Survivors Int’l on the Move- Help for Tortured Victims (New liberian)

By Charles Jackson

Torture is one of the most profound human rights abuses, having a toll on most societies throughout the world. It is frequently used as a form of political repression that targets not only individuals but entire group. The situations in Tibet, Dafur (Sudan), the civil wars in Liberia, Sierra Leone are just few examples of the ongoing mayhem. Many of the tortured victims have been part of political struggle against tyrannical regimes.

As terrible as the physical wounds are, the psychological and emotional scars are usually the most devastating and the most difficult to repair. Many tortures victims suffer recurring nightmares and flashbacks. It is very difficult for survivors who come to the shores of United Sates to hold jobs, to recount incident they went through, study to change careers or acquired other skills. Most of these tortured victims are educated and productive people who have now been disabled. But desperately want to integrate into a new culture and economy.

But upon arrival in the United State, they are faced with many challenges and hurdles, especially how to clear the immigration barriers. Most tortured victims are not aware of resources available to help heal their wounds or to give them a path to rebuild their lives. They risked being deported for failing to file their asylum application with the immigration authorities (USCIS) within the one year statute of limitation rule. Most of these people still fear government officials and makes it is extremely difficult to restate the kind of inhumane treatment they went through at the hands of government officials in their respective countries ...

According to surveys conducted in Brazil, Guatemala, Canada, South Africa, Britain and India, many people are living in daily fear of armed violence. Nearly two in three people (62 percent) across the six countries said they “worried about becoming a victim of armed violence” with the proportion rising to a massive 94 percent of people in Brazil, 88 percent in Guatemala and 72 percent in South Africa ...

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