Those Doing Justice

As we have worked our way through Generous Justice I have been inspired. Keller shares several stories throughout the book of different individuals doing justice and about ways to bring justice to those who need it. His stories peeked my curiosity about others seeking justice around the world today. Here are just a few people that I have found who are doing great work.

Bryan Stevenson– Stevenson is a public-interest lawyer and the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. He has committed his career to helping the poor and spends much of his time fighting for the rights of the incarcerated men and women in America. In 2012 Stevenson gave an insightful TED talk about America’s justice system. During the talk he states, “I’ve come to TED because I believe that many of you understand that the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice. That we cannot be fully evolved human beings until we care about human rights and basic dignity.” If you have 25 minutes with free ears I strongly recommend you listen to this TED talk.

Jimmy Carter– Over the past year I have been seeing more and more about Jimmy Carter. Since completing his term as President of the United States, Carter has been actively committed to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering around the world. In 1982 he established The Carter Center which seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health. Carter has written dozens of books. Most recently he wrote A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power.

Malala Yousafzai– Malala Yousafzai is an advocate for education and women’s rights from Swat District in Pakistan. Malala made international headlines in October 2012 when she was shot by the Taliban while riding home from school. She was shot simply because she was a girl who wanted to get an education. After her recovery from the shooting, Malala moved permanently to the UK and became an education activist. Malala has gained worldwide acclaim for her bravery in standing up to the Tailban and subsequent activism. She has spoken before the UN, universities, and conferences all over the world. In October 2013 she released the book I am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban, which recounts her personal struggle for education in her home country.

Gary Haugen– Gary is the founder, President and CEO of International Justice Mission. Before starting IJM, he worked on different human rights issues in South Africa, the Philippines, and Rwanda. In founding IJM, his goal was to provide legal aid and advocacy to victims of injustice all over the world. IJM now has offices in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. In February of this year he, along with Victor Boutros, released the book The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence. This book has helped to bring to light violent injustices happening all over the world and how these injustices exasperate the problem of poverty.

This fall, New York Times Columnists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn are releasing the book A Path Appears which will be, “nothing less than a sweeping tapestry of people who are using research, evidence-based strategies, and brilliant ideas to make the world a better place.” This should be a great resource to learn more about what people are doing around the world and how you can be involved in making the world a better place. Check out their website to learn more about the book and the accompanying mini-series which will air on PBS in early 2015.

These are just a few examples of people seeking justice today. Who else do you know of locally or internationally that is helping to bring justice to those who need it?