Once I understood that my advocacy was a mixture of many different things, the more eager and motivated I became to participate with Dressember. I began to feel more comfortable with myself and took time to focus on the process it was leading me through. Now I know it is okay to struggle as an advocate sometimes. It gets difficult believing in the change for such a major issue. But with dedication and unbreakable passion, advocacy can become a major constituent to freedom.
Read MoreI learned that poverty in the developing world leaves the poor vulnerable to more than just hunger or cold — it leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and violence, with little to no hope of justice in a corrupt law enforcement system skewed against them. This disturbing reality is known as the Locust Effect.
Read MorePeople are trapped in the sticky web of trafficking all around us because of the many means that traffickers use to recruit their victims--means that are seemingly harmless on the surface but are the cause of great destruction and heartache when you look deeper.
Read MoreIJM is the world’s largest anti-slavery organization. Its goal is to end slavery worldwide with a three-pronged approach: rescuing slaves, working with authorities to convict human traffickers and making the slave trade unprofitable. Its work has led to freedom for over 45,000 survivors and arrest for over 3,500 criminals.
Read MoreAs an avid knitter, baker, hiker, and reader, Jamie Beshears said her perfect day would be full of coffee, bowls of pasta, a fantastic film, smoked salmon, a retro cocktail, and reading in a tent before taking a nap. Where can we sign up as well?! Having grown up in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, Jamie was inspired by her parents for the genuine love and compassion they showed towards others.
Read MoreSharon Cohn Wu has led teams that have brought rescue to thousands of children, women, and men around the world. Her direct efforts have resulted in the release of children from the Philippines, Thailand, India, Cote d’Ivoire, and Cambodia from modern day slavery.
Sharon currently serves as International Justice Mission’s (IJM) Senior Vice President of Justice System Transformation, and she provides broad principles and best practices to governments working alongside IJM. IJM is the world’s largest international anti-slavery organization working in 17 communities across the developing world to combat slavery, trafficking, and other forms of violence against the poor by rescuing and restoring victims, holding perpetrators accountable, and transforming broken public justice systems.
Read MoreChrista Hayden Sharpe is no stranger to social justice work. Christa is the Vice President of Regional Operations for Southeast Asia and is temporarily serving as the Vice President of Global Aftercare. For Christa, the realities of labor trafficking and sexual exploitation give her the drive to wake up in the morning and to continue in the fight against social injustices on a global level with International Justice Mission (IJM). IJM is the world’s largest international anti-slavery organization working in 17 communities across the developing world to combat slavery, trafficking, and other forms of violence against the poor by rescuing and restoring victims, holding perpetrators accountable, and transforming broken public justice systems.
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