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Recently, I hiked with my family along the border of Nepal and West Bengal, India, where we enjoyed magnificent views of 28,209 foot high Kangchendzonga, India's highest mountain and the third highest peak on the planet. The snow caps on Kangchendzonga are a great reminder of God's awesome creative power. Standing in awe of this beauty in the early morning light, I was reminded that He is the ultimate source of help and love for those in need. It is His power that sustains us and our justice venture clients as they overcome seemingly insurmountable odds as they strive to rescue and restore young girls tricked, manipulated and forced into the sex trade, to ensure freedom for families trapped in debt slavery, to provide access to the courts, and to create opportunity for those previously denied access to water, basic sanitation, decent housing, education, jobs and capital. It is our privilege to work alongside these organizations who, by God’s grace and power, are achieving justice for those suffering abuse and oppression. |
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JEFFREY PANKRATZ, the president of JVI, met with a group of bonded laborers who work in a rock quarry in the state of Uddar Pradesh, the most populous state in India. These men are from destitute families who, due to a financial crisis of one sort or another, sell themselves and sometimes their children to provide labor in exchange for a loan. The moneylenders force the borrowers to work only for them, charge interest rates well over 100 percent, and pay wages barely enough to support daily survival. >> |
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| CHENNAI TRANSFORMATION NETWORK, a JVI client working in India's fourth largest city, recently collaborated with the Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief to produce the "Justice Concert and Exposition." The purpose of the Justice Concert was to raise awareness on issues of injustice and to inspire individuals to take up the work of justice on behalf of pavement and slum dwellers. >> |  |
"UTILIZING THE ADVANCED SKILLS that I learned in Washington, I was able to present compelling evidence that my client had acted in self-defense and was, therefore, innocent of the crime of assault. At present, I am working for the Beijing Juvenile Legal Aid and Research Center, a Chinese nongovernmental organization that provides regular training and support to juvenile defenders throughout China. This position has enabled me to share my newly acquired knowledge and advanced skills with my colleagues throughout the country," according to Zhao Hui, one participant in the Chinese Public Defender Training Program from last year. >> |
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