Dear Friends, Every June during Torture Awareness Month, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) runs a month-long campaign asking for your financial support. This year, as global wars continue to dominate the headlines, our hearts are heavy. We know that where there is war, there is torture and the loss of innocent lives. And here at home in the U.S., every day I am reminded of how the war on drugs and the racial profiling of Black, Indigenous and Latinx people continues to fill our prisons and detention centers. For inspiration, I find myself turning to Psalm 121 from the Abrahamic faith traditions: “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from?” The answer is a reassurance that the divine “will not let your foot slip, the one who watches over you will not slumber.” Your donation to NRCAT this month allows us to mobilize the courageous faith leaders, legal advocates, students, solitary survivors, and others in our NRCAT national networks who have made the cause of ending torture a defining aspect of their life’s work. We are building power and winning in our state and national advocacy campaigns. This June, for Torture Awareness Month (TAM), we will take you on a “Where's NRCAT” tour to highlight the work we are doing together to end torture. Along the way, you will hear the stories of solitary survivors who are driving the advocacy and education work of NRCAT through our National Network of Solitary Survivors. You will see the amazing progress in states like NY, NJ, CT, and NV where NRCAT, alongside so many others, has helped pass comprehensive bans and restrictions on solitary confinement and is now working with state organizers on implementation. You will learn about the growing U.S. Senate and House support for our new federal legislation, the End Solitary Confinement Act, which currently has 26 House and 6 Senate sponsors, with sponsorships being added by the week. In our National Security work, NRCAT perseveres in the fight to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, where U.S. inaction has left 30 men still languishing in the prison 22 years after it opened. If you are able, please consider making a contribution today to jump-start our 2024 Torture Awareness Month fundraising campaign. Your gift will once again be matched thanks to generous donors, as we seek to raise $30,000 this June. Every day I am grateful for the NRCAT staff, board, U.S. Prisons Advisory Council, and the many local and national organizations who make NRCAT one of the most effective national coalitions in the country. We couldn’t do this work without you. Sincerely, Rev. Ron Stief
Executive Director |
