TORTURE IS A MORAL ISSUE

On December 10, 2013, the world community will commemorate the 65th anniversary of the adoption and proclamation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On this day, as people of faith, who acknowledge the importance of protecting the God-given dignity of every human being, we reaffirm the Universal Declaration’s statement that “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture’s theme for Human Rights Day 2013 is “Confronting Solitary Confinement in an Age of Mass Incarceration.” NRCAT developed a Human Rights Day toolkit to help congregations and religious organizations observe the day.  The 2013 toolkit includes:

• A bulletin insert with educational material and an interfaith prayer
• A poster for the promotion of Human Rights Day
• Talking points for integrating the reality of solitary confinement into sermons and prayers during worship
• Links to other worship resources, as well as to educational and advocacy activities that congregations can do to commemorate Human Rights Day

We encourage you to observe Human Rights Day during worship services, as a part of your religious education efforts and through advocacy activities during either the weekend of December 6-8, December 13-15, or another time of your choosing.  If your congregation plans to commemorate Human Rights Day in any way, please let us know.

With the theme “Confronting Solitary Confinement in an Age of Mass Incarceration,” NRCAT invites your religious community to commemorate Human Rights Day and to focus on the human rights crisis faced by the over 80,000 people held in long-term solitary confinement in U.S. prisons, as well as their families and loved ones.

Join NRCAT and other people of faith in calling for the end of prolonged solitary confinement in U.S. jails and detention centers. Download our free Human Rights Day toolkit. Together we can put an end to this egregious form of torture.

Sincerely,

Linda Gustitus, President
Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director

P.S. The deadline for submissions for the Call for Art has been extended until November 15, 2013.

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Dear Friends,

We have made progress in closing Guantanamo this year.  The hunger strike there renewed political interest in Guantanamo, and the President has begun to use his authority to transfer a small number of detainees.  But it is going slowly – too slowly.  That could change if provisions in the current Senate version of the FY 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) are adopted.  These new provisions would make it easier to transfer detainees and thus make it more likely we can close Guantanamo within a more reasonable timeframe.

Please contact your Members of Congress today and ask them to support the Senate provisions.

It has been nearly 12 years since the first detainee was placed in Guantanamo, and the prison there has been a stain upon our conscience and our reputation ever since.  It is time for our government to do the right thing and close Guantanamo.

Sincerely,

Linda Gustitus, President
Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director

Questions? Please email campaign@nrcat.org
National Religious Campaign Against Torture: www.tortureisamoralissue.org