Life Update: My Exciting Internship Opportunity

He has told you, O man, 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

As many of you probably already know, I like to talk about justice on this blog. Thus, it will be soon be apparent why I am very excited to give this update on my life and where God is taking me. I will graduate from Hillsdale College in May with B.A. in Politics and Philosophy. I have greatly enjoyed my time at Hillsdale and grown personally, academically, professionally, and spiritually from it. In the not too distant future, I plan to pursue graduate studies in international relations.

My interests have directed me seek out and achieve an internship position with the International Justice Mission for work that will take me to South Asia for 10-12 months beginning this summer. This wonderful opportunity will allow me to grow professionally while enabling the continued work of a strong organization committed to the promotion of justice throughout the world.

The International Justice Mission is a human rights organization initiating change to meet the needs of many living under oppression of various forms. Now in its sixteenth year, IJM has developed a highly successful model, working directly with law enforcement to bring justice for both the offenders and victims of sexual trafficking, forced labor slavery, illegal detention, illegal property seizure, citizenship issues, and sexual violence which pervade many countries around the world. IJM also works with policy makers to influence long-term development of broader and deeper commitment to justice. I invite you to browse the IJM website at http://ijm.org/our-work/what-we-do.

The better understanding and promotion of justice has long been the primary motivation in my life. I take seriously God’s calling on my life to use the skills he has given me to promote justice in every way possible. I have chosen to study philosophy and politics in order to dig deeper into foundations of justice and how to prudently implement it.

I am very excited by the opportunity to spend to work with IJM in Asia. I will be able to focus my work particularly on bonded slavery issues. Slavery continues to be a major problem in the modern world. Many poor persons are denied basic rights forced into unchanging state of servitude through debt and violence.

I will use my research and writing skills to study the policies and create content to facilitate IJM’s work towards sustained changes. Thousands have already been freed, but many more need justice. At the same time, the cultural experience will prepare me for a future in international relations and the further study of ethical issues.

This wonderful opportunity to learn and grow requires my providing for my living expenses and travel for my yearlong mission. Thus, I am pleased to present you with the opportunity to support me and IJM in this powerful work. I have a fundraising goal of $20,000 for my time in Asia.

I am thankful for the investment you have made in my life directly or indirectly over the years. I would gratefully appreciate the opportunity to communicate with you about my internship. You can contact me at jj4bsu@gmail.com and continue to follow this blog for updates. I would be very thankful for your continued prayers and support. And if you would have the desire to support me (and IJM) financially in this endeavor, I would be grateful. No amount is too small and all donations to IJM are tax-deductible.

If you want to give right now, you can do so easily and securely with a credit or debit card. Link here: http://www.ijm.org/getinvolved/internshipsupport and follow the “Support an Intern/Fellow” link on that page and be sure to choose my name from the intern dropdown menu.

If you would like to give another way or ask questions, email me: jj4bsu@gmail.com.

Thank you for your prayers and support.


*Bonus Read* Follow this link to see the work IJM has already been doing on the slavery issue. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/273-bonded-labourers-rescued-in-tiruvallur/article4804623.ece 

Prison: Enemy of Justice

Modern society has a problem. The problem goes to the very core of society, the preservation and promotion of justice. At the center of this problem lies a prison system called to be a promoter of justice, but can only be its destroyer.
Society exists because it provides for the best possible life for individuals within it. Individuals join society, societies coalesce, or societies exist naturally because they provide a place for each individual. They enable the relationships and discourse, and opportunities that make for a fully human life.
 
Society emerges from relations. The organic or mechanical relations between individuals, groups, and institutions constitute a society. The relations of society and the contributions of each member to the society create rules of engagement for the society. Call it the social order. Order has more than its authoritarian meaning. It has biological meaning. An order naturally collects of smaller units (families) in the animal kingdom in natural, meaningful relationship.
 
Birthed in the relational nature of society, social order in turn creates authority. Social relation necessarily gives proper authority to the elements involved in the relation. Social order comprises the rules that govern behavior within society for each individual to live a fulfilled life. The proper social order best directs each individual to the best life, a fully human life in the society. Each elemental part of society has the duty to support the social order and the basic authority to defend it. Various elements, individuals and institutions, have various authority proper to themselves determined by the social order.