Dear Friends,
We would like to wish you a peaceful, happy, and healthy new year. Thank you for all that you have done to contribute to making San Diego a safe haven for torture survivors. We are so grateful.
Sincerely,
The Staff of SURVIVORS
P.S. There's still time to contribute to our year-end campaign! To qualify for the current tax year, your gift must be given online or postmarked by December 31, 2008.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY?
As the year comes to a close, we are reflecting on the successes and struggles of this past year. Increasingly as survivors seek asylum in our country they are being detained in prison-like settings while their cases are evaluated. This year, more than 50% of our new clients- people we have evaluated and identified as survivors of torture-were or continue to be detained.
Providing services to detained clients is logistically difficult, time-consuming, and expensive, but the services we provide are critical. Detained torture survivors are already traumatized; the isolation and uncertainty of detention frequently deepens their trauma, and makes their ultimate recovery that much more difficult. Without the support of SURVIVORS, detained torture survivors are much less likely to be granted the political asylum they so desperately need.
We would like to invite you to make a difference for this group of San Diegans in crisis - torture survivors. Your contribution will be used to support services that help survivors to recover from torture through a holistic program that includes medical, dental, psychiatric, psychological, and social services. Your support helps torture survivors from all over the world to become integrated, healthy, and productive members of our communities.
Let's work together to show that we won't let torture survivors suffer alone. By making a thoughtful year-end donation, you will continue to help us meet the needs of individuals and families who have fled torture in pursuit of safety in San Diego County. All services are provided at no cost to the survivors and 91% of our funding is spent directly on our programs.
You can make a tax-deductible donation online through our secure website. Thank you for considering a year-end contribution to our effort to help survivors of torture and to help bring hope to them in their healing process.
Providing services to detained clients is logistically difficult, time-consuming, and expensive, but the services we provide are critical. Detained torture survivors are already traumatized; the isolation and uncertainty of detention frequently deepens their trauma, and makes their ultimate recovery that much more difficult. Without the support of SURVIVORS, detained torture survivors are much less likely to be granted the political asylum they so desperately need.
We would like to invite you to make a difference for this group of San Diegans in crisis - torture survivors. Your contribution will be used to support services that help survivors to recover from torture through a holistic program that includes medical, dental, psychiatric, psychological, and social services. Your support helps torture survivors from all over the world to become integrated, healthy, and productive members of our communities.
Let's work together to show that we won't let torture survivors suffer alone. By making a thoughtful year-end donation, you will continue to help us meet the needs of individuals and families who have fled torture in pursuit of safety in San Diego County. All services are provided at no cost to the survivors and 91% of our funding is spent directly on our programs.
You can make a tax-deductible donation online through our secure website. Thank you for considering a year-end contribution to our effort to help survivors of torture and to help bring hope to them in their healing process.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wishing You a Wonderful Thanksgiving!
We have so much to be thankful for this year. All of our supporters have offered so much help and encouragement to us and we are very thankful for that! Help us keep the good work moving forward. Please go online and donate now www.notorture.org Happy Thanksgiving!
Interesting article:
Obama to Take On Torture?
By Michael Isikoff NEWSWEEK
Published Nov 22, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Dec 1, 2008
Despite the hopes of many human-rights advocates, the new Obama Justice Department is not likely to launch major new criminal probes of harsh interrogations and other alleged abuses by the Bush administration. But one idea that has currency among some top Obama advisers is setting up a 9/11-style commission that would investigate counterterrorism policies and make public as many details as possible. "At a minimum, the American people have to be able to see and judge what happened," said one senior adviser, who asked not to be identified talking about policy matters. The commission would be empowered to order the U.S. intelligence agencies to open their files for review and question senior officials who approved "waterboarding" and other controversial practices.
Obama aides are wary of taking any steps that would smack of political retribution. That's one reason they are reluctant to see high-profile investigations by the Democratic-controlled Congress or to greenlight a broad Justice inquiry (absent specific new evidence of wrongdoing). "If there was any effort to have war-crimes prosecutions of the Bush administration, you'd instantly destroy whatever hopes you have of bipartisanship," said Robert Litt, a former Justice criminal division chief during the Clinton administration. A new commission, on the other hand, could emulate the bipartisan tone set by Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton in investigating the 9/11 attacks. The 9/11 panel was created by Congress. An alternative model, floated by human-rights lawyer Scott Horton, would be a presidential commission similar to the one appointed by Gerald Ford in 1975 and headed by Nelson Rockefeller that investigated cold-war abuses by the CIA.
Read whole article here
Interesting article:
Obama to Take On Torture?
By Michael Isikoff NEWSWEEK
Published Nov 22, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Dec 1, 2008
Despite the hopes of many human-rights advocates, the new Obama Justice Department is not likely to launch major new criminal probes of harsh interrogations and other alleged abuses by the Bush administration. But one idea that has currency among some top Obama advisers is setting up a 9/11-style commission that would investigate counterterrorism policies and make public as many details as possible. "At a minimum, the American people have to be able to see and judge what happened," said one senior adviser, who asked not to be identified talking about policy matters. The commission would be empowered to order the U.S. intelligence agencies to open their files for review and question senior officials who approved "waterboarding" and other controversial practices.
Obama aides are wary of taking any steps that would smack of political retribution. That's one reason they are reluctant to see high-profile investigations by the Democratic-controlled Congress or to greenlight a broad Justice inquiry (absent specific new evidence of wrongdoing). "If there was any effort to have war-crimes prosecutions of the Bush administration, you'd instantly destroy whatever hopes you have of bipartisanship," said Robert Litt, a former Justice criminal division chief during the Clinton administration. A new commission, on the other hand, could emulate the bipartisan tone set by Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton in investigating the 9/11 attacks. The 9/11 panel was created by Congress. An alternative model, floated by human-rights lawyer Scott Horton, would be a presidential commission similar to the one appointed by Gerald Ford in 1975 and headed by Nelson Rockefeller that investigated cold-war abuses by the CIA.
Read whole article here
Monday, November 17, 2008
Obama Commits to Close Guantanamo Bay and Ban Torture on 60 Minutes
Did you see 60 Minutes last night? Obama made a commitment to close Guantanamo Bay and ban torture in order to, "regain America's moral stature in the world."
Click here to watch video
Click here to watch video
Thursday, November 13, 2008
We Still Need Help With the Phone Bank on Wednesday Nov. 19th
We still have slots to fill for our phone bank on Wednesday Nov. 19th from 5pm-8pm. If you are interested in helping out please contact Sara at svaz@notorture.org
Interesting Article:
Obama's plans for probing Bush torture
President Bush could pardon officials involved in brutal interrogations -- but he may also face a sweeping investigation under the new president.
By Mark Benjamin
Nov. 13, 2008 WASHINGTON -- With growing talk in Washington that President Bush may be considering an unprecedented "blanket pardon" for people involved in his administration's brutal interrogation policies, advisors to Barack Obama are pressing ahead with plans for a nonpartisan commission to investigate alleged abuses under Bush.
The Obama plan, first revealed by Salon in August, would emphasize fact-finding investigation over prosecution. It is gaining currency in Washington as Obama advisors begin to coordinate with Democrats in Congress on the proposal. The plan would not rule out future prosecutions, but would delay a decision on that matter until all essential facts can be unearthed. Between the time necessary for the investigative process and the daunting array of policy problems Obama will face upon taking office, any decision on prosecutions probably would not come until a second Obama presidential term, should there be one.
Read whole article here
Interesting Article:
Obama's plans for probing Bush torture
President Bush could pardon officials involved in brutal interrogations -- but he may also face a sweeping investigation under the new president.
By Mark Benjamin
Nov. 13, 2008 WASHINGTON -- With growing talk in Washington that President Bush may be considering an unprecedented "blanket pardon" for people involved in his administration's brutal interrogation policies, advisors to Barack Obama are pressing ahead with plans for a nonpartisan commission to investigate alleged abuses under Bush.
The Obama plan, first revealed by Salon in August, would emphasize fact-finding investigation over prosecution. It is gaining currency in Washington as Obama advisors begin to coordinate with Democrats in Congress on the proposal. The plan would not rule out future prosecutions, but would delay a decision on that matter until all essential facts can be unearthed. Between the time necessary for the investigative process and the daunting array of policy problems Obama will face upon taking office, any decision on prosecutions probably would not come until a second Obama presidential term, should there be one.
Read whole article here
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
STILL TIME TO SIGN UP FOR PHONE BANK NOV. 17-21
Email Sara at svaz@notorture.org to sign up for the fundrasing phone bank next week. We need your help!
Campaign against torture gears up to lobby Obama
Mercer professor instrumental in organizing effort
By CHRISTOPHER QUINN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
An extensive network of religious leaders, including an Atlanta Baptist leader, will begin a lobbying campaign to get President-elect Barack Obama to issue an executive order banning torture as one of his first acts Wednesday.
Read whole artcile here
Campaign against torture gears up to lobby Obama
Mercer professor instrumental in organizing effort
By CHRISTOPHER QUINN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
An extensive network of religious leaders, including an Atlanta Baptist leader, will begin a lobbying campaign to get President-elect Barack Obama to issue an executive order banning torture as one of his first acts Wednesday.
Read whole artcile here
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sign up for our Fundraising Phonebank Nov. 17-21
Please sign up for our fundraising phone bank. We will be calling all of our supporters the week of Nov. 17-21 from 5pm-8pm nightly. If you are interested in helping please email Sara at svaz@notorture.org
Interesting Article:
Obama Plans Guantanamo Close, US Trials
MATT APUZZO and LARA JAKES JORDAN November 10, 2008 12:13 PM EST
WASHINGTON — President-elect Obama's advisers are quietly crafting a proposal to ship dozens, if not hundreds, of imprisoned terrorism suspects to the United States to face criminal trials, a plan that would make good on his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison but could require creation of a controversial new system of justice.
During his campaign, Obama described Guantanamo as a "sad chapter in American history" and has said generally that the U.S. legal system is equipped to handle the detainees. But he has offered few details on what he planned to do once the facility is closed.
Under plans being put together in Obama's camp, some detainees would be released and many others would be prosecuted in U.S. criminal courts.
Read whole article here
Interesting Article:
Obama Plans Guantanamo Close, US Trials
MATT APUZZO and LARA JAKES JORDAN November 10, 2008 12:13 PM EST
WASHINGTON — President-elect Obama's advisers are quietly crafting a proposal to ship dozens, if not hundreds, of imprisoned terrorism suspects to the United States to face criminal trials, a plan that would make good on his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison but could require creation of a controversial new system of justice.
During his campaign, Obama described Guantanamo as a "sad chapter in American history" and has said generally that the U.S. legal system is equipped to handle the detainees. But he has offered few details on what he planned to do once the facility is closed.
Under plans being put together in Obama's camp, some detainees would be released and many others would be prosecuted in U.S. criminal courts.
Read whole article here
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