Tag: child sexual violence

Faith, Travel, Work

Re-entering the darkness

I wasn’t procrastinating – I actually wasn’t planning on ever reading the book. It was going to be one for the mantelpiece, to adorn the bookshelf. After all, I spent a year working for the organisation founded by the author, so I didn’t just know the content – I was living right amongst it.

It was a surprise, then, how much the opening chapters of The Locust Effect moved me. Two months back on board with International Justice Mission (IJM), now in Australia, and we’ve talked on a number of occasions about vicarious trauma. I’ve shared with my colleagues some of what I went through that year in Bolivia. They’ve shared about how advocating against cybersex trafficking has had a toxic personal effect on them. Continue reading Re-entering the darkness

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Faith, Work

Mission made possible

In honour of IJM Bolivia’s incredible month of July (4 convictions, a long-awaited arrest, 60 therapies completed, churches uniting for justice), our team went to see Tom Cruise hang off the side of a military plane, in a business suit, as it takes off into the chilly London air. During the week, our Field Office Director made a number of references to how our work … Continue reading Mission made possible

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External link to IJM Bolivia Cases Progress at ‘Rapid Pace’ Following New Law
Work

IJM Bolivia Cases Progress at ‘Rapid Pace’ Following New Law

IJM Bolivia Cases Progress at ‘Rapid Pace’ Following New Law (my piece from the IJM Newsroom) LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, June 25, 2015 Thanks to a new law, IJM Bolivia has seen “miraculous” developments in the past eight months, according to Greg Tarrant, IJM Bolivia field office director. The Law to “Decongest and Effectivise” Criminal Procedures stole the media spotlight when passed at the end of October … Continue reading IJM Bolivia Cases Progress at ‘Rapid Pace’ Following New Law

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External link to Strong Sentencing for Bolivian Uncle Indicates Crackdown on Family Abuse
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Strong Sentencing for Bolivian Uncle Indicates Crackdown on Family Abuse

Strong Sentencing for Bolivian Uncle Indicates Crackdown on Family Abuse (my piece from the IJM Newsroom) LA PAZ, BOLIVIA, May 31, 2015 After two years of relentless effort by the IJM team, a Bolivian man has been sentenced to 22.5 years for abusing his 7-year-old niece. Throughout the legal process, the family faced multiple roadblocks, including threats to their safety and an uphill battle in the Bolivian justice system. However, … Continue reading Strong Sentencing for Bolivian Uncle Indicates Crackdown on Family Abuse

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Random Thoughts, Work

The kids that break your heart

Filing photos is an emotionally taxing task. It’s not easy flicking through the faces of kids who have been sexually abused. Equally powerful are pictures of the parents determined to have justice for their son or daughter. Smiles. Frowns. Joy. Sadness. Hope. Despair. Courage. Fear. Our image archive spans a wide spectrum of emotions. It’s beautiful, but in a way that makes you ache inside. Most of these are photos … Continue reading The kids that break your heart

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Faith, Work

Coincidence vs Providence

I have a friend who used to say that there’s no such thing as luck, only statistics.

It’s all just a matter of chance and probability. What we’re really saying when we say something that happened was bad luck is that the improbable (but not impossible) negative outcome happened. What we’re really saying when we wish someone good luck is that we hope probabilities work in their favour.

Then there are those moments when you really see how the stars have aligned. Yes, it’s still probability at play – but I don’t believe statistics preclude God’s involvement; indeed I believe God can work with probabilities and against them.

B, one of our clients, was diagnosed with cancer and given a 60-70% of responding to treatment and a 40% chance overall of recovering. Hospital A doesn’t generally provide chemotherapy. They were going to send B home to free up a bed, and put her on the three-month waiting list at another hospital. It’s Monday. Continue reading Coincidence vs Providence

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Work

More Than 140 Criminals Convicted for Violent Crimes So Far This Year

Reproduced from the IJM Newsroom: http://news.ijm.org/more-than-140-criminals-convicted-for-violent-crimes-so-far-this-year   Recent reports paint a dark picture of the violence facing millions of the world’s poor every day. Human trafficking generates $150 billion in annual profits, and nearly 36 million people are held in modern-day slavery. But few of the criminals perpetuating this violence are ever held accountable for their crimes.   IJM has been working to protect the poor … Continue reading More Than 140 Criminals Convicted for Violent Crimes So Far This Year

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Work

In Bolivia, Justice for 3-Year-Old Mona Seemed Impossible…Until It Happened

Reproduced from the IJM Newsroom: http://news.ijm.org/in-bolivia-justice-for-3-year-old-mona-seemed-impossibleuntil-it-happened I didn’t write this one, but did provide the details and photos 🙂   LA PAZ, BOLIVIA October 29,2014 A three-and-a-half- year trial ended this month in Bolivia with justice for a little girl named Mona.* The trial lasted more than half the length of Mona’s lifetime, and the verdict closes a very painful chapter for her family. When Mona … Continue reading In Bolivia, Justice for 3-Year-Old Mona Seemed Impossible…Until It Happened

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