Photo by courtesy of NRCAT |
General secretary Stan Noffsinger (seventh from right) was one of the religious leaders to visit the White House as part of a delegation of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT). |
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) organized and led a delegation of 22 religious leaders and NRCAT staff in a meeting Nov. 27 with White House staff, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building to discuss the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture. Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger took part in the delegation.
NRCAT is encouraging President Obama to sign the protocol, which has already been ratified by 64 nations and signed by an additional 22. The treaty sets up oversight bodies and other international mechanisms to prevent torture and abuse in places of confinement including jails, police stations, prisons, mental health facilities, immigration detention centers, and detainee centers such as the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Tuesday’s meeting was the second on this topic with NRCAT and White House staff.
Noffsinger attended as a representative of the Church of the Brethren, which is a member of NRCAT and committed to cooperating with interfaith partners in efforts to end torture in US policy, practice, and culture.
NRCAT delivered 5,568 signatures on its petition calling for the President to sign the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture. More information is available at www.nrcat.org/opcat where NRCAT continues to collect signatures urging the President to sign the treaty. The Church of the Brethren resolution against torture, adopted by the 2010 Annual Conference, is at www.cobannualconference.org/ac_statements/ResolutionAgainstTortureFinal.pdf .