ST. PAUL, Minn. & WASHINGTON — The Center for Victims of Torture^TM (CVT) today responded to the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and noted the work ahead to restore the principles upon which America was founded.

“It has been an arduous last four years. Division, discrimination, cruelty and fear have driven U.S. government policies and practices in numerous areas, including those about which CVT cares deeply—from refugee protection to racial justice. There are myriad wounds to heal, both individual and collective.

“That process begins now, with the election of a U.S. president who has promised to pursue unity, equality and healing. It is a tall task, but an achievable one: from our work with torture survivors around the world we are deeply familiar with how resilient people can be, even after the most grievous injuries. 

“The Biden administration’s approach to governing will need to emphasize both redress for past harms and a forward looking vision that aims not just to restore but to advance and improve. The administration can accomplish these objectives by, for example, creating a truly trauma-informed asylum system, modernizing and ambitiously expanding the U.S. refugee admissions program to meet unprecedented global need, adopting a fully rights-respecting approach to our national and human security, and reimagining public safety through transformative policing policies that respect human rights and promote accountability.

“We look forward to working with the new administration to achieve these objectives, and will make every effort to ensure that it does.”—Curt Goering, CVT executive director.

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The Center for Victims of Torture is a nonprofit organization headquartered in St. Paul, MN, with offices in Atlanta, GA, and Washington, D.C.; and healing initiatives in Africa and the Middle East. Visit www.cvt.org.