330 CONGREGATIONS DISPLAY ANTI-TORTURE BANNERS DURING JUNE -TORTURE AWARENESS MONTH

A Project of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture  

Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, the Director of Education and Outreach for Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, has been inspired by the way that she has encountered anti-torture banners displayed on the exteriors of congregations during her daily journeys in Manhattan. "Whether it is walking by Riverside Church or Rutgers Presbyterian Church and seeing an anti-torture banner displayed at both of them, or seeing one in the sanctuary at B'nai Jeshurun Synagogue when I go to a brit milah, or looking up at the one at Shaare Zedek Synagogue when I enter Shabbat services, I am constantly reminded about the millions of people we are reaching with the interfaith message that torture is a moral issue."

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is a growing membership organization committed to ending U.S.-sponsored torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Since its formation in January 2006, over 210 religious organizations have joined NRCAT, including representatives from the Roman Catholic, evangelical Christian, mainline Protestant, Unitarian, Orthodox Christian, Quaker, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh communities. The organization can be reached at 202-547-1920 or online at www.tortureisamoralisssue.org

A list of the more than 330 congregations that are displaying banners, a collection of 120 photographs of congregations displaying banners and links to the 95 press stories on the banners can be found at http://www.nrcat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=152&Itemid=151

SAVE THE DATE - MAY 3

A conference Co-Sponsored by
NCSTN and Duke Human Rights Center

John Hope Franklin Center
Duke University
10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

 "Waterboarding, Ghost Planes, and Guantánamo:
Inside America's Secret War."
for more information:

www.ncstoptorturenow.org

Link to the conference:  http://www.ushrnetwork.org/conference_2008.  The USHRN, which is based in Atlanta, has a broad perspective on human rights, encompassing Gulf Coast issues, prisons, immigration, housing, etc.

Our workshop is called “Using International Law in U.S. Courts.”  The attorneys will talk about cases brought in U.S. courts attempting to enforce international law norms against government officials, both United States officials and foreign officials.  Cowger will talk about the multi-faceted approach NCSTN has been using to build a grassroots statewide coalition with national and international alliances.  

From the workshop blurb:  ‘The panel hopes to facilitate a discussion among participants [on] how to address these obstacles, whether through litigation, legislation, organizing, or other strategies….  The panel hopes to incorporate the human rights framework by discussing the application of human rights norms in U.S. courts and how to challenge the practical reality that officials from powerful governments cannot be held to account for human rights violations, which also threatens to undermine respect for and enforcement of human rights globally.  The panel relates to the USHRN Principles of Unity addressing anti-oppression because the cases addressed have been brought by the victims of the human rights violations, who are primarily Arab Muslim victims of a so-called “war on terror.”’

Jimmy Massey

Congratulations NC Stop Torture Now  - This year's recipient of the Independent Weekly Magazine Citizen's Award

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A164369