Justice for the Defenseless (was "for a Widow")

[Linna Heartbooger]

Actually getting justice for someone... sometimes requires more effort than one might imagine...

But this is just beautiful.

Video Summary:
Grace, a Ugandan widow, lost her home.
Her local relatives "moved in" to take her home and land (and the crops she grew there to support herself and her 5 children) away from her.
She invested a lot of effort to seek redress from local authorities and then higher ones as well.
IJM (International Justice Mission) was able to step in and help her with her case.
Typical violent methods of persecutors in these types of situations are described.
Systemic obstacles to justice, and typical means for overcoming these barriers are described too. (I think.)
She has her home back!

[Fist and Faith]

So nice to see things turn out the way they should once in a while. Even if it takes a criminally long time.

[Avatar]

Nice as it is, one can't help but think of the thousands for whom there is no justice, and is unlikely ever to be.

--A

[deer of the dawn]

Nice as it is, one can't help but think of the thousands for whom there is no justice, and is unlikely ever to be.

--A

Kind of goes back to the "Starfish" approach, Av. You can't save everyone, but people like International Justice Mission are helping who they can. That's all most of us can do, help one or a few.

[Avatar]

Yeah, fair enough. I tend to subscribe to it myself. Doesn't make me feel much better about it though.

--A

[deer of the dawn]

You can only do what you can do. God sent Jesus to save the world; the rest of us are smaller than that. But we can each do something, help someone.

[Avatar]

But we can each do something, help someone.

Regardless of questions of god.

--A

[sgt.null]

at least we someone getting help. i agree with Deer's starfish theory in this case.

we can all wish the world would get better - not going to happen anytime soon.

[Linna Heartbooger]

Nice as it is, one can't help but think of the thousands for whom there is no justice, and is unlikely ever to be.

So are you saying it's pretty much impossible in practice?
Given the investment required for this one person - well, really these six people - it probably seems kind of ludicrous to hope for more for so many (at least through these means).

On the positive side... as governments and organizations that are doing something effective gain ground - and especially when they start holding perpetrators accountable - the perpetrators really shrink back.
IJM's had some amazing success with perpetrator accountability in the Philippines lately.
Of course, some of that will just be criminals changing territory, but... for a city or a region to become much safer; that's still something big.

I don't know... I think I'm hearing a tone of discouragement.
Just thinking about the fact that something that massive and horrible is happening does make us want to throw up our hands sometimes.

I love the approach IJM takes of "just dealing with it," though:
"It is very difficult to move legal cases through public justice systems that are choked, broken, under-trained, and often corrupt. But that is simply the reality in which the poor live in many countries. It is the only justice system they have, and it is IJM’s mission to make those broken institutions work and work well for children who have been sexually assaulted, trafficked women and kids, and bonded labor slaves."
(From another article on IJM's site.)

[Avatar]

Knowing it's pointless is no reason not to do it.

--A

[Linna Heartbooger]

Pshhh, to what extent would one know it's pointless, though?

(Some people I know think about such things in terms of probabilities... and they are truly able to do so without it being "callously" about numbers; feel free to use reference to probabilities here if your mind works that way..)

And I also don't know which definition of "pointless" you mean.

[Avatar]

In the great big scheme of things, helping somebody, or many somebodies, doesn't change anything. Everybody will still die, there will still be suffering and need and pain. You can't stem the tide. The world turns, the sun rises. It's all ultimately pointless. Achieves nothing lasting. But that's no reason not to do it anyway.

There's no justice. There's just us.

--A

[Linna Heartbooger]

It looks like IJM is on the verge of another amazing venture...
...making breakthroughs in Pampanga, in the Philippines, where "the system" (of violent oppression of women) is very entrenched.
Very difficult for would-be enforcers of justice to resist..

I'm shamelessly posting IJM's latest letter asking for money.
It actually gives more big-picture info on IJM Pampanga than any other article I'm finding!!

[SoulBiter]

You can only do what you can do. God sent Jesus to save the world; the rest of us are smaller than that. But we can each do something, help someone.

Agreed! I sponsor children through Compassion International. That sponsorship ensure that they will have clothing and food and a chance to do something with their lives. My wife and I send them gifts for birthdays and Christmas. this is a long term 15 (ish) year commitment. Sure we cant help them all but the ones we can, we help. If EVERYONE felt the same way and would commit this world would be a better place!

[Linna Heartbooger]

You can only do what you can do. God sent Jesus to save the world; the rest of us are smaller than that. But we can each do something, help someone.

Agreed! I sponsor children through Compassion International. That sponsorship ensure that they will have clothing and food and a chance to do something with their lives. My wife and I send them gifts for birthdays and Christmas. this is a long term 15 (ish) year commitment. Sure we cant help them all but the ones we can, we help. If EVERYONE felt the same way and would commit this world would be a better place!

Neat... I've got a story!
There was actually this amazing speaker who I heard 1 or 2 years ago.
He was speaking to parents & people who work with youth about "Navigating the Turbulent Teen Years."

One of his big things was wanting to expose the American myth of the "self-made man."
He said, "Those so-called 'self-made men' actually earned their money by stepping on other people's backs."
(see? tie-in to thread topic! sorta.)

Anyway, one of the major antidotes he suggested to the ills* that teens are being exposed to in the prevailing culture...
...was for families to involve their teenagers in supporting kids through Compassion Int'l.
I am sure that will surprise you not at all, SB.
He also pointed out that teens earning $25 a week in babysitting money are already well into the top 50% of world earners.
(actually, I thought he had a more startling statistic, but...)

* i.e. materialism, narcissism, things that rob hope.