention of men and women in Kenya. IJM has established eight operational field offices in South Asia (2), Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Guatemala, Cambodia, the Philippines and Thailand. These offices manage the day-to-day docket of human rights cases in their area and train local justice professionals in the investigation, documentation and intervention practices and procedures of an effective justice agency.

IJM is determined to bring the church into a new awareness of the strong biblical mandate to seek justice, of the innumerable cases of manifest injustice that exist in the world, and of the amazing opportunities to correct these injustices by the diligent application of professional training and expertise. IJM is determined to respond to the call to justice by mounting successful interventions on behalf of victims of oppression and injustice worldwide. As a faith agency, IJM is determined to pursue this mission in humility and prayer, maintaining a vigorous and growing prayer ministry in support of its efforts.

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Injustice 101

What is Injustice?“If we ask God to give us an understanding of injustice, He will grant

our prayer and transform us in the process.”

Gary Haugen

Before we can fully understand what needs to be done to fight in justice in our world, it is important to have an understanding of just exactly what the problem is that we’re confronting. For a more detailed explanation of injustice and how God is calling us to respond to it, read Gary Haugen’s Good News About Injustice. But, provided here is an overview of the basic components of injustice.

Injustice can be defined as when power is misused to take from others what God has given them, namely, their life, dignity, liberty or the fruits of their love and labor. Injustice can come in many forms, but there are two basic components involved in each case:

Coercion – compelling or constraining of a person to act against his or her free will – usually by physical force, the threat of force or the threat of some other dire consequence, and

Deception – oppressors lying to take advantage of their victims, or to cover up their crimes.

One example of a case in which you can clearly see both components is that of Shama. Shama was an eight-year-old girl living in South Asia when her mother developed complications with a pregnancy. Her family didn’t have enough money to pay the $25 needed for medical care, so they had to go to the local mudalali, or money lender, for a loan. He agreed to lend them the money, but Shama’s father had to sell her into servitude, manufacturing cigarettes for the mudalali. Shama was required to work 12 hours a day, six days a week, rolling cigarettes to earn money to pay back her family’s loan. At the end of each week, the mudalali paid her the wages she had

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earned – about fifty cents. Shama was required to roll a certain number of cigarettes a day, or else be beaten

At a moment of economic and medical crisis, the mudalali coerced Shama’s family into selling her into servitude. The threat the mudalali issued was this: sell Shama to him, or go without medical care. Of course, the mudalali determines the wages, so he will never pay Shama enough to actually pay him back. And, he used coercive force in threatening to beat Shama if she didn’t produce the amount of cigarettes he needed. Another catch is that the loan had to paid back to him in a lump sum. If Shama were to save all her wages, it would take her a year to accumulate the total amount of the loan. But, since her family was so poor, they desperately needed that money she earned in order to survive, so she was unable to save.

Additionally, the mudalali deceived Shama’s family by charging hidden, exorbitant interest rates, making it impossible to ever fully pay off the debt. As a result, Shama had spent two years of her childhood sitting on a dusty floor, rolling thousands, possibly millions of cigarettes for the mudalali to profit off of.

As you can see, the oppressor in this case took advantage of his power over Shama and her vulnerable family to take her freedom and the fruits of her labor for his own profit.

Unfortunately, there is injustice happening all over the world, in many different ways. Other examples of oppression include:

Abusive child labor: depriving children of health, safety, and wholeness by forcing them to work for unfair wages or in dangerous conditions

Abusive police or military actions: unauthorized use of power by police or soldiers against law-abiding people

Child pornography: sexualized images of children for adult gratification

Child prostitution: forcing children to engage in sex acts with adults

Corrupt seizure of property: taking property from its rightful owner by force, intimidation, or dirty dealing

Corruption of justice and intimidation: unlawful use of courts and governmental bodies

Execution without lawful charge or trial Extorting or withholding wages: depriving workers of

rightful payment Commercial sexual exploitation: forcing adults to engage in

sex acts against their will Forced migration: unlawful eviction and relocation

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Genocide Kidnapping or detaining without lawful charge or trial Murder of street children Racial or ethnic violence: unlawful violence against persons

because of racial or ethnic characteristics State, rebel, or paramilitary terrorism: unlawful use of

sudden force against non-military targets State-sponsored religious persecution State-supported discrimination and abuse: legal but unjust

actions against law-abiding citizens or immigrants Torture: individualized cruelty and mutilation to detained

persons

The sad, overwhelming truth is that injustices such as these are happening on a grand scale the world over. It’s estimated that there are more than 27 million people held in slavery in the world. UNICEF estimates that there are more than 1 million new children forced into prostitution every year. In the developing world, it has been estimated that 40% of women and girls have been sexually assaulted. Between 50-80% of prisoners in developing countries are being held without charge. And, the list could go on and on as we see example after example of the depth of evil in our world.

Coming face to face with the reality of evil in the world can paralyze us with despair. The numbers are so large, the problem is so overwhelming; how do we even know where to start to respond? The good news is that we have a God who cares about injustice, and has a plan to end it.

What Does God Say About Injustice?The quick answer to this question is, a lot! Both the Old and New Testaments are filled with verses and passages about the reality of injustice, God’s feelings about it, how we are called to respond to evil and God’s encouragement to us as we face the brutality of oppression in our world (see injustice Scriptures in Appendix B)

The sad truth is that injustice has been a part of our world since ancient times. Unfortunately, ever since Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, humanity has been living in a fallen nature. In His great love for us, and in His great desire to be loved by us, God gives us the freedom to choose to love and follow Him, or to choose to sin against Him. The burden of this freedom is that humankind has the capacity to bring great pain and oppression to their fellow man. Once sin was allowed to enter the world, all hell broke loose – literally. Injustice is a real part of the fallen world we live in today. God’s word says, “If you see the poor oppressed in a

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district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprise at such things” Ecclesiastes 5:8. The Biblical writers were moved by the Spirit of God to write about the reality of injustice in the world:

“The wicked have drawn the sword and bent the bow to bring down the poor and needy.” (Psalm 37:14)

“The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice.”(Ezekiel 22:29)

“They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine that they might drink.” (Joel 3:3)

“He [Ammon] ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders.” (Amos 1:13)

The pictures created by these verses seem all too familiar to the pictures and stories we see and see hear on the news today. Often, after we put down the newspaper, switch the channel, or turn off the radio, it doesn’t take too long for us to forget about the plight of the oppressed in our world and get on with our own lives. Fortunately, we have a God who cares desperately about the suffering of His creation, and who is intimately aware of their pain.

Our God is a God that loves justice, and hates injustice. Scripture shows over and over again God’s concern for the poor and oppressed. He sees the suffering of the oppressed, hears their cries for relief, and He cares deeply for them.

“But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.” (Psalm 10:14)

“The LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!” (Is. 30:19)

“For I, the LORD, love justice.” (Is. 61:8)

As we come to a deeper understanding of God’s love for justice, we will get to know Him and His character better as a result. And, that knowledge will lead us to a desire to join with him in pleading the case of the oppressed.

“Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.” (Jeremiah 9:23 – 24)

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“‘Did not your father…do justice and righteousness? Then it was will with him. He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; then it was well. Is not that what it means to know me?’ Declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 22:15 – 16)

“The evil do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely.” (Proverbs 28:5)

Now we know that injustice is real and an important aspect of God’s character is that He cares deeply about the oppressed. So, what is God going to do about it? What’s His plan to bring relief to the many who are suffering in our world? The answer is, that WE are the plan.

The questions that come as a response to that are natural: How can I possibly make a difference in something so horrible? How is God going to use me when I have so little to give? What good am I going to do in a problem involving millions of people? Why can’t God just rescue all those suffering from oppression Himself?

God’s Plan

For a reason that we won’t be able to fully understand this side of eternity, God has chosen to have His people work with Him to bring justice to victims of oppression. He’s been doing it forever. The truth is that He calls all people to seek justice for the abused and suffering in our world.

“Learn to do good, seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17)

“I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it, but I found none.” (Ezekiel 22:30)

“He has told you, oh mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

It is incredible that the God of the Universe gives us a short list of three things that He requires of us, and that list begins with justice. The Bible couldn’t be more clear about God’s call for His people to join with Him as he brings relief to the suffering.

The good news about this is that all God asks of us is that we give Him what we have. He doesn’t expect us to do miracles. He asks us to place the meager skills, talents, money, influence – whatever we have – at His feet to use for His purposes. A great example of God doing

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just this is the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand (Mark 6:30 – 44).

Jesus had been preaching on the hillside all day. The Bible only takes into account the 5,000 men in attendance that day, but we can safely assume there were a large number of women and children present as well, adding thousands to the total number of people there. As the day wore on, the people naturally become hungry and the disciples advised Jesus to send them home so they could get something to eat. Seems like a rather rational solution to the problem. But, Jesus’ response to His disciples was, “You give them something to eat.” One can imagine the disbelief of the disciples as they explained to Jesus that it would take more than a month’s wages to feed all these people.

Again, Jesus response is surprising. He turned to the disciples and asked what they had. Sheepishly, or maybe haughtily, they responded that all they had were five loaves of bread and two fish, not even close to enough to make a dent in the task of feeding the throng of people before them. But, as we know, Jesus took that little amount of food, blessed it, and He and the disciples were able to feed everyone there and have more left over at the end then they originally had at the beginning. The lesson is that Jesus took the little the disciples had and used it to perform a miracle in feeding the 5,000.

God is asking all of us the same question He asked the disciples, “What do you have?” When we compare the vast need for justice in the world - 10 million people are in bonded labor in India, an estimated 1 million children are trapped into the sex trade every year – when we compare that need with what little we have to give, it looks so impossible, and we think that there’s nothing we can do about it.

Jesus knows the problem of injustice is too big for us to fix with our five loaves and two fish, but He wants us to give what we do have to Him, because He’s big enough to use the little we have to make the impossible possible. He wants to use our gifts, talents, and resources to do His miracles on this earth.

The outcome of this story in the Bible is that every single individual on that hillside was given enough to eat. The outcome of God’s people offering what they have to Him to fight injustice will be that individual lives will be freed from the bonds of oppression.

At IJM, our prayer is that, as college students, you will give what you have to God and watch Him perform miracles with it. We see them everyday at IJM. This Tool Kit is designed to provide you with practical ways you can join with God to “rescue the oppressed.”

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Chapter Formation Check List

By the time you receive this Tool Kit you have:

Learned about and established an interest in IJM; Prayed for God’s direction in your decision to establish a

campus chapter at your school; Declared your intentions to start a chapter to IJM and, by doing

so, requested this toolkit.

Now you need to:

□ Register on Campus□ New chapter groups should register with the student life or

student organization office on campus. It will then have support, credibility and access to services that a university can offer.

□ Find a Faculty Sponsor to Support Your Chapter□ See “Chapter Leadership Structure.” This person will play the

important roles of advisor and ambassador for your Chapter.□ Choose Leadership Team Members□ See “Chapter Leadership Structure.” Each position has specific

responsibilities but works closely with the others.□ Establish Regular Meetings□ Regular meetings provide reliable communication with all

chapter members. Time can be spent planning, educating members, getting to know one another, and building a sense of community surrounded by a common goal.

□ Plan Activities□ A calendar of chapter activities should be created and

distributed to all members. Each activity should support the goals of IJM or help strengthen the chapter. Leaders should

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provide specific objectives, clear communication, and delegation of duties.

□ Maintain Excellence□ Each chapter is expected to uphold the value of excellence in all

endeavors, conducting all business and activities professionally. Any communication piece (t-shirt, brochure, or poster, etc. using IJM’s seal, name, photograph, or story) must be approved by IJM Headquarters. Please email chapters@ijm.org for approval.

□ Maintain Contact with IJM□ IJM wants to know about what you are doing, any difficulties or

prayer requests that arise, and any praises and joys you encounter. Your experiences encourage both IJM staff as well as set an example for other chapters.

Gaining Support

By gaining support on campus, your Chapter will have more resources available to you to help you be more successful. Below are some ideas of how to gain this support. Talk to your Student Life Office to explore ways your specific school can offer their support to your Chapter.

Become a recognized campus organization. This generally allows you to use campus facilities and advertise meetings and events on campus. It gives credibility to your chapter.Align your IJM chapter with the student government or other preexisting organizations on your campus. This provides you with many resources, such as people, money and knowledge of how to get things done at your school. Campus activity groups may even sponsor fundraising events for you. Don’t forget about social clubs and/or sororities and fraternities. Many groups specifically seek out service opportunities.Talk to professors on campus, especially in departments with interests similar to IJM (social work, law, political science, theology, communications), about the opportunity for student involvement. Faculty members can provide great leverage and exposure for human rights and justice issues to students and other faculty and staff.

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Chapter Leadership Structure

Role of the Leadership Team

The major function of the leadership team is to develop the vision, goals, plans and strategies to serve as change agents through the chapter program on each campus. As change agents, this team challenges, teaches, motivates and inspires the faculty, staff and student body with a vision for the need and opportunity to seek justice in the world.

By developing and implementing the plans and strategies that encourage widespread involvement in the work of justice through prayers, financial support, research and volunteer involvement, the leadership team will change the way the campus and community regard Christians as followers of Christ who live out a faith that is active and relevant.

Leadership Team Possibilities

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Your leadership team should be structured to meet the unique goals, objectives, atmosphere and culture of your campus and chapter. Listed below are some possible positions to include on your leadership team depending on the size, complexity and focuses of your program. You may include some or all the positions, and you may have one or many students serving in each role.

PresidentThis position oversees and coordinates the activities of the chapter and monitors the use of funds. The president may serve as the representative for the chapter to the college campus (school administration/faculty, student government, etc.), the local community (churches, businesses, other schools) and to IJM.

Vice PresidentThis position assists the president in the development, implementation and evaluation of the vision and goals for the chapter. This position can represent the president in his or her absence.

SecretaryThis position maintains the records, minutes and details of meetings. The secretary maintains the list of chapter members and their contact information, is responsible for dissemination of information to the group, and writes and distributes the chapter newsletter, should one be implemented. Other administrative responsibilities may be assigned as needed.

TreasurerThis position helps develop the chapter budget, develops strategies for fundraising and maintains the chapter’s accounts. This person must operate in full understanding of the principle of biblical stewardship and be able to teach others about stewardship.

Publicity Coordinator(s)This position oversees, coordinates and implements advertising and public relations efforts for chapter activities and recruitment.

Prayer Coordinator(s)This position encourages individuals, small groups and the campus as a whole to pray on a regular basis for the work of

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justice and the victims of oppression, especially those served by IJM. Working in the very heart of darkness, IJM relies heavily on prayer support to know that God is going before, during and after us.

Note: IJM will provide monthly Prayer Updates as a resource.

Education Coordinator(s)This position helps the chapter, the campus and/or the community understand a) what constitutes injustice, b) specific injustices occurring in the world, c) God’s passion for justice and His heart for these victims, and d) things that can be done to seek justice and rescue the oppressed.

Fundraising/Special Events Coordinator(s)This position develops and implements methods to raise funds for IJM, and the IJM Campus Chapter. This can be done through special events, special offerings and budget line-item gifts.

Volunteer Involvement Coordinator(s)This position develops ways that individuals and groups can use their skills, gifts and talents to serve God’s passion for justice and serve the victims of abuse and injustice in our world through their active and hands-on involvement. The goal is to give all members an opportunity to contribute to the chapter’s success.

Faculty Sponsor

The faculty sponsor plays two key roles: Advisor and Ambassador

Advisor: As students begin projects, the knowledge and experience of a faculty sponsor is invaluable in guiding and directing them to ensure success. Advice is not needed for every detail, nor is the advisor’s presence required at every gathering. Sponsors should be available to discuss overall goals, and some particular efforts may require their expertise.

Ambassador: Strong chapters (as with any organization) need strong and diverse relationships. Chapters need to develop relationships not only with students but also with faculty and administrators. Community contacts are helpful as well. The faculty sponsor can play an important part in helping the chapter make contacts and develop relationships.

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Characteristics of a Faculty Sponsor

Concerned and aware about injustice. The advisor’s dedication to your school’s campus chapter should stem from their own passion for the rights of the oppressed and God’s mandate for his people to care for them.

Open Christian faith. Because the biblical mandate for justice is the cornerstone of campus chapters, the advisor should be comfortable expressing their Christian faith in words and actions.

Knowledgeable about the campus. The advisor is a resource to talk to and how to get things done on your campus.

Respected by students and other faculty. The advisor helps to build relationships between administration/faculty and the chapter.

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Team Building

Just like any other group, your Campus Chapter needs time and care poured into it to be successful. You are working together toward a common goal of seeking justice for the oppressed in our world. With that in mind, it is important to make teambuilding a priority, so that your vision and passion stay intact.

Below are some suggestions on how you can foster team building and growth in your Chapter:

New MembersAlways get contact information from new members, especially email and addresses. Communication is key—make contact with new members to encourage them to be more involved and to let them know how important their involvement is.

Working TogetherEach member needs to feel like they are contributing to the work of the chapter. Be sure everyone has a task to accomplish—don’t forget new members in this!While your chapter should work hard, don’t forget to have fun! A successful group will take the time to get to know one another and interact other than just around the task of the group.

Have an IJM Chapter retreat once a year or semester where you take time to pray together and do planning for the following year or semester. Make it a productive time but don’t forget the importance of fellowship.

Effectiveness Tips Set a regular meeting time and commit to being there. Establish the agenda and the time allotted for the meeting in

advance. Stick to your agenda and honor time commitments. Ask that each member arrive to the meeting prepared for his or

her part.

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Pray at the beginning and end of each meeting and as needed to ensure God’s leading and direction.

Focus the meetings on big-picture issues, programs or plans—not on the details of each individual’s area of responsibility.

Develop a calendar for the year. It is important that you take time to plan events for the year and a calendar lets everyone know what to expect and will make things run more smoothly.

Prayer

If IJM could ask all our Campus Chapters to do just one thing, it would be to pray. We truly believe that the real fight against injustice and oppression in our world is done on our knees.

The work of justice is difficult, and IJM staff around the world need prayer in order to do their work. Prayer is foundational to the work of IJM. It is the vehicle through which we draw the courage to stand for justice and the strength to serve as advocates for the oppressed. The work of justice to which God calls us is not a work to take lightly – nor is it a work to enter into blindly. We cannot long endure the dark places without His strength and provision. Below is a testimony from one of IJM’s investigators, whose job is to daily confront the evils of injustice head-on. He knows that the strength and courage to enter the dark places of the world comes from God. And, he knows that God’s heart is moved by the prayers of His people.

As IJM investigators, we have the best job in the world. We get to go into the some of the darkest places on earth and like a Jedi Knight from Star Wars, we get to shine the light of Christ and expose the evil that lies there. This work has inherent risks associated with it because as Jesus said, “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

First, there is the obvious physical danger. In many cases we operate alone, without backup or outside communication and we carry equipment that if discovered,

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could result in our bodily injury or death. The evidence we gather represents a serious threat to the powers of darkness and can result in their long term imprisonment and/or serious financial loss. We can never completely trust the local authorities and sometimes when we execute a raid we aren’t entirely sure whether the local police are going to help us or shoot us. Please pray that the Lord would spread His protection over us and surround us as a shield and that the perpetrators would be blinded to our true identities and purpose.

It is not uncommon for us to have to choose from a group of victims, which ones to rescue. I ask you to imagine for a moment that you are in a small, hot room somewhere in South East Asia and that you are standing before 10 little girls aged 6 to 12 years old. They have pig tails, pretty dresses and very, very memorable faces. All of them are being offered to you for their sexual exploitation and abuse. You are only allowed to choose two girls. How do you do that? What do you do with the faces of those children that you did not choose and were not able to rescue? This unenviable position can affect us greatly so please pray for our mental health and wellbeing; that we would take every thought captive to Christ and not be enslaved by guilt or despair over those that we could not rescue.

When an investigation is conducted in cooperation with local authorities, we have to operate within a different legal system and negotiate various levels of corruption. Tip offs or some other form of collusion with the perpetrators sometimes means we arrive at the intended target only to discover that the victims have been hidden away in another location. Or it can mean that, having paid a bribe, the guilty walk free from court. Or even that some of the victims, having been rescued from the brothels and other places of slavery, for a number of reasons, choose to return. Please pray for our emotional health; that we would have perseverance, hope and courage and that we would find our identity not through our successes but through our obedience.

My colleagues and I spend a considerable amount of time in the seductive and poisonous environments of brothels and other places of exploitation and death. Please pray for our spiritual health, that we would be equipped with

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the full armor of God, remaining rooted and established in love and that we would have great wisdom and discernment to recognize evil in all its forms.

Lastly, please pray for our wives and our children. As you can imagine, it takes a special woman to allow her husband to travel half way around the world to spend time in brothels and strip clubs befriending prostitutes. And it is confusing for our children that their fathers would choose to spend so much time away from them on behalf of other children whom they have never met. Please pray that our heavenly Father would surround and care for them and assure them of His unfailing love and faithfulness.

The needs of the victims and IJM staff are real. The power of prayer is real. And, the God that is moved by prayer is real. By praying for IJM and the victims we rescue, your Campus Chapter will play a part in moving the heart of God to hear the cries of the oppressed.

The following are some suggestions on how to establish prayer as a priority in your Campus Chapter:

Develop a deeper understanding of prayer Become an IJM Prayer Partner Attend the IJM Global Prayer Gathering

Understand the Power of PrayerWhile we will never fully understand the immense power and influence of prayer on this side of eternity, it is important that we strive to develop a deeper understanding of the importance and effects of prayer in our lives and in the world. Over and over, IJM has seen God move in miraculous ways on behalf of the oppressed, and we believe that this is in response to the prayers of His people. IJM would encourage you to seek out resources to help you and your group take this journey of understanding together.

The best resource is God’s Word. It shows how God powerfully responds to the prayers of His people for help and rescue. The Psalms also provide beautiful examples of authentic prayers of thanksgiving, praise, desperation, and repentance. God wants us to honestly speak with Him about the concerns on our hearts, and it is a great privilege to be able to come to the Almighty Creator of the Universe with all our prayers and petitions.

The following are meditations on prayer from a dear IJM friend and prayer partner:

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A Note on Prayer

-By the late Vera Shaw, IJM Friend and Prayer Partner

As we recognize many cries for justice, we ask: “Who is sufficient for these things?” We’re reminded: “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6). With confidence in God, who loves justice and answers prayer, we can reply, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).

PRAYER IS THE HEARTBEAT OF THE SUFFICIENCY OF GOD.PRAYER IS A LIVING RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR LOVING GOD.

Our busy lives today are so conditioned to depend on impersonal, technological instruments and “time-saving devices” to make life more “efficient.” This attitude can spill over into our prayer life. Our prayers can become rushed and even rote repetitions of our responsibilities! Such rushed prayer reveals the impersonal barrenness which modern day busy-ness brings to our prayers, changing our relationship to other people and to God. Even as we say the right words in prayer, we’re reminded: “These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). God seeks and sees our heart in our prayers!

LET US REMEMBER WHAT PRAYER MEANS TO GOD.

Often we pray because we “feel like praying,” but when so overwhelmed that it is difficult to pray, we most need to remember how much prayer means to God. He has asked us to draw near to Him, to pour out the earnest needs in our heart, not so concerned for “right words” but for the right Spirit which rests in His mercy as we draw near to His Amazing Grace and Awesome Glory.

That His mercy welcomes us is witnessed by the place of prayer in the temple: prayer at the mercy seat was over the ark containing the Word of God. His Word is the sound basis on which we come to pray, acknowledging needs and seeking His sufficiency. As we meet Him in His Word, our heart is stilled and filled by His Spirit who prays in us according to God’s will (Romans 8:27).

LET US REMEMBER WHAT JUSTICE MEANS TO GOD.

God’s love for justice is an integral part of the biblical message, an expression of His character and guideline for our goals. Abraham was

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blessed because he knew: “The way of the Lord is to do justly” (Genesis 18:19). And the psalmist praised God: “Righteousness and justice are the foundations of Thy throne (Psalm 89:14). To pray and work for justice honors God’s will in the world.

LET US REMEMBER WHAT PRAYER CAN MEAN TO US.

The meaning of prayer in Jesus’ life awed his disciples. Like them, we can ask: “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). The Risen Christ, who ever lives to intercede, asks us to join Him: “Come learn of me…abide in me…abide in my words…pray in my Name” (John 15:7). In death’s dark hour, Martha said of Jesus’ prayer life: “Even now whatever you ask of God, He will give you” (John 11:22). Whatever we face, we need the even now power of Christ in us, grateful that in all these things (Romans 8:37) we learn the sufficiency of Christ.

IJM Prayer PartnersPrayer Partners play an absolutely vital role in the life and ministry of IJM. Day after day, thousands of Prayer Partners around the world intercede on behalf of IJM staff and operations, praise God for the work He is doing to bring about justice on the earth, lift up the victims of abuse and oppression, and uphold IJM's partners in ministry. Equipped with weekly email updates detailing specific prayer requests and thanksgivings, these co-workers in Christ faithfully carry out a crucial part of the work we do.

If you would like to participate in the work of IJM by becoming a Prayer Partner you are agreeing to the following terms:

You commit to pray daily for justice and the work of IJM. For the safety of the people we work to rescue, the safety of our

staff, and the success of our work, you agree to keep all prayer requests and updates confidential.

The Confidential Prayer Update will come to you via email at the beginning of each week as well as when urgent prayer needs arise.

If you want to sign-up to be a Prayer Partner, visit our website at www.ijm.org.

Becoming Prayer Partners is an excellent way for your Campus Chapter to play a vital and active role in supporting IJM’s operations. As your team members pray daily for IJM, you will feel more connected with the work you support.

Here are some suggestions of how to incorporate prayer for IJM into your Campus Chapter activities:

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Include prayer as a regular part of your chapter meetings. Set aside some time to pray through the Prayer Update together.

Arrange small groups to pray about abuse and oppression in specific countries and for the work of individuals and organizations combating injustice.

Organize weekly/monthly/quarterly prayer gatherings or vigils on your campus or in coordination with your church to involve a broader community in praying for victims of injustice and for the people and organizations working on their behalf.

Include “prayers for the cause of justice” in the activities of your school or community on the International Day of Prayer.

Encourage local churches in the community to pray regularly for God’s justice to permeate the world and for specific cases of injustice to be restored.

Form small prayer groups at local churches to pray for the cause of justice.

Encourage students to become involved in IJM’s Ministry of Prayer and recruit people to become IJM Prayer Partners. Simply send them to IJM’s website to have them sign-up!

Be CREATIVE!

IJM Global Prayer Gathering

Every year, Prayer Partners from around the country gather together in Washington, DC to lift up their voices together on behalf of IJM and the victims we serve. It is an amazing time of encouragement as attendees see how God has moved supernaturally in the lives of the oppressed. Attendees hear personal stories of miraculous rescue and learn how God has intervened on behalf of slaves, victims of sexual exploitation and others who have suffered at the hands of the evil and powerful. It is a weekend of directed prayer and worship. Guest speakers will also join us from around the globe in person and via live webcast.

We encourage you, as you plan the activities for your Campus Chapter, to consider attending this gathering as a group, or sending representatives for the weekend. At the gathering, IJM will have a

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special time for IJM Campus Chapter members to meet and pray together for the work God is doing on their campuses.

More information on the gathering can be found on our website, www.ijm.org.

Pay

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break

in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew

6:20-21, NIV)

God’s Word says that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It flows naturally that as you commit time and resources to something, you are automatically more connected with what you support. Seeking justice is time consuming and expensive. It is also eternally rewarding. IJM needs your help to meet our financial goals and provide the rescue longed for by victims of injustice around our world.

Without the faithful financial support of IJM supporters, we wouldn’t be able to do our work of rescue. With this in mind, we are asking

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each Campus Chapter to prayerfully consider raising $1,000 a year to support IJM’s work. This money will effectively do two things:

Provide the resources for IJM to rescue more victims of abuse and oppression; and

Provide a way for your Campus Chapter to partner with IJM in a tangible, needed way.

We are also aware that fundraising can often be a scary and daunting task. So, below are some tips, stories, and resources that can help your Campus Chapter meet their fundraising goal. And, as always, feel free to contact the Education Department at IJM with any questions or needs that may arise as you start your planning.

Loose Change to Loosen Chains

A great resource for your fundraising efforts is IJM’s new campaign called Loose Change to Loosen Chains. According to “Real Simple” magazine, there is over $10.5 billion in loose change lying around in American households. This campaign is a way to get your whole campus involved in raising money to free modern day slaves. There are numerous opportunities on a college campus to collect loose change – putting Loose Change cups in your cafeteria, taking a special offering at a chapel service or Christian college group meeting, putting cups in the student union building, etc…This campaign is an easy way to gather a lot of money, without asking for large donations from your classmates.

If you would like more information on Loose Change to Loosen Change, please check out our website at www.ijm.org or email loosechange@ijm.org.

Be Creative!

The sky is the limit as far as fundraising goes. The students on your campus are unique and will respond to different ideas. Determine how your classmates will be most moved and go with that idea. Look at the “Fundraising Ideas” section in the appendix if you’re having trouble getting started.

Campus Chapter Success Stories

IJM Campus Chapters around the country are doing amazing things to successfully raise money for IJM. Here are a few recent success stories to inspire you:

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Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TXIn spring of 2005, Abilene Christian Univeristy’s (ACU) IJM Campus Chapter organized an Awareness Week to provide information about injustice to ACU students and raise money for IJM. Throughout the week, the Campus Chapter members displayed IJM information in the Campus Center where students would see it everyday. At the end of the week, they had a “Jam for Justice” concert on their campus. Attendees learned about justice issues and donated money to support the work of IJM. The event raised over $800 for IJM.

Eastern University, St. Davids, PAEastern University’s (EU) Campus Chapter hosted an EU Idol contest, modeled after American Idol. Students took on the roles of judges at the event as their classmates preformed and hoped to be chosen as the first EU Idol. Proceeds from the event were donated to IJM to help free victims of injustice and oppression.

Lee University, Cleveland, TNLee University’s Campus Chapter organized a benefit dinner and chapel service for IJM. An IJM speaker was able to travel to Lee University to speak at the benefit and chapel service the next morning. It was a great success as many more Lee University students heard about God’s heart for justice and the benefit dinner raised over $800 to help rescue victims of abuse and oppression.

10 Easy Steps to Successful FundraisingIn a world where the poor have no voice, the difference between freedom and prison – justice and injustice – life and death can often depend upon whether we are able to show up on their behalf. Gifts of financial support allow IJM to “show up.” And, when we show up, we are able to see girls rescued from forced prostitution and children freed from bonded slavery.

As you start to brainstorm how your Campus Chapter can raise the funds necessary to rescue victims of oppression, here are some easy steps to get you started:

1. Recruit help. Encourage your Campus Chapter members, families, churches, etc. to get involved in this important fundraising effort. Give them specific jobs and get them involved. Don’t try to do this alone.

2. Determine your potential. Think about your campus. Think about your community and local businesses. If they all felt as passionately as you do about helping these victims of oppression, what could they give? How could they help? Allow your heart and your imagination to grow for God’s passion for justice.

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3. Establish aggressive goals. IJM can free a bonded slave for about $500 and rescue a girl enslaved in forced prostitution for about $1,000, set some aggressive goals – based upon your potential as determined in step two – for the numbers of victims you can rescue. For example, if you would like to free two children from slavery and rescue one girl from forced prostitution, you would raise $2,000. Some larger groups may set aggressive goals of raising $10,000, $20,000 or even $50,000. Just think of how many victims that could rescue.

4. Develop a plan. Working with those you recruited to help, develop a plan for reaching your goal as quickly as possible. You might consider the following:a) Invite an IJM speaker to visit your campus or give a talk about injustice and collect a special offering at a chapel service or during meal times.d) Conducting a special event such as a benefit concert, bake sale, etc.

5. Communicate. Explore ways to clearly communicate what you know about God’s heart for justice as you work to raise support so people can understand the need, the call and how their dollars will be invested to make a difference in our world for the Kingdom.

6. Implement your plan. Make sure that you actually implement and follow your plan with a focus on specific goals, results and timelines.

7. Celebrate your successes. You are working hard to raise the vitally-needed funding to help rescue children from horrific situations. Without you, IJM would not be able to actually go and do the work of justice. Take some time along the way to celebrate what God has done through you. Because of your partnership, children will no longer toil for endless hours, weeks, months and years in slavery, and they will no longer be raped in prisons of abuse and terror. You are making this possible. Share the joy of what your gifts and efforts will accomplish.

8. Send your gifts to IJM. Send your gifts to PO Box 58147, Washington, DC 20037. You should make your check payable to International Justice Mission and be sure to indicate that this money was raised through your Campus Chapter. The sooner we receive your support, the sooner we can invest it to conduct rescue operations.

9. Share your successes with others. Please contact IJM at chapters@ijm.org and tell us what your Campus Chapter is doing so that we can share your good news with other groups. You can share your activities, events and results as others will

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learn from what you did and may be able to do something similar within their churches.

10. Keep the communication going. IJM is committed to keeping you updated as to what your dollars are doing and the results of your investment. We will post stories, pictures and updates about the lives that you have touched and the children that have been rescued as a result of your support. Share these with others so they can “meet” those that have been helped and share the joy of seeking justice and rescuing the oppressed. Please visit our website at www.ijm.org on a regular basis to see what we are doing.

Participate

By deciding to start an IJM Campus Chapter, you’ve already decided to participate with IJM to seek justice for the oppressed. Below are some additional ideas to become more involved in the work of justice.

The Justice TestamentEach semester, IJM interns research a topic of injustice and create a product to distribute to college campuses. These projects provide in-depth information on specific issues and tangible ways to get involved and help make a difference in the world through their actions. Campus Chapters can use these projects to help make their campuses more aware of a specific issue and help their school effect change in the world. For more information on “The Justice Testament,” please contact IJM at chapter@ijm.org.

IJM InternshipsGod may be calling you or other members of your Campus Chapter to take a semester to intern at IJM. IJM offers internships for undergraduates and graduate students as well as law students. Internships are offered during the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. IJM interns learn first hand about the work of IJM and

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through their work, leave a lasting impact on the growth of IJM. For more information about internships, including qualifications and application deadlines, visit www.ijm.org.

Other Ideas

Letter writing campaign

Based upon current human rights abuses, you can write persuasive letters to your elected representatives urging them to take certain action against these abuses. Sometimes IJM will ask you for help with a specific issue they are working on. If there is not a request from IJM you can visit other human rights websites to find out about letter writing campaigns currently in progress. A couple examples are: www.amnesty.org and www.phrusa.org.

Research human rights issues

Your chapter should be fully educated about current human rights abuses. Take part of your time together to bring each other up to date on new abuses you have learned about from newspapers and interest groups.

Conduct a justice bible study

Within your chapter, use your meeting times to investigate more thoroughly God’s heart for justice. You can order the “Good News About Injustice” study guide from our website at www.ijm.org.

Volunteer with local justice-oriented organizations/businesses

Get involved in human rights work right where you are! Find local law firms, businesses or non-profit organizations that are serving your community and volunteer with them. You can also volunteer with local government offices that are involved in seeking relief for victims of injustice around the world, refugee resettlement, etc.

Write letters of support to missionaries

Identify missionaries and others serving abroad. They may be connected to your church or a friend/relative’s church. Contact them to offer encouragement, and tell them about IJM so that they can refer cases of injustice that they encounter to IJM.

Prayer vigils Have weekly/monthly/etc. prayer gatherings or vigils on your campus or in coordination with your church to involve a broader community in praying for victims of injustice and for the people and organizations working

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on their behalf.Mission/vision trips Participate in overseas mission and vision

trips to experience first-hand the needs encountered by people around the world and the hope that can be provided through faithful service.

Promote Awareness

In order for human rights issues to enter the consciousness of students at your school and in your community it is vitally important

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to get the word out about the oppression in our world and the good news of what is being done about it. The following ideas for activities may be used to raise awareness on your campus about human rights abuses or simply act as a springboard for other activities you may want to try.

Idea ExplanationProfessor endorsement

Talk to professors at your school, especially in departments related to IJM activities (Political Science, Theology, Sociology, etc.), asking them to make announcements to their classes about meetings and/or endorse the mission of the Campus Chapter. You can also encourage professors to read Gary Haugen’s book, “Good News About Injustice,” and to use it in their classes.

Give a presentation to……local church group…other campus group …faculty group…student government

Prepare an informative talk about IJM and the injustices that exist throughout the world. Be sure to include specific real-life stories. Professionalism is key. If you can, use visual aids/a PowerPoint presentation, etc. Contact IJM ahead of time so they can send you brochures to give the people that attend your presentation. Be sure to include clear information about how they can get involved and support the work of IJM. You might find that asking to give a presentation at other clubs/groups on campus is a better way to reach a large audience, rather than waiting for people to come to you. For example, request an invitation to give a ‘special presentation’ to the international student group, the anthropology group, Inter-Varsity group, Amnesty group, etc.

Table in high-traffic area

Get permission to set up an information table in your student center or on a well-traveled route on your campus. Have display posters with pictures of rescued victims and brochures about IJM and your chapter to hand out to students. Or you can use the table to feature a specific type of injustice and have pictures/materials explaining that abuse and what people can do about it. Be sure to have a sign up sheet to get names and e-mail addresses from interested students.

Letters to the editor, informative articles

Submit letters to your school and community newspapers that discuss the reality and severity of abuses in the world. Focus on a particular

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abuse, use details and individual stories to back up your claims about the severity of the problem. Make a call for action on the part of the community and/or local leaders.

Debate/panel discussion

Organize a group of experts or people with first hand knowledge of certain abuses. These could be professors who have studied injustices, international students who have seen abuses, lawyers, interest group representatives, your chapter president, etc. Obtain a location for the event. Advertise on campus and at local churches. Prepare a specific (but not too narrow) topic of discussion for the panelists to speak on and questions for them to answer. Be sure to cover details of a sound system, tables, chairs, refreshments, etc.

Justice speaker Request a human rights expert/activist to come speak to your school about justice. This works especially well if your school holds regularly scheduled Chapel or has some sort of platform for regular speaking events (such as an InterVarsity chapter). If so, talk to the chapel scheduler or equivalent about inviting the speaker to come. IJM representatives often speak at universities, churches and law schools, but other human rights professionals or justice theologians would be willing to speak as well.

Human rights day/week

Combination of any activities and/or fundraising activities that you would like to use. Organize and advertise the week well. Get your student government and/or administration involved, especially in the planning.

Hand out brochures/leaflets

Stand in a high-traffic area and pass out brochures or leaflets to students as they pass with a purpose to alert them of an injustice or to tell them about a chapter meeting. These need to be attention-grabbing and also not too expensive.

Fliers, posters, chalking

Use all resources you have available to inform people about your chapter activities and meetings. Post fliers and posters around campus. Make sure to get prior approval from IJM for anything you pass out to the public that has an IJM seal on it. Please email chapters@ijm.org for approval. Use chalk to write on sidewalks and steps frequently traveled

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at your school.Mass emails To have access to the entire student body at your

school, you can request the Dean of Students (or equivalent administrator) to send an email to all students about an activity you are holding, etc. It will probably need to be a fairly significant activity, such as a Justice Week program.

Preparing for a Career in International Human Rights 

“The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his time when it comes.”

-Benjamin Disraeli

Introduction International Justice Mission receives a tremendous number of inquiries from Christian students who are interested in a career of service in the field of international human rights. The passion and interest of these students is a great encouragement to us at IJM, and represents immeasurable hope for those who suffer under injustice in our world, and for those who are yearning to see a courageous and authentic witness for Christ in dark places. Equally encouraging, is the thoughtful way these students are pursuing practical questions about how they might prepare themselves for effective service. God is glorified by missionary doctors, famine fighters, and church planters who demonstrate a rigorous commitment to excellence through careful, thoughtful preparation for service. In the same way, those who seek to serve God by bringing rescue to victims of oppression

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begin their journey of excellence by thinking hard about how they might prepare and equip themselves for their work.   Accordingly, we would like to offer a few words of practical guidance that we hope interested students will find helpful. It is, of course, impossible to chart the “right” course for any specific student; and in the end, we rely upon God’s promises for direction (Pr. 3:5-6) and wisdom (James 1:5-6). God has already given clear guidance to all Christians that they are to be engaged in the work of justice (Micah 6:8, Is. 1:17, Matt. 23:23). For those who are exploring a career in international justice ministry, we would like to provide the following food for thought.   Students who are interested in a career in human rights would be well served by an educational strategy that focuses on the foundations of faith, professional skill and cross-cultural training in preparation for effective service in the field.   First, it must be understood that a Christian witness for justice is built upon a relationship with Jesus Christ the one whom Christians regard as God and the source of all justice, compassion, power, truth and goodness. Accordingly, the strength and ultimate usefulness of any individual Christian’s witness for justice flows from the grace of God and one’s investment in the intimacy and quality of one’s relationship with their Maker. Accordingly, we advise those most zealous for justice to begin their journey with a commitment to deepening their companionship with the God of justice. For a Christian, a career in justice ministry finds power, joy, and sustainability when it is built on a strong spiritual foundation in Christ. (Ps. 127:1)  Knowing that engagement in human rights corresponds to God’s command to seek justice for the oppressed, the strength of our resistance to this evil comes directly from our complete reliance upon God, the One who is most offended by the abuse. Sincere study, prayer and worship are the channels through which God builds this foundation. When we begin to understand how our heavenly Father feels about the world we live in, we are more able to act in ways that honor Him.  Service to the oppressed finds its unyielding determination in a life focused on Christ, seeking His glory and following His example of love. As Oswald Chambers writes, Service is the over flow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion Service is what I bring to the relationship and is the reflection of my identification with the nature of God.  

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Public Justice Skills: Investigation & Intervention   Building upon a foundation of devout faith, the human rights profession requires a highly developed set of skills that relies upon two unique disciplines: investigation and intervention. As deception and coercion are the tools of the oppressive perpetrator, investigation and intervention are the tools that expose the deception and bring protective power to bear on behalf of the victim. These concepts are thoroughly discussed in Good News About Injustice by Gary Hagen that also features a discussion of the various professional skills that are relevant to the ministry of justice.   The discipline of investigation is the tool necessary to address the deception that the oppressor uses to cover up his or her deeds. Proverbs 37:14 affirms this principle: The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Vocationally, training in the legal or law enforcement professions provide a particular focus on the hard work of exposing the truth and finding the facts amidst confusion, conflict and lies. Lawyers and law enforcement professionals are trained specifically in the arts of fact finding, exposing lies, and demonstrating with proof the innocence or guilt of the accused individual. Since the human rights field requires this same skill, the student would be well served by experience and education in the fields of law or law enforcement.   A law enforcement career should focus on active criminal investigative experience and a high level of professional training. In the legal field, students should gain exposure to litigation and criminal law, specialties that engage a fight over facts and an examination of proofs. Service in a public defender or prosecutor’s office, or a private litigation practice are obvious examples.   The discipline of intervention relates to the oppressor’s use of coercion to dominate the victim’s environment and decisions. To combat this misuse of power, students must learn how to access power on behalf of those who are vulnerable, working up the chain of power to intervene, by authority, above the perpetrator. To do this, it is important to develop an expertise in social, political, economic and governmental power; to learn where power resides and how it is exercised. From a broad perspective, the academic disciplines of government, international relations, politics and history can provide a strong foundation of study. More specifically, two of the most powerful ways to equip oneself for international human rights work are through training in law enforcement (e.g. law enforcement academies, training in investigative specialties, and investigative experience) and/or qualification as a lawyer.

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  Career in Law   For those who are interested in pursuing a law degree, we offer the following suggestions. First, one must confront the brutal truth about the way the legal profession allows the law schools to sort out graduations of promising legal talent. There is a clearly understood ranking of law schools by reputation (published in magazines and books), and the legal profession doles out its introductory opportunities largely on the basis of the reputation of the school from which an applicant comes. There are exceptions to the rule, of course; but students should not underestimate the general power and pervasiveness of the rule. In addition, most law students will get a better education at a better ranked law school not because the law professors are so much better or the course content much different but because the caliber of students will be better. Accordingly students will be pushed to think harder and get more out of their education by the peers around them.

Accordingly, as a general matter, students should try to go to the highest ranked law school they can. Many schools will advertise special offerings in international law, human rights, quality of student life, etc.; but for students seeking to optimize their career options, these advertised areas of special interest do not generally make up for the institutions less esteemed reputation in general. Generally, a student would be ill advised to attend a law on an altogether lower tier, because of advertised specialties, quality of student life, or geography (unless you know you want a job in that particular locality).   Once in law school, students interested in a career in human rights would be well advised to take available courses that focus on 1) the battle over facts (litigation, civil and criminal procedure, evidence, etc.); 2) governmental institutions and processes of power (constitutional law, administrative law, government relations, legislative process, public policy, etc) and 3) substantive international and human rights law. A student would be well advised to pursue clinical opportunities for litigation service and relationships with professors who can open doors for research, job experience, clinical experience, or clerkships in the 3 areas mentioned above.   The final thread of preparation for a human rights career is cross-cultural experience. The student must develop the capacity to translate her/his professional skills into a cross-cultural, developing world context. The ability to function, solve a problem and live in the developing world transforms the student from tourist to a problem-solving participant in a foreign and economically under-developed

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society. This requires time spent overseas. Every bit helps, but opportunities that extend beyond two months are generally more significant. Specific experiences might include summer or semester mission trips in the developing world, the Peace Corps, NGO volunteer opportunities and business start-up in a developing context.   These experiences allow one to develop and test one’s capacity to work and solve problems in the difficult environment where the poor spend each day including dirt, inconvenience, sickness, bugs, risk and physical discomfort. More importantly, they test’s one’s capacity for the deeper and indispensable capacities such as humility, listening, compassion, patience and faith.   As the student begins to determine his or her specific interests and gifts in these areas, it will be important to develop a long-term vision of a job or place of employment that is most appealing. Human rights work is accomplished at human rights NGOs, public law institutions (Department of Justice, Capitol Hill) and private firms (using the vehicle of pro bono legal work). If attending law school, use the first summer to experiment, the second to establish a foot in the door and third to establish employment.   Finally, a student interested in pursuing the special joys and holy calling of human rights service must be under girded with perseverance and a long-term commitment to a vocational vision of seeking justice. It is important to understand that the gifts of advocacy are extremely valuable. There will be many bidders for your service, and you must find a way to retain a commitment to the kind of clientele you want to serve with your gifts. The poor and the oppressed overseas will have the least to offer you in terms of the compensation normally tendered to the profession the least money, the fewest perks, less professional status, and less renown. So, what will sustain you in your commitment as the offers of the bidding war increase as your training makes you more valuable? Only one thing: a clear understanding, in advance, of what you want in exchange for your services.   It is not unlike a student who heads to medical school with a vision of becoming a missionary doctor in the developing world. Over time, his or her training makes the student very valuable and a bidding war of opportunities ensues. Generally, anything a doctor does is good and noble but there definitely is a spectrum of need, both in terms of the urgency of the suffering and the availability of those who can meet the need. There are those who need surgery for a gunshot wound in the inner city, those who need a cure for their cancer, those who need knee surgery to play next season, those who need a tummy tack and

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those who need an abortion. There will be aggressive bids made for the medical students service from various clientele. What will sustain the medical student in his or her vision for overseas ministry among the poor?   Likewise in the legal profession, there are a variety of perfectly honorable opportunities, but they exist on a spectrum of moral and monetary urgency. There are those who put violent criminals behind bars and keep the innocent free in America, those who help a business play by the rules, those who give an offending corporation its best argument in court, and those (very few) who actually lie and cheat for whoever will pay. It will be easier, more lucrative and safer for the law student to offer his or her gifts of advocacy to serve these clientele, than it will be to go and serve the victims of oppression overseas those who are, nevertheless, the most in need of a witness of Christ’ love and God’s justice. What will sustain a student in his or her vocational vision to the least of these?   It will only be a clear, advance conviction that the reason the student set out to equip themselves with the tools of advocacy in the first place was to follow Christ in service to those most needy in our world, and to receive the unique compensation that Christ alone offers – joy, peace, meaning, love, holiness, and a treasure that is eternal.   Career in Law Enforcement   For those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement, we offer the following suggestions. A law enforcement career should be well rounded to include all aspects of policing. This would be tremendously helpful in future interaction and understanding of victims that have suffered various types of crimes. This kind of exposure will also allow for you to better understand and work with the government officials that you will most probably encounter as well. Focus on active criminal investigative experience and a high level of professional training.   Most law enforcement agencies will not allow you to join their ranks until you attain the age of 21. There should be course study that will involve the police sciences to build a foundation of understanding that will serve you in the understanding of how investigation and reporting will impact the enforcement of the law through adjudication. In addition courses in technical writing, psychology, and sociology with an emphasis in the international arena and travel to include techniques in public speaking. There are programs available at the local level that will allow you to experience law enforcement as an observer. There are common programs such as explorer posts, ride a

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longs to include citizen neighborhood watch organizations. If you are interested in working at the state level, most agencies will maintain similar programs. If at the federal level there are employment options that will allow you to interact with law enforcement in a capacity not directly associated with investigations but on a track where you may be involved in portions of an investigation. All of these will allow you to look at the inner workings and see how the systems of law enforcement function in reality.

There is a need for law enforcement professionals that would want to work at either the federal, state or local level. It is important for IJM to maintain the capacity and ability to interact with the various facets of the communities that we have been called to work in. This will involve you personal preferences, adaptability and ultimately God’s will in your life.   Other Career Connections to Global Justice Ministry   Though you may not be pursuing a career in law or law enforcement, you can play a vital role in global justice ministry. Consider how the following undergraduate college majors relate to global justice ministry: Pre-Medicine and Pre-Nursing: Providing medical care to rescued victims. Psychology: Providing counseling and mental health services to rescued victims. Political Science: Leveraging political systems and infrastructures around the world in order to create strategic alliances for efficient and timely human rights casework. Journalism: Going into the world to see the reality of oppression and rescue first hand and telling the story to others. Public Relations: Organizing a system of Christian human rights activism that exposes U.S. Transnational Corporations who contribute to injustice and oppression in the world, but that recognizes and rewards U.S. Transnational Corporations who are doing the right thing in their business ventures around the world. Bible/Theology: Creating church educational curriculums for children, youth, and adults about the biblical foundation for seeking justice, and the need for global justice ministry. Foreign Languages: Serving as an interpreter when volunteers are sent into the world to be involved in global justice ministry. Social Work: Establishing a plan of community organizing and development to help curb some of the systemic problems relating to injustice and oppression. Business: Identifying and establishing strategic credit and income generation initiatives to empower rescued victims of oppression.

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Getting Started

Here is a specific plan on how you can get started on preparing for a future human rights career:  

Invest yourself in a season of exploration to learn more about God’s passion for justice and need for global Justice Ministry. Read Good News About Injustice by Gary Haugen and investigate additional resources recommended in IJM Justice Resource Guide.

Excel in your studies with the aim of becoming the best Lawyer, Doctor, Pastor, Journalist, Public Servant, Psychologist, Urban Planner, Social Worker, Business executive, etc. Whatever you are studying, prepare to be the best.

Americans are used to solving most problems out of our excess. Fighting injustice and oppression in the world is not one of those problems. It will require sacrifice. It will require hard work. It will require downward mobility in which you choose to serve the poor at the expense of becoming rich. It will require our best people serving as multi-disciplinary experts in our world. Consider excelling in your studies to be your primary way of serving and glorifying God as a student.

Go overseas. While in college, there are many opportunities to go on short-term overseas experiences or to study abroad. Get out in the world and see what’s going on for your self.

  Recommended Readings:   Ishay, Micheline R. ed. The Human Rights Reader: Major Political Writings, Essays, Speeches, and Documents from the Bible to Present. New York: Routledge, 1997.

The Human Rights Reader explores the changing concept and practice of human rights through the writings of religious humanists, classical and modern thinkers, and political speeches. It is comprehensive in both its scope and depth of coverage, as it traces the debate about human rights back to its biblical origins by including passages from the Old and New Testament, the Koran, and early Buddhist writings.  

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Hannum, Hurst. Guide to International Human Rights Practice. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1992 This guide is a thorough edition of what has become known as the nuts and bolts of international human rights law and practice. Hurst Hannum and the contributors to this volume describe, in detail, regimes and procedures developed during the past decade and evaluate the effectiveness of those procedures

  Stott, John. Decisive Issues Facing Christians Today. London: HarperCollinsReligous, 1980. 149-159.

In his book, Decisive Issues Facing Christians Today, Stott clearly outlines in chapter eight why Christians cannot divorce social action from Christianity. Christianity, in its essence, is both a means to obtain eternal life as well as a call to action while here on earth. Stott outlines this concept in his book while providing Biblical knowledge that can help to equip Christians in embracing the issues of today with a Biblical frame of mind and foundation.

  Haugen, Gary A. Good News About Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World. USA: InterVarsity Press, 1999.

Accounts of child prostitution, state-sponsored religious persecution, racial violence, torture and genocide often make us wonder what we can possibly do in response. And certainly they make us wonder where the God of justice is. Gary Haugen sees the truth of Jesus’ claim vindicated throughout Scripture, which portrays a God who rises up against injustice. The good news about injustice is that God is against it. God is in the business of using the unlikely to perform the holy. In this book Haugen not only offers personal testimony and stories of courageous witnesses both past and present, but also calls the body of Christ to action. He offers concrete guidance on the ways and means the church can rise up to seek justice throughout the world.

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Persevere

“Danger and oppression are never too much for faith. They were not too much for Job,

they were not too much for Jeremiah, and they were not too much for Jesus.

Evil is always temporary… Nothing counter to God’s justice has any eternity to it.”

-Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

While there is great joy in doing this work of justice, it takes a great deal of perseverance. There are many things that frustrate our work. By deciding to be aware of injustice and to take action to do something about it, you are deciding to confront some of the darkest things that happen in our world. As you seek justice, you will learn about and marvel at the depth of evil in our world. As Christians, our faith and hope are challenged as we face the evil of naked injustice. Yet we do have hope as the God of all hope has called us to work on behalf of the oppressed. And, that those He calls, He empowers! Jesus promises us that He will overcome, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” John 16:33.

One of the blessings God gives us is the promise that He will not forget the cause of the oppressed (see the Justice Scriptures in this section.) It can be so easy to sit in despair as the work become hard, and tedious, and we become discouraged that we have been working for so long and there are still millions suffering under oppression in our world. BUT, remember that God empowers us to bring His

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freedom and rescue to these victims and to have an impact in the world. We are His plan!

The greatest tool you have to persevere through the discouragement and despair that will meet you as you learn about injustice in the world is prayer. Consider this story from God’s Word that is a great illustration of how our persistent prayers move the heart of God to act on behalf of the oppressed.

Now He (Jesus) was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’

“For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming to me she will wear me out.’”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge, said: now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly.”

Luke 18:1-8 (NASB)

That is good news – both for the victims of oppression in our world, and for us to know that God will bring justice to the suffering. And, we have it under good authority (God’s Son) that he will “bring about justice for them quickly!” Let us persevere in prayer and hope.

Also, in order to have a sustained conviction, which enables us to persevere, it is essential to have the work of justice deeply rooted in Scripture. See the devotional guide and list of justice Scriptures in the appendix to help guide, encourage, and strengthen you as you persevere.

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Appendix A: Fundraising Ideas

One of the most concrete ways you can contribute to the work of justice is by helping to provide the funds that make it possible for the IJM staff to show up on behalf of victims. Here are several ideas that you can tailor to your school and chapter to help you with your fund-raising efforts.

Art auctionRequest donations of pieces of art from local artists and students. Secure a location (auditorium, meeting room) on campus to hold the

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auction. Advertise the auction around campus and/or in the community. Include a booth or informational display about IJM so people know what they are supporting through their purchases.

Bike raceFind/get approved (city/county/park authorities) a course on which to hold the race. Request local businesses to donate prizes for winners. Make sure you have an official to judge the race and volunteers to run the check-in process and provide water, etc. Advertise for participants, charging an entry fee to each or ask them to secure sponsorship support for the miles that they will ride.

5K runFind/get approved (city/county/park authorities) a course on which to hold the race. Request local businesses to donate prizes for winners. Make sure you have an official to judge the race and volunteers to run the check-in process and provide water, etc. Advertise for participants, charging an entry fee to each or ask them to secure sponsorship support for the miles that they run.

Spaghetti dinnerAsk a local church to let you use their kitchen/dining facilities. Have Chapter members sell tickets at school/church. Advertise to school, churches, and/or the community to contact members to purchase tickets. Purchase or secure donations of food products and utensils/plates/cups based on number of tickets sold. Serve food as people come through line. Include a short presentation that provides an overview of IJM so people know what they are supporting.

Sports/game tournamentThis can be held for nearly any sport or game from basketball to pool to spades. Secure the use of facilities (gym, fields, etc.). Request that local businesses donate prizes for winners. Advertise for participants, charging appropriate fee based on number of people per team. Make sure the tournament itself is organized efficiently and you have enough competent judges/referees. Include an awards ceremony where winning teams are presented with trophies and prizes. Include a few words about IJM so people understand what they are supporting and why it is important.Car washFind a local business with a large parking lot on a well-traveled street corner. Ask for permission to use it for a car wash. Make sure you have access to faucets from there. Pick a day and advertise with posters

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Talent/fashion showFind a location on campus with stage and seating. Advertise on campus for groups to perform or participants to join in, as well as for students to attend as observers. Consider having a justice theme to the show and encourage participants to incorporate this theme into their acts. Have Chapter members sell tickets at church and school. Ask businesses to donate prizes for winners as well as refreshments.

Bake sale/concessionGet permission to set up a table in student center, in front of a high-traffic business, or at an event. Have members donate bake goods. Request donations of baked goods from friends/faculty. People will then purchase these goods. Include brochures and information about IJM at the table so participants can understand more about what they are supporting.

Garage saleChoose a date—the closer to summer the better. Find a high-traffic location to hold garage sale. If no Chapter member has a home in a good location, ask a local business or your campus to use the edge of a parking lot. Have each member donate items to sell. Ask for donations from friends/faculty/etc. Advertise well—posters, newspaper ad, etc. Price all items before the day of the sale. Be ready for customers early in the morning. Have a specified cashier to avoid confusion.

Bingo nightRequest local businesses to donate prizes. A large number of prizes are needed, but they do not need to be expensive individually. Obtain permission to use a classroom or meeting room for the event. Advertise for the event around campus, at church and/or in the community. Charge $2-$5 per bingo card. Players keep the card throughout the evening. Make sure you have enough cards and chips to go around.

Gift wrappingGet permission to set up a gift-wrapping table at your local mall, Barnes and Noble, etc. during the pre-holiday shopping season. Choose a good location for people to bring their purchases to your table on their way out. Have a variety of papers, bows, ribbon, etc. that has been donated to or purchased by the chapter. Chapter members will wrap people’s gifts for tips. Be sure to display information and brochures about what the funds are supporting and why it is important. Be ready to tell people about IJM while you are wrapping their gifts.

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Used clothing saleThis is much like the garage sale idea, but a little different. Students gather unwanted clothes from fellow students and sell them at low cost “thrift store” prices to other students. The center quad area of campus (high traffic area) is a great place for a used clothing sale and a great way to raise money, get rid of old clothes, and buy used clothes at cheap prices!

Care packagesCoordinate with your school to set up a Care Package fundraiser. During exam week at the end of the semester, direct-mail each student’s parents telling them they can purchase a Care Package for their child and what it includes. (Usually a small box is used and will include snack foods and candy.) Include a form they can return with their child’s name and mailbox number or address, the number of packages they would like sent, and the method of payment on it. They should also be directed to include payment with the form. Distribute slips to student mailboxes telling them to claim their package at designated location. Include information about IJM in the letter to parents and in the gift boxes so people know what they are supporting and why it is important.

Haunted houseFind a location in which to design a haunted house around Halloween. Decorate/build the design. This can be time consuming so start ahead of time! Advertise in the community and on campus. Charge admittance fee.

Yard work saleSecure yard-work tools. If your chapter members do not have them, ask teachers/friends if you can borrow them. Establish Work Days that you are going to dedicate to doing the yard work. Go to neighborhoods around your school as well as to faculty and staff homes and ask residents if they want you to do yard work for them. Be sure to explain what the funds will go to!

Penny weighHave your student government or administration approve this idea (best for use during homecoming week.) Get four big water jugs or jars and label them Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior. (You can also use labels that represent any groups on your campus that are in competition with one another—social clubs, fraternities, sororities, etc.) Set them out in the Student Center and include information about what the money will go towards. People then put pennies in their class, to earn "points" and put silver coins or paper money in other classes to deduct points" so if they put a quarter in the

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Freshman jug the Freshmen were just deducted 25 points. Give a daily tally so that the groups know if they are behind or ahead. At the end of an allotted time period, the group with the most points is the winner and should be given either a donated prize or a symbolic “spirit” prize. All the money could go to IJM or to the chapter.

Gift worldBefore Christmas and summer holiday begins, set up a booth in the student center for selling “alternative gifts.” Students can purchase assistance to a victim of injustice for a friend or relative. ($10 for a Bonded Labor victim and $25 for a Forced Prostitution victim.) The student will give the money and contact information, and the chapter will send a card saying that STUDENT’S NAME has given them the gift of participating in the rescue of a child from BONDED LABOR/FORCED PROSTITUTION. Sufficient explanation of IJM and situations of oppression need to be included.

Temporary tattoo saleTalk to administration/student government to approve the idea. Have a local printer make temporary tattoos with your school symbol/mascot. Sell them at sports games, during Homecoming week, etc.

Coupon saleFind a company that sells coupon books. Order an adequate number based upon the number of chapter members participating. One such company is www.abcfundraising.com. Chapter members will sell the coupon books to students/teachers/church members, informing purchasers of what they are supporting by participating. The price to sell the coupon books at is predetermined by the company they are purchased from, and is less than the price purchase. Proceeds could go to IJM or to the chapter.

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Appendix B:Devotional selections

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it.

–Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

There are many passages of scripture that are worthy of study. Below we have compiled a short list that may be useful and impacting when you are talking about justice. Take time to read the passages and consider the questions that are raised to understand more about God’s character, His passions, and His view of justice.

Psalm 10

What does oppression look like? What is the attitude of the oppressor? What is God’s attitude towards injustice?

Exodus 3:7-12

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What does this passage say about the character of God? What is His plan for dealing with injustice?

Amos 2:6-8, 5:6-15, 5:21-24/ Isaiah 58

Are justice and worship connected? What does God say about worship and fasting? What type of worship does God accept?

Matt. 25:40, Matt 22:37-40

How do these passages apply to justice?

Matt. 5:14-16/ II Cor. 5:20

What is our role as Christians in the world? How does this affect our actions?

Appendix C:Justice Scripture Verses

It is exceedingly strange that any follower of Jesus Christ should ever have needed

to ask whether social involvement was their concern.- John Stott

Although this is in no way an exhaustive list, these verses from the Holy Scriptures (NIV) should be helpful in studying the meaning of biblical justice and the reason why God requires His people to seek it.

Job 40:6-8 - Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm: "Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?”

Psalm 9:8 - He will judge the world in righteousness; He will govern the peoples with justice.

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Psalm 9:16 - The LORD is known by His justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.

Psalm 11:7 - For the LORD is righteous, He loves justice; upright men will see His face.

Psalm 33:5 - The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love.

Psalm 36:6 - Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

Psalm 37:6 - He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Psalm 45:6 - Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

Psalm 58:2 - No, in your heart you devise injustice, and your hands mete out violence on the earth.

Psalm 64:6 - They plot injustice and say, "We have devised a perfect plan!" Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning.

Psalm 101:1 - I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.

Psalm 103:6 - The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

Psalm 106:3 - Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right.

Psalm 112:5 - Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.

Psalm 140:12 - I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.

Proverbs 18:5 - It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the innocent of justice.

Proverbs 21:15 - When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.

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Proverbs 29:7 - The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.

Isaiah 1:17 - Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 9:7 - Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Isaiah 30:18 - Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!

Isaiah 42:1 - Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him and he will bring justice to the nations.

Isaiah 51:4 - Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations.

Isaiah 51:5 - My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.

Isaiah 56:1 - This is what the LORD says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.”

Isaiah 58:6 - 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?

Isaiah 59:15 - Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

Isaiah 61:8 - For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.

Jeremiah 21:12 - O house of David, this is what the LORD says: "Administer justice every morning; rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed, or my wrath will break out

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and burn like fire because of the evil you have done-- burn with no one to quench it.”

Jeremiah 22:13 - Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.

Ezekiel 34:16 - I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

Hosea 2:19 - I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.

Hosea 12:6 - But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.

Amos 5:21-24 - I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Micah 6:8 - 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.

Zechariah 7:8-10 - And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: `Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'

Matthew 12:18 - Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations.

Matthew 23:23 - Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Luke 11:42 - Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect

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justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

Romans 3:22-26 - This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- He did it to demonstrate His justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Revelation 19:11 - I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.

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