“Stand on the shoulders of giants.” It’s Google Scholar’s slogan, but it could just as easily be ours. The work we’ve done and continue to do is only possible because of others who have come before us.
The United Nations designated August 19th as World Humanitarian Day. It is a day to celebrate the work of those who have come before us and those who work with us to improve the human experience and eradicate human suffering.
Each week leading up to World Humanitarian Day, we will be highlighting a humanitarian we personally admire – those who have pushed the boundaries in order to make the world a little better.
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“Justice is doing for others what we would want done for us.”
Gary Haugen is not only the father of our awesome engagement intern Solveig, but also the founder, president, and chief executive officer of International Justice Mission, a non-profit organization advocating for social justice around the world.
Haugen found his footing in international justice when he served on the National Initiative for the Reconciliation of South Africa under Michael Cassidy and Desmond Tutu. After working with community members in the struggle against apartheid and implementing reconciliation methods in South Africa, Haugen worked for the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines and then went on to the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ).
At DoJ, he was lent out to lead the United Nations’ Center for Human Rights investigation of the Rwandan genocide and prosecute its perpetrator. His work included collecting testimony from victims throughout Rwanda, gathering evidence, and creating an investigative strategy.
In 1997, Haugen left the DoJ’s Police Misconduct Task Force of the Civil Rights Division to pursue his passion — protecting the poor from violence. Based on the belief that all humans deserve justice, Haugen founded International Justice Mission (IJM), an organization dedicated to bringing justice to those in developing nations who the law does not protect.
Since 1997, IJM has worked to protect and advocate for those whom live on the margins of justice in over 20 communities around the world. Their approach is based on the conviction that poverty and violence go hand and hand — to combat poverty we must combat violence.
We are inspired and motivated by Gary Haugen’s commitment to international justice for people everywhere. His work tracking down criminals and protecting those in the most vulnerable communities inspires us to do the same. We are only able to pursue international justice because of the groundwork humanitarians like Gary Haugen have laid.
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