This spring semester, the International Justice Mission (IJM) became a formal chapter at the University of Tampa and has a set of activities planned for this year April.
IJM became an established human rights agency in 1997. IJM seeks to provide justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM is a Christian-focused organization by providing victims with relief, perpetrator accountability, survivor aftercare and structural transformation.
University of Tampa senior Casey Foster, and sophomore Anisha Russell, took the initiative to start an IJM chapter at UT. They learned about the organization after hearing an IJM spokesperson at InterVarsity’s God & Porn event. Foster comments that this event is what motivated them to contact IJM and fight for this form of injustice.
“Our hearts were stirred towards taking action and seeking the same social justice and equality for others,” said Foster.
With 119 campus IJM chapters nationwide, the UT chapter works to fight against injustice and oppression in the world by praying for the IJM staff and the victims of injustice, fundraising to support IJM’s work, and participating in activities to spread awareness about human rights.
This April, IJM and the PEACE Volunteer Center at UT are co-sponsoring a “justice week” event, which will take place April 2 through April 6. People who attend the events listed for Monday, Wednesday and Friday will receive volunteer hours.
Monday, April 2, will be the kick-off event in the Vaughn Courtyard from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be a variety of student organization booths that are fighting for similar causes and a guest speaker from the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking organization.
Tuesday, April 3, will be a local hunger outreach with the People for People organization at 2 p.m. in front of the Stadium Center.
Wednesday, April 4, will have Alpha Kappa Alpha, InterVarsity Freshman Leaders and InterVarsity Women in Touch present a fairytale theatrical performance about child sex trafficking and the show will be followed up by an audience discussion. This event will take place in Reeves Theater at 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 5, will be a God & Porn event held by InterVarsity at 8 p.m. in the Austin Oak Room. This event will showcase the connection between child sex slavery and the pornography industry.
Friday, April 6, will be a basketball tournament fundraiser held at 6 p.m. in Cass Gym.
For more information about the International Justice Mission and justice week events, contact IJM President Casey Foster at cbfoster@spartans.ut.edu or become a member of their Facebook group “IJM University of Tampa”. IJM meets every other Monday at 6 p.m. in ROTC 102 and also meets as a small InterVarsity group every Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Austin Oak Room.
Alyson Hay can be reached at ahay@spartans.ut.edu.
Also, Wednesday is a 30 minute film screening, not a performance 🙂
Just to give a new update:
Tuesday will be going out in the Tampa area to have conversations with the homeless about their experiences on the street.
IJM meets every Monday (with exception of this upcoming week 4/2)
Thanks Alyson!