Welcome to the August 2025 issue of CVT World, CVT’s periodic compilation of the latest news, stories and public activities from our team.

“Trump Administration Report Whitewashes Human Rights Abuses”

Dr. Simon Adams, president and CEO, is quoted in the above-titled Star Tribune column about the annual State Department Country Reports on Human Rights published after significant revision by the Trump administration to omit references to numerous human rights abuses and violations against specific populations. Simon notes that this is a massive shift. He comments that repressive regimes make “a consistent attempt to say that you do not matter, the world does not care what happens to you, and that there will be nothing but a profound silence that surrounds your suffering.”

. . . repressive regimes make ‘a consistent attempt to say that you do not matter, the world does not care what happens to you, and that there will be nothing but a profound silence that surrounds your suffering.’”

-Dr. Simon Adams, president & CEO

Earlier, CVT issued this statement in response to leaks of those reports which showed the administration’s downplaying of prisoner abuse and other widespread human rights violations. Scott Roehm, director of global policy and advocacy, said, “This kind of ‘nothing to see here’ approach to gross human rights violations, from the United States, is how the global human rights architecture could begin to crumble.”

Helping Survivors Heal: Reaching Thousands through the Power of Partnership

“The HSH program enabled tens of thousands to get the kind of care they deserved after the trauma they had been put through,” said Emily Hutchinson, CVT vice president of global programs, in this article about the Helping Survivors Heal (HSH) Program. The HSH team worked with 12 global partners to expand survivors’ access to quality, evidence-informed care, reaching more than 10,000 beneficiaries and thousands more participants in trainings and community events. The HSH program was abruptly closed when the U.S. government pulled its funding earlier this year, hugely impacting our team as well as all of their partners and clients. Emily shared her heartfelt thanks and appreciation: “We are grateful for the work of the team and the leadership of Pam Kriege Santoso for the healing that was made possible for so many survivors.”

A Fond Farewell as Nancy Pearson Retires

CVT held a special event in St. Paul to celebrate the contributions of Nancy Pearson, training manager with New Tactics, who is retiring after 25 years with us. Nancy brought a sense of purpose, integrity and hope to her work training activists on the most effective tactics to help them make real change in the world. She leaves a legacy of education for thousands of human rights defenders, along with mentorship, friendship and joy among her colleagues. Check out photos from Nancy’s work over the years on New Tactics’ and CVT’s social media platforms. Thank you for all you’ve done, Nancy!

Impacts of Foreign Aid Cuts – CVT and Public Media Speak to U.S. Representative

U.S. Representative Betty McCollum held a live-streamed listening session titled: “The Minnesota Impact of Defunding Public Media & International Aid,” with Neal Porter, CVT director of international services, and representatives of NGOs and public media who have lost U.S. government funding. Neal spoke about the impact of losing 75% of our overseas funding, saying, “We were forced to abandon our clients, many of whom were in the midst of processing their most horrific experiences of torture. This was not only distressing for our clients. This was also morally injurious to our staff, who were forced to work in a way that violated their personal and professional ethics.” He added, “Hundreds of psychological, and in many cases physical, wounds remain open and unhealed to this day.” Neal’s remarks begin at about 38:47. Read Rep. McCollum’s press release here.

We were forced to abandon our clients, many of whom were in the midst of processing their most horrific experiences of torture.”

-Neal Porter, CVT director of international services

In Congress, a Welcome, and Well-Executed, Next Step to Stop Trump’s Transfers to Torture

Scott Roehm and Rebecca Ingber with Cardozo Law, published this op ed in Just Security on new Congressional resolutions that will begin to address the Trump administration’s transfers of people to third countries where they may be subjected to torture. This article follows up on their previous opinion piece which spelled out concerns with violations of the Convention against Torture and U.S. law, detailing how the new resolution addresses these concerns.

CVT to Receive Prestigious Freedom from Fear Award

Exciting news! CVT will be awarded the 2025 Freedom from Fear Award from the Roosevelt Institute as part of their Four Freedoms Awards. These awards honor achievements in connection to the freedom of speech and democracy, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear – all of which were proclaimed by President Roosevelt in 1941 as essential to democracy. The award will be presented to CVT by the Roosevelt Institute in New York on September 13.

Commentary: Speaking Up about U.S. Government Funding Cuts – NPR

Scott Roehm is quoted in this article on NPR, titled, “To Speak or Not To Speak: Why Many Aid Groups Are Silent About the Trump Cuts.” Scott comments that CVT “never had any serious consideration of going quiet” because of our clients: “We have client after client who were targeted to be tortured because they walked down a street holding a sign protesting against some of the world’s most dangerous authoritarian regimes, dictators,” Roehm says. “Continuing to speak up was about the least we could do to honor their courage.”

When Vision Feels Bigger Than Structure: The CVT Myanmar Initiative

“Without trust, even the best ideas fall flat,” writes Faith Mulungi, MSc., consultant psychotherapist & trainer, in this article about her work with civil society on mental health and psychosocial support for refugees from Myanmar. As she implements the CVT Myanmar Initiative in Mae Sot, Thailand, a city near the border with Myanmar, Faith focuses on building trust. She writes, “Vision may feel bigger than structure at times, but if we are patient, grounded and relationship-centered, it’s possible to build something lasting.” The CVT Myanmar Initiative is highlighted on this new page on our website, with details about our work to advance survivor-centered healing and human rights.

Commentary: The Legal Definition of Genocide and the War in Gaza

“If civilians in Gaza don’t qualify for urgent international protection, then we have to ask what crisis ever will and what failures took place to bring us to this point?” said Dr. Simon Adams in this segment on ABC Australia radio. In the first of two episodes, he speaks with Dr. Omer Bartov with Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University and Sareta Ashraph, barrister on International Criminal Law, on the use of the term “genocide” and the war in Gaza. In the second part of this panel discussion found in this episode, he says, “There is never any defense for genocide. Never. Not by anyone. Not anywhere. It’s a crime that diminishes our shared humanity. It’s the crime of crimes and it has to end.”

There is never any defense for genocide. Never. Not by anyone. Not anywhere. It’s a crime that diminishes our shared humanity. It’s the crime of crimes and it has to end.”

-Simon Adams

Panel Event: Marking the 11th Anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide

Yusra Al-Kailani, resilience programming trainer and psychotherapist, spoke on a panel in Erbil called “Marking 11 Years Since the Yazidi Genocide: A Survivor-Led Call to Action.” Organized by partner organization Yazda and led by survivors, the panel will discuss advocacy and ongoing work, and the event will celebrate the launch of a new report titled, “Implementing the Yazidi Survivors Law: A Review by and for Yazidi Survivors – Four Years On: Progress, Gaps, and the Path to Survivor-Led Transitional Justice in Iraq.”

In Community Dialogues, Syrians Share Their Stories and Aspirations for Justice

Yusra Al-Kailani and Rojin Shawish, CVT psychosocial counselors, provided key support during a series of community dialogs in Syria as survivors examine what is needed as they begin to rebuild the country. Coordinated by the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and the Bridges of Truth project, the conversations are critical as steps are taken toward justice and reconciliation. Read the new report here and watch the video, which features both Yusra and Rojin.

Working in Coalition with Partners

Working with partners brings strength to CVT’s policy advocacy. We regularly participate in organized coalition actions that support survivors of torture. Below is one of these coalition and partner actions.

• We signed onto this letter to congressional leaders in response to reports that President Trump plans to use U.S. military force in Latin America against criminal organizations. The authors call for immediate action to halt these plans, writing, “Congress has the power to check this directive before it is implemented. We implore you and your colleagues to immediately organize hearings to assess the scope of the administration’s envisioned use-of-force policy and its likely diplomatic, economic, and human impacts.”