UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
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Liz Kaplan is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. She is a graduate of Williams College. |
Today, June 26 th, is the United Nation’s International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. But you already knew that, right?
If not, I don’t blame you. The UN has established a hefty calendar of days, weeks, and even years “to help focus the world on the issues in which the UN has an interest and commitment,” not all of which appear to be of equal concern at any given time.
Fortunately, there is a new organization, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, that is working to gather voices of people of faith who are opposed to torture committed by the U.S. government (the Union for Reform Judaism is a member organization). Two weeks ago, a shorter version of this statement signed by 27 leaders from across the religious spectrum was published as a quarter-page ad in the New York Times--the publication of the ad was covered widely in a variety of news media, so even if you don’t see a lot of anti-torture activities in today’s papers, at least the faith community’s concerns have been in the media recently. If you haven’t already, signing the Statement of Conscience online is a good, small way to mark the day.
Some organizations have also chosen to make the entire month of June “Torture Awareness Month”. Many groups across the country are hosting demonstrations and other events around the country this month to express their opposition to torture (see the Friends Committee on National Legislation’s calendar of anti-torture events). Also check out the Religious Action Center’s Special Resources page on torture, which features Jewish resources on torture and other helpful information. And stay tuned to www.rac.org for opportunities to raise your voice in favor of current anti-torture legislation.