Minnesota Based Center Receives Momentous $1.5 Million Grant from U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under Torture Victims Relief Act

Center for the Victims of Torture
Thursday, 26 October 2000

"This is a significant step in implementing the vision of the Congress to help heal torture survivors and their families around the world," says the nation's foremost torture treatment center.

Minneapolis, MN (October 26, 2000) … The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) announced today, that it had signed a contract with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for $1.5 million for use over a two-year period for technical assistance and training to 12 non-U.S. based torture treatment centers. The grant appropriates funding is called for by the Torture Victims Relief Act (TVRA) for needs assessment, training and technical assistance for 12 treatment in five regions of the world (see below.) The Center also acknowledged that it will be responsible for raising an additional $500 thousand in matching funds as part of the grant agreement with the agency.

"This is an enormous validation for over fifteen years of work by the volunteers, Board and staff of the Center," commented Douglas Johnson, Executive Director of CVT. "Our vision has been not only to heal our local community and our state, but to significantly impact survivors of torture and their families throughout the world. This grant is an important first step in reaching that goal."

Under the TVRA, the USAID is authorized to provide funding for such assistance in non-U.S. locations.

According to J. Brady Anderson, Administrator, at the USAID, "This is an important grant. It will help victims of torture get state of the art treatment, and it will also help these victim centers operate more effectively and advocate against the use of torture. We at USAID are pleased that the Center for Victims of Torture is involved in the fight against torture."

Congress originally passed the TVRA in 1998. The Act enjoyed full bipartisan support from Minnesota's Congressional delegation. The Act was co-sponsored in the Senate by Senators Paul Wellstone (D-MN) and Rod Grams (R-MN.) The Act received pivotal leadership from Congressmen Martin Olav Sabo (D-MN) and John Porter (R-IL) in the fiscal year 2000 appropriations process. Both Congressmen were honored by the Center at a reception held in Washington, D.C. in June of this year for their work on behalf of torture survivors and their families.

USAID Grant Non-U.S. Based Treatment Centers

Africa

Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Trauma Centre for Survivors of Violence and Torture
Capetown, South Africa

African Center for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims
Kampala, Uganda

ASIA

Centre for Victims of Torture
Kathmandu, Nepal

Shubhodaya Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture and Violence
Delhi, India

Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights
Phnom Pehn, Cambodia

Europe

ICAR Foundation
Bucharest, Romania

Assistance Centre for Torture Survivors
Sofia, Bulgaria

Middle East

Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre for Victims of Torture
Ramallah, Palestine

North/Central/South America

Actions by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT)
Mexico City, Mexico

ECAP
Ciudad Guatemala, Guatemala

National Coordinator of Human Rights
Lima, Peru

For more information, or to contact Center for the Victims of Torture, see their website at: www.cvt.org