National Call-In Day
Help Stop Torture


The U.N. General Assembly has declared June 26th the International Day in 
Support of Torture Victims/Survivors.  In Washington, DC, human rights 
organizations and survivors of political violence have come together as the 
Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Committee (TASSC) to urge 
significant new initiatives to end this "plague of the twentieth century."

More than 100 countries countenance torture and an estimated 400,000 
survivors live in the United States alone.  Many suffer from severe 
psychological effects such as fear, guilt, nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, and 
depression.  The responsibility for this horror is shared by governments 
whose intent is to terrorize their own citizens and by governments and 
institutions that have watched passively, covered up what is being done by 
their neighbors and carried on normal relations with others deeply involved 
in committing these abuses.

We invite you to participate in a National Call-In Day.  Let us unite our 
voices and demand of ourselves and our government a renewed 
commitment to ending this vile practice.  As a first step, on June 26th, call 
President Clinton (Tel. 202-456-1111, Fax. 202-456-2461, E-mail: 
president@whitehouse.gov).  Urge him to:

·       Declare public support for the Torture Victims Relief Act (S 1606/ HR 
        3161) and the Survivors of Torture Support Act (S 1603).  These Acts 
        would make financial grants available to non-governmental 
        organization whose special mandate is to provide treatment for 
        survivors of torture.

·       Declare public support for the Human Rights Information Act (S 1220 
        and HR 2635) which will declassify U.S. documents dealing with 
        human rights abuses in Guatemala and Honduras.

·       Declare public support for the Code of Conduct on Arms Transfer Act 
        of 1997 (S 1067) to prohibit military assistance and arms transfers to 
        governments which do not adequately protect human rights or are 
        engaged in acts of armed aggression.

We urge you to call your Senators and Representatives to support thes   bills.  
[They will be happy to send you copies if you wish to read them         in full.  You 
may also find them on the internet at:  http://thomas.loc.gov and then search 
by bill number.]

On June 26th, beginning as 6pm, TASSC will hold an all-night vigil in front 
of the White House.  If you can't join us, please say a prayer, light a candle, 
ask your church to toll its bell slowly at noon.  Please remember all those who 
have suffered at the hands of torturers and those who, at this very moment, 
suffer in clandestine cells around the world.

For more information contact:  Freddie Schrider or Sister Dianna Ortiz
Tel. (202) 529-6599   Fax: (202) 526-4611

Tel: (202) 529-6599
Fax: (202) 526-4611

E-mail: dianna@igc.apc.org
Home Page: http://www.kurdistan.org/you-can-end-it