Trinity Baptist Church will host the IJM founder and CEO of International Justice Mission, human rights lawyer Gary Haugen on Saturday December 4th and Sunday, December 5th, 2010.
Haugen, formerly the U.N. Officer in Charge of its investigation of the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, will share about his organization’s work bringing rescue to victims of violent oppression including slavery, illegal detention, sex trafficking and torture. Service times are Saturday at 5:30 pm, Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. and again at 11:00 a.m.
Haugen leads IJM’s multinational staff in the most serious confrontation of slavery in the past 150 years. His proposal – that the poor are entitled to the protection of their own countries’ laws – is transforming traditional approaches to international human rights work and has awakened U.S. Christians to their responsibility to seek justice on behalf of the vulnerable. A frequent speaker and guest lecturer, Haugen brings the message of today’s urgent human rights crises to the U. S. government, colleges and universities, and the Christian Church. He has authored numerous books and articles, including Good News About Injustice, Terrify No More, and Just Courage, an invitation to the great adventure of a life lived without fear.
Since its founding in 1997, IJM’s international staff of lawyers, social workers and investigators have worked on the frontlines in 12 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America to rescue victims of slavery, trafficking and other forms of violent oppression and to ensure that their needs are met with aftercare services. IJM lawyers then work to prosecute their perpetrators and work with local authorities to implement structural changes.
In all of our areas of work, IJM has secured rescue and relief for more than 14,000 people – with thousands more helped by structural changes that deter future abuse. Scores of African widows have had illegally seized property restored and thousands of individuals in Southeast Asia have received citizenship to allow them greater opportunity and security. IJM’s aftercare programs have helped thousands of victims of oppression build new lives.
Gary Haugen and the work of IJM have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, “Dateline-NBC,” “Oprah,” Newsweek, CNN, BBC, NPR and many other media outlets.
