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Torture

Support Survivors of Torture

On 26 June the international community marks the International Day in Support of Survivors of Torture.  It would be easy for us, in a country like Australia, to think that this isn’t relevant to our community.  But torture is not a thing of the past – we can all remember the atrocities committed during East Timor’s struggle for independence being shown on our television screens night after night in the lead up to and aftermath of the independence referendum.

Torture is surprisingly widespread even today.  It happens all around the world, including our region.  There are many survivors of torture among us who have come to Australia seeking asylum, safety and a chance to rebuild their lives.  Perhaps we are unaware of their presence among us.  Often they are traumatised again by recounting their experiences and prefer not to talk about it.

ACSJC Resources

The ACSJC and Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office together issued a statement for the International Day in Support of Survivors of Torture.  To view the text visit the media releases section of this website.

Click on the PDF link at the bottom of this page for the ACSJC’s 2001 Statement for the International Day in Support of Survivors of Torture.  This statement includes suggestions for action.

Useful Websites

The International Federation of national Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture associations (FIACAT) has an excellent website which includes information, prayer and action resources.  Visit them at http://ns3810.ovh.net/~fiacat/fr/

Amnesty International is running a major international campaign against torture.  For campaign materials visit www.amnesty.org

Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS’) mission is to develop and implement ways to facilitate the healing process of survivors of torture and refugee trauma, and to assist and resource individuals and organizations who work with them to provide appropriate, effective and culturally sensitive services.

Friends of STARTTS is a non-profit organization involved in raising funds and community awareness about the work of STARTTS (NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors).  Their website is at http://www.swsahs.nsw.gov.au/areaser/startts/volunteers/index.asp

The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims is an independent, international health professional organization, which promotes and supports the rehabilitation of torture victims and works for the prevention of torture worldwide. Its website www.irct.org provides information and campaign materials focused on the International Day in Support of Survivors of Torture.  These materials are also useful for action at other times.

Survivors International is a non-profit organization dedicated to the treatment and support of survivors of torture.  It also provides training programs for individuals and agencies working with refugees and immigrants to improve their understanding of the experience of torture and its psychological impact on the person, so that treatment interventions can be optimised.   It’s website www.survivorsintl.org provides detailed information about torture.

The Torture Reporting Handbook is a reference guide for anyone who wishes to know how to take action in response to allegations of torture or ill treatment. It explains simply and clearly how the process of reporting and submitting complaints to international bodies and mechanisms actually works, and how to make the most of it: how you might go about documenting allegations, what you can do with the information once it has been collected, how to choose between the various mechanisms according to your particular objectives, and how to present your information in a way which makes it most likely that you will obtain a response.  It can be found in a variety of languages at http://www.essex.ac.uk/torturehandbook/

OMCT is today the largest international coalition of NGOs fighting against torture, summary executions, forced disappearances and all other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in order to preserve Human Rights. It has at its disposal a network, SOS Torture, consisting of some 240 non-governmental organizations which act as sources of information. Its urgent interventions reach daily more than 90,000 governmental and intergovernmental institutions, non-governmental associations, pressure and interest groups. Its website is at http://www.omct.org/