Los Angeles, California Gathering (Completed)
No! to Torture
January 19–20, 2007

Believing that God demands justice and humane treatment for all, especially those at our mercy, we came together to become informed, learn organizing skills, ask questions, pray, network and strategize. We focused on various aspects of the issue: ethical, legal, theological, political, victim impacts and the implications for our troops and global security. Most of all, we witnessed to God, who says "Yes!" to Life and "No!" to Torture. Carol Wickersham has posted an overview and Kurt Lightfoot's photos are online; additional materials will be made available as soon as possible.

When: Jan. 19 – 20.

Where: Covenant Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles, CA.

Presenters included:

• Richard Mouw , President of Fuller Theological Seminary, who gave the keynote address: A Presbyterian No! to Torture.
• Richard Abel , Professor, UCLA School of Law: Torture and Law.
• Hector Aristizabal, author, therapist, consultant, actor and theatre director (see ImaginAction), presented a first-person account of arrest and torture: Nightwind.
• Philip Carter , former U.S Army Officer, attorney and author: Torture and the Military.
• Catherine Gordon, Associate for International Issues, PC(USA), Washington Office: Torture, Politics and Advocacy.
• George Hunsinger , McCord Professor of Systematic Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary: Torture and Ethics.
• Shannon Parks-Beck, activist, songwriter and musician provided original music for the event.
• Jose Quiroga, M.D., founder of Program for Torture Victims: Effects of Torture.
• Rick Ufford-Chase , Executive Director of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship: catalyzed discussion and reflections.
• Carol Wickersham, No2Torture coordinator and Beloit College sociology dept. faculty: Strategies for Response.

Who: Co-sponsored by No2Torture and NRCAT (National Religious Coalition Against Torture).

Organization and hospitality: Thanks go to the committee of local organizers whose enthusiastic and gracious hospitality set the tone: the congregation, pastor and staff of Covenant Presbyterian Church; the Rev. Howard Dotson of Palms Westminster Presbyterian Church; the Rev. Heidi Worthen-Gamble, Mission Advocate for Hunger, Poverty & Peacemaking Concerns, Pacific Presbytery; Ms. Shari Stump, elder of Covenant Presbyterian Church; the Rev. John McEntyre of Summerland Presbyterian Church; and the Rev. Barbara Haddon, Ms. Lisa Patriquin, Christian Educator, and Ms. Caren Lee of Sherman Oaks Presbyterian Church.

Publicity: Various versions of a one-page, single-sided flyer about the gathering are given below; each version includes an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file for direct printing and a Word file that can be customized:

• A detailed flyer in pdf format or Word format
• A simplified flyer with some color in pdf format or Word format
• Another simplified flyer (B/W) in pdf format or Word format