Student organization fights for international justice

A new student group formed on campus will look to raise awareness for and combat human rights…

Members of the International Justice Mission table for new members at the Activities Fair

Courtesy of International Justice Mission

A new student group formed on campus will look to raise awareness for and combat human rights abuses around the world.

The Panther International Justice Mission seeks to make students aware of different international issues and injustices, such as human trafficking, slavery and international oppression. It is officially a chapter of the International Justice Mission, a human rights agency whose members work to end various forms of violent oppression throughout the world.

Sophomore Katie Duffy and junior Kristen Tideman are co-presidents of the club, which met for the first time informally in February 2012.

Duffy began thinking about starting a Pitt chapter of the group after she saw a presentation by IJM at her hometown church, Willowdale Chapel, in Kennett Square, Pa.

“In high school, it’s hard to start a chapter with something on such a large scale, so I looked for it when I came to Pitt,” Duffy said. “When I realized it didn’t exist, I wondered how hard it would be to start one up.”

The formation of the club resulted from a series of emails between Tideman, Duffy and the national representatives of IJM.

“Katie and I are from the same area — we went to the same church,” Tideman said. “We contacted IJM separately to find out how to set up a college chapter, and they emailed both of us.”

Maggie To, the club’s vice president, also got involved in a similar way.

“IJM emailed me because I’d expressed interest,” To said.

IJM’s cause fits in with interests that To cultivated while spending this past summer volunteering in Faridabad, India. There, she interned at local hospitals and taught English in impoverished schools.

“I’ve become increasingly more passionate about issues like sex trafficking and women’s rights,” she said.

In addition to raising awareness about specific issues such as these, the group officers hope their message of promoting international justice will get across to students.

“I think [the mission is] just to make people care in a way that is more personal,” Tideman said. “Everyone knows about these things, but it’s hard to make it matter in our lives as college students. Even if it’s on a small scale, getting involved can show that it is of major importance in your life.”

The group members don’t want to narrow their focus to one issue, but rather, they want to work to inform students about the types of problems IJM officials work to end.

“IJM works with different countries’ legal systems to help make sure law enforcements actually enforce the laws,” Tideman said, noting as an example how IJM helped in an effort to give back stolen lands to widows in certain African communities.

Galen Hughes, the club’s business manager, expressed the importance of college students maintaining a social responsibility toward governmental issues.

“I just hope people become more thoughtful,” Hughes, a sophomore, said. “Just knowing about it and sharing the information will be a huge help.”

The club is still new, as it gained official recognition from the University in June after months of working on the group constitution.

“We were trying to work within the parameters of Pitt’s constitution standards and IJM’s constitution standards, while still trying to stick to what they wanted for the club,” Duffy said.

Glad that the organizational efforts have paid off, the officers are now looking forward to the more fun aspects of the club.

“We want to be the kind of group that doesn’t force a lot of responsibility on people,” Tideman said. “As college students, we can have an effect, but it’s limited.”

Tideman also recognized that the issues they will work to raise awareness of through IJM are often very disturbing, but she said her group would work to take a more positive angle on the subjects.

“I think if we can keep a positive light on things and also emphasize the social implications, we can raise awareness and also enjoy getting to know the people who join the group,” Tideman said. “I would love to have an event that would be really fun or cultural to raise awareness.”

The first official club meeting is scheduled for Sept. 20, at which time officers said they will have a more definitive number for how many members are in their organization. However, they did get over 60 potential members to sign up at the Activities Fair on August 26 at the Petersen Events Center.

While the officers do not yet have specific plans for events — it will depend on member input, according to Tideman — they do have ideas for ways students can start furthering IJM’s mission.

“One thing students can do is buy products that are fair trade,” Hughes said. “Buying things that are made in America is important. Buying things locally is very important.”

Fair trade products are made in good working conditions without the use of child labor or sweatshops.

The group would also like to show students how human trafficking and slavery can be influenced by college students in America.

“It’s easy enough to feel bad or sad for these people, but doing something like this could make a lot of difference,” Duffy said.