Support programs for survivors of torture

February 09, 2010 Subject: Dear Representative, I urge you to please support full appropriations funding for torture treatment programs authorized by the Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2007. This increased funding will pay for torture rehabilitation services which are urgently needed in California, the United States and abroad. Torture is a systematic weapon of fear used by over 75 countries throughout the world, and there are approximately 11,000 survivors living in San Diego County alone. This marginalized and underserved population faces many debilitating physical and psychological effects of torture. But, with treatment survivors can become whole, healthy, contributing members of the community. Treatment centers help survivors by providing holistic healing services in a culturally competent setting. It is especially imperative this year that the Torture Victims Relief Act programs get full appropriations because of the expected influx of Iraqi refugees and asylum seekers. In this year alone, the U.S. will be resettling 12,000 Iraqi refugees and an unidentified number of Iraqi asylum seekers. As the second largest receiving state, California will need to rely on the funding this act provides to help heal this traumatized population. I hope you will support this tradition of hope and healing for survivors of torture. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you. We will add your signature from the information you provide.		First Name* Last Name* Email* Street* Street 2 City* State/Province* Select a state Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Armed Forces (the) Americas Armed Forces Europe Armed Forces Pacific Alberta British Columbia Manitoba Newfoundland New Brunswick Nova Scotia Northwest Territories Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Territory Other Zip/Postal Code*