It was an incredible year at CVT, with work we are very proud of amid often dangerous and difficult conditions. This is just a small snapshot of what we accomplished this year.
January 2023
CVT opens a healing center for refugees and internally displaced people in Dabat, Ethiopia
February 2023
When 222 Nicaraguan torture survivors were stripped of their citizenship and flown to the U.S., CVT was there to meet them.
March 2023
After campaigning by CVT and other human rights organizations, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture announced that she will initiate a new study on the international trade of goods used for torture. Today, many states and companies can trade tools of torture with impunity, and profit from such trade—a status quo that facilitates torture. We need a change.
April 2023
We launched CVT United, a Twin Cities fútbol club (soccer) for individuals impacted by war trauma and conflict. Because playing soccer is proven to help improve symptoms of some mental health issues like depression, stress and social isolation, CVT United provides a safer space for exercise, community building and a healthy outlet for stress relief.
June 2023
In honor of June 26th, International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, CVT launched a new event to help build the movement to end torture and award our annual Eclipse award. Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody helped us welcome donors!
August 2023
Heading into an active war zone, a team of CVT leaders traveled to Kiev, Ukraine to meet with the Prosecutor General charged with investigating and prosecuting Russian war crimes to develop a specialized training program designed to help prosecutors manage and process the trauma of working to bring torture perpetrators to justice.
October 2023
Scott Roehm, CVT Washington director, traveled to Geneva to a meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Committee. He spoke about issues raised in reports submitted by CVT and partners on problems with law enforcement, U.S. criminal justice system and detention
When conflict erupted in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, thousands of Eritrean refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and CVT staff relocated to the Alemwach camp to escape. Clients were being re-traumatized, and the need for mental health support was high. In January we opened a healing center in Dabat to serve these refugees.
Medhanye Alem, our Psychotherapist and Trainer in Ethiopia, shares his story of providing care to clients and community members in the midst of his own trauma and imminent threat.
In August, a team of CVT leaders traveled to Kiev, Ukraine to meet with the Prosecutor General charged with investigating and prosecuting Russian war crimes. There we learned that the tireless prosecutors working these cases are facing trauma and burnout due to the nature of the work. To keep the wheels of justice moving, the Office of the Prosecutor General has turned to CVT to develop a program to support and train the staff on how to remain resilient and deal with the effects of secondary trauma.
