WELCOME TO THE FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND'S HEALTH E-NEWS

OCTOBER 15, 2003

DVHI IS NOW HEALTH E-NEWS!

Welcome to the Family Violence Prevention Fund’s Health E-News, a bi-weekly electronic news digest focusing on health care and domestic violence policy, research, prevention and advocacy. Health E-News replaces our previous forum, Domestic Violence Health Initiative Listserv (DVHI) with several new features. Health E-News is now available in both text and html providing an easier to read format with simple web links. Any subscriber may post an announcement, or question by sending an e-mail to HealthE-News@endabuse.org. The digest is monitored by Vibhuti Mehra, Program Assistant with the Family Violence Prevention Fund. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to end domestic violence!

In this issue...

News
Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day
Urge your congressional members to oppose the CLEAR Act!
Events
Meeting to end violence against immigrant women
Announcements
Violence is a global public health issue: WHO report

NEWS

HEALTH CARES ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DAY

October 8th was the Family Violence Prevention Fund’s 5th annual Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day (HCADV Day). HCADV Day is a nationally recognized awareness-raising day that takes place annually on the second Wednesday of October. The Day aims to reach members of the healthcare and domestic violence communities to educate them about the critical importance of screening for domestic violence, as well as the long term health implications of domestic violence and lifetime exposure to violence. To learn more about national participation for this past October 8th, Click Here. Mark your calendars; the next HCADV Day will be held on Wednesday October 13, 2004!

URGE YOUR CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS TO OPPOSE THE CLEAR ACT!

Earlier this summer, a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives, and is likely to be introduced in the Senate shortly, that would greatly endanger the confidence and ability of immigrant women to seek assistance from local law enforcement in escaping abusive relationships, sexual assault, human trafficking and other crimes.

The Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) Act (H.R. 2671) legislates the legal authority of police to enforce federal civil immigration laws (currently state and local police may only enforce criminal immigration laws, except in very specific circumstances), and requires them to either do so or lose certain federal funds.

With local police enforcing immigration laws, immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking and other crimes will not feel safe in approaching law enforcement officials for the police clearance letters necessary for VAWA self-petitioning, for certification for helping with a criminal investigation or prosecution necessary for the U visa, or even for immediate emergency assistance if trapped in a potentially life-threatening domestic violence situation.

We Need Your Help Now

The CLEAR Act has already been introduced in the House, and as of October 3, there were 102 co-sponsors on the bill. The House Immigration Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill on October 1 to assess the “need” for such legislation. The hearing was highly-charged, divisive, and packed, as each side accused the other of not understanding exactly what the CLEAR Act would do, if enacted. All Democrats present expressed strong opposition to the bill while the Republicans, with the exception of Representative Flake (Florida), expressed a strong support for the bill. The Representatives need to hear from us that the CLEAR Act would undermine the intent of the Violence Against Women Act and the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act while greatly endangering the lives of immigrant survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault!

What You Can Do

1. Contact Representative John Hostettler, Chair of the House Immigration. Call Representative Hostettler today and ask others to do so too. Representative Hostettler’s telephone number is: (202) 225-4636. His fax number is: (202) 225-3284.

2. If you live in Arizona, California, Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, or Utah, please contact your Representative today. It is important that you contact the Congressional members who sit on the House Immigration Subcommittee. If you live in one of their districts, please contact your Representative today and ask others to do so as well. For links to the House Immigration Subcommittee members’ website and email addresses Click Here.

Please also fax or mail a letter to Representative Hostettler and members of the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims to give examples of how this new legislation will harm immigrant survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. For sample letter, phone script, or to immediately take action Click Here.

Talking Points for Congress

Hello my name is x x x x x. I work with x x x x x (Be sure to include your location and zip code).
I am calling to urge you to oppose the CLEAR Act which, if passed, would have disastrous consequences for immigrant survivors and witnesses of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking and other crimes.
The CLEAR Act will further endanger already vulnerable immigrant women and their children, who will be afraid to report abuse and seek help for fear of the immigration consequences.
Victims of domestic violence will not leave their abusers if they fear that they cannot seek help and protection from the police without the threat of being turned over to the Department of Homeland Security for deportation. They may also fear they will lose custody of their children to their abusive husbands if they are deported.
In the past Congress has sought to encourage immigrant victims to report crimes without fear of deportation. For instance, it created the U visa for victims of crimes to both encourage cooperation with the criminal justice system and provide humanitarian relief for victims of crimes.
Congress also has repeatedly included help for noncitizen victims of domestic violence in laws it has passed to stop the epidemic of domestic violence in this country, namely the 1994 Violence Against Women Act and VAWA 2000 (the law that created the U visa for victims of crimes and the T visa for victims of human trafficking).
The CLEAR Act will harm thousands of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and other crimes YOU (Congress) intended to help under these laws. Although this may be an unintentional result, it undermines your efforts to help immigrant victims of violence.
PLEASE do all that you can to defeat this dangerous legislation. Your vocal opposition to the CLEAR Act is critically needed.
THANK YOU for your commitment to helping domestic violence survivors gain safety, well-being and the control of their own lives.

EVENTS

MEETING TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST IMMIGRANT WOMEN

The 9th Annual Meeting of the National Network to End Violence Against Immigrant Women will be held on November 4-7, 2003 at the Doubletree Hotel at Reid Park in Tucson, AZ.

The meeting will include special training from the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) on November 4-5 for persons working on sexual assault and domestic violence who are Legal Assistance for Victims Grantees, Rural Grantees, STOP Grantees (domestic violence and sexual assault), Arrest Grantees, Campus grantees, OVW grant administrators, and any other OVW Grantees.

The Annual Meeting that will be held from November 5-7 will comprise plenary and workshop sessions on issues that affect immigrant victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking. Topics covered include Trafficking 101, Family Law, including Hague and Custody Issues, Immigration, Criminal Law, Public Benefits, Working with Victims in Criminal Case, Community Organizing, Special Advanced Session on Representation in Proceeding, and Cultural Competency.

For registration and other details, contact Patricia White at the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence; Phone: (512) 407-9020 x. 114 or for more information Click Here to visit The National Immigration Project website.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

VIOLENCE IS A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE: WHO REPORT

The death and disability caused by violence make it one of the leading public health issues of our time, according to a report released in October by the World Health Organization (WHO). The World Report on Violence and Health compiles recent statistics from the 70 countries that report health data to the WHO, exploring violence as an international problem of epidemic proportions. It is the first comprehensive report to address violence as a global public health issue and provide a comprehensive review of the problem of violence at an international level.

“The 20th Century will be remembered as a century marked by violence,” said Nelson Mandela in a Foreword to the report. “Less visible, but even more widespread, is the legacy of day-to-day, individual suffering. It is the pain of children who are abused by people who should protect them, women injured or humiliated by violent partners, elderly persons maltreated by their caregivers … No country, no city, no community is immune. But neither are we powerless against it … Violence can be prevented. Violent cultures can be turned around. … In order to ensure this, we must be tireless in our efforts not only to attain peace, justice and prosperity for country, but for communities and members of the same family. We must address the roots of violence. Only then will we transform the past century’s legacy from a crushing burden into a cautionary lesson.”

Violence and Health explores all forms of global violence, from violence against women to elder abuse, from war to suicide. It looks at the causes and prevalence of violence throughout the world, exploring the links between different forms of violence, poverty, social inequality, drugs and other contributing social factors. The report monitors trends in violence. It notes that youth homicide rates have increased in many parts of the world and also explores the growing recognition of elder abuse. Violence and Health also outlines strategies for preventing violence and reducing its adverse health and social consequences.

Violence kills more than 1.6 million people every year, according to the report, which notes that public health experts say these statistics do not represent the full scope of violence around the world because the majority of violent acts occur behind closed doors and go unreported. Violence is the leading cause of death for people aged 15 through 44. On an average day, 1,424 people are killed in acts of homicide – nearly one person every minute. Roughly one person commits suicide every 40 seconds. Approximately 35 people are killed every hour as a direct result of conflict and more than half of these victims are civilians, states Violence and Health.

The report was written and edited by many specialists, including domestic violence experts Lori Heise and Jacquelyn Campbell.

The World Report on Violence and Health is available in a PDF format on the WHO's website.

Be sure to visit our website http://endabuse.org/health to learn more about our programs, products, and campaigns!

This publication is funded in part by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau.