National summit on torture - September 11-12, 2008

Received via email today, 7/1/08

To Supporters of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Dear Friends:

On September 11-12, 2008, Evangelicals for Human Rights, with the National Religious Campaign Against Torture and Mercer University, will host a national summit on torture in Atlanta, GA, on the campus of Mercer University. Featuring some of the nation's top thinkers and leaders in the anti-torture community, this conference is co-sponsored by an unprecedented group of organizations.

We invite you to be a part of this two day inter-faith event. We will examine the journey of the United States, since September 11, 2001, from a nation that championed human rights, albeit imperfectly, to a nation that publicly acknowledges and supports the use of torture.

Obviously, for people of faith, the journey does not end here. Speakers and participants will also explore the path of return to once again becoming a nation that leads the world in the protection of human rights.

Religious Faith, Torture, and Our National Soul is organized and co-sponsored by individuals and groups who have sought to mobilize Americans and people of faith to oppose human rights violations in the struggle against terrorism. There will be moments of prayer and biblical reflection that embody the convictions of the sponsoring organizations, and the entire event will be infused with moral conviction drawn from religious tradition.

Conference speakers will reflect a variety of faith perspectives. The conference is open to all who will come. Our vision is that the conference will be a template for the kind of discourse, both faith-based and otherwise, that opens wide the doors for dialogue rather than closing them. Rabbis for Human Rights and the Islamic Society of North America are co-sponsors of the event. Muslims and Jews are encouraged to attend.

We invite you to be a part of this important conference. Register fee is $150. Deadline for registration is August 15, 2008. Seating is limited. We also encourage you to promote this conference with members of your organization or congregation.

Students' Discount: Students can register for the conference at a discounted fee of $65. If you are eager for young people to attend, please go to the registration page to make a donation.

For more information, contact the Conference Coordinator:

Mary Head, Evangelicals for Human Rights
3001 Mercer University Drive, Day Hall 103
Atlanta, GA 30341
678-547-6457
mhead@nrcat.org

Questions that will be considered during the Conference:

What policy decisions led to torture?

How did the US military respond?

What does torture do to human beings?

What has the torture debate revealed about religion in America?

What is really going on at Guantanamo Bay?

How do we heal the American Christian relationship with the Muslim world?

What legislative efforts are being made to address torture?

What are younger thinkers noticing about this cultural moment that others are missing?

How do we restore America's leadership in protecting human rights?

Co-Sponsors include:

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture, Mercer University, Evangelicals for Human Rights, the Center for Victims of Torture, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Evangelicals for Social Action, Faith and the City, Faith in Public Life, the Islamic Society of North America, Morehouse College, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, No2Torture, Rabbis for Human Rights, Sojourners, and Third Way.

Key Speakers include:

Elizabeth Bounds, Lawrence Carter, John Chandler, Richard Cizik, Mark P. Denbeaux, Pete Dross, Mohamed Elsanousi, Karen J. Greenberg, Don Guter, David P. Gushee, Linda Gustitus, Gita Gutierrez, Imam Yahya Hendi, Jeanne Herrick-Stare, Scott Horton, George Hunsinger, Cheryl Bridges Johns, Doug Johnson, Cathleen Kaveny, Richard Killmer, Rick Love, Denise Massey, Elissa Massimino, Mahan Mirza, Matt Norman, Katie Paris, Michael Peppard, Kathryn Reklis, Stephen Rickard, Samuel Rodriguez, Andy Saperstein, Ronald J. Sider, Glen H. Stassen, Natalie Wigg-Stevenson, Tyler Wigg Stevenson, Asante Todd, Steve Xenakis, Brian Walt, and Thomas Wilner.

We hope you can join us.

Sincerely,

Linda Gustitus, President, NRCAT
Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director, NRCAT