There are many clubs and organizations on Northwestern’s campus, but few are devoted to as important a cause as the International Justice Mission (IJM). The chapter at NW is one of many across the United States and worldwide. Founded in 1997, IJM is the largest organization of its kind, fighting modern-day slavery that still runs rampant, especially in developing and impoverished nations.
According to the IJM website, about 50 million people are victims of slavery today. Human trafficking in particular is a major issue that produces an estimated $236 billion a year. These practices can take the form of labor trafficking, sex trafficking, online sexual exploitation or forced scamming that traps unsuspecting individuals seeking jobs.
“Their goal is to partner with local governments to provide local law enforcement, social workers and lawyers with the resources they need to fight trafficking,” IJM member Kara Follett said. “They want to be effective enough in countries that they can eventually leave because the locations have become self-sufficient in handling the issues.”
Rescuing individuals from these circumstances is an arduous endeavor. The organization has 20 global offices to support their operations, which focus on three particular types of casework: trafficking and slavery, violence against women and children and police abuse of power. Their efforts annually liberate thousands of children, women and men from violence and exploitation, while simultaneously bringing the suspected criminals and abusers to justice.
While college students in the Midwest may not play as direct of a role as IJM members working in the affected countries, their contributions are crucial to the organization’s ability to thrive.
“Our goals are to fundraise, advocate and pray,” Follett said. “We have done an event for each of these facets this year. We hosted 24-hour prayer where students collectively prayed for 24 hours for those affected by modern-day slavery. We also put on a letter writing campaign in the Learning Commons where students could write letters to their representatives lobbying for anti-human trafficking legislation.”
“Last fall, we had a clothing drive called Threads where students could thrift donated clothes, and all of the proceeds went to the IJM organization,” Evelyn Crouch, another member of IJM, said. “As for events off campus, several students last fall went to Washington D.C. to meet with legislators there to advocate for justice.”
The NW chapter has one more event planned before the end of the school year.
“The last major upcoming event that the NW chapter has this year is their IJM gala on April 10,” Crouch said. “The gala will be held at Trinity Reformed Church and is a way for community members to learn more about IJM and their mission.”
“We are partnering with local businesses and all who are interested in the community to fundraise for IJM,” Follett said about the gala. “The event includes a catered dinner, and the Head of Mobilization from IJM’s corporate offices will be speaking.”
All these events and fundraising efforts are aligned with IJM’s 2030 Vision, a strategy employed with the goal of protecting 500 million people and reducing violence by 85% across 25 countries.
The opportunity to be a part of this task is something that members like Crouch embraced.
“I wanted to get more involved with advocating for justice for those who cannot stand up for themselves,” Crouch said. “I love the mission that IJM has and was partly inspired by the film Sound of Freedom to join a cause that rescues those trapped in slavery.”
This coming fall, IJM meetings will be held every other Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. in the education suite in Van Peursem Hall. Students who want to get involved with IJM should email Kara Follett. They can donate to the organization on IJM’s website and take part in volunteer opportunities also.
Because of the work of IJM, there is hope for victims stuck in modern-day slavery. Ending this injustice is a demanding and daunting task, but with the commitment of legislators, law enforcement and students alike, captives can continue to be set free, one rescue at a time. Getting involved with IJM is one way that students can live out NW’s mission statement as they actively “pursue God’s redeeming work in the world,” and there is no better time than now to support the cause.
