July 2009

IJM has partnered with human rights organization Paz y Esperanza (Peace and Hope) in their casework on behalf of impoverished victims of violent oppression in Peru since 2002. Now, Paz y Esperanza and International Justice Mission will expand this vital work to Ecuador through a new field office in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city.

CHENNAI, INDIA - Shankar’s day began in the dark hours before dawn, around two or three o’clock in the morning. Every day, he carried raw, unbaked bricks on his head to the kiln where they would be baked. He and his wife balanced the packed clay and straw molds – heavier than the final product – on their heads.

But perhaps the greatest joy came from knowing the newborn baby carried out of the brick kiln that afternoon would not need a release certificate – she was born on a day of freedom.