Communities of Conscience – Sanctuary Program

Any place of worship can become a certified sanctuary against torture. Once a certified sanctuary, people who are under the threat of torture and persecution will know they can turn to your house of worship for safety and protection. Undertaking the program takes 5 steps:

1. Worship

The most profound work is done in the spiritual transformation of oppression as well as spiritual motivations of the human right defenders all over the world. Explore your sacred traditions stances against torture and conduct a service or vigil, and other spiritual rituals as you discover.

2. Education

Deeply understand the complicated issue of torture in our world. Discover how relationships enhance social justice work, the cultures of a JusticeMaker or Defender Resource Center, and your role in the international system of justice.
For youth, we have an IBJ’s scholar program that would be perfect for your religious communities youth to undertake. We also ask that adults educate themselves on the issue of torture, starting by watching our videos on our youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/internationalbridges

3. Relationship

We ask each holy place of worship to be in relationship with a JusticeMaker or Defender Resource Center. Please first look to see if there is an IBJ office in your country. If not, research the defender centers and justicemakers and see if there is one person you can connect with with – every relationship helps the IBJ office to change the culture – when people there know there are people all over the world paying attention, the more succesfull their work is. The relationship also helps your community deeply understand how torture is prevented.

4. Stewardship

Raising funds for the justicemaker or defender center you’re in relationship with is the key link to actually preventing torture. All of the awareness, witness, vigil, and education will not change the fact that millions are tortured unless we work together in partnership to fund the courageous people working on the ground who hold their systems accountable and reform their legal systems.

5. Advocacy

Once you know your spiritual tradition’s grounding against torture, have educated your house of worship about the issue, are in relationship with the people who prevent it, and have helped fund their work, tell everyone around you about it. Write the newspaper, hold a vigil, march for justice – give a voice to the voiceless who suffer torture silently everyday.

If you’re interested in certification, please do not hesitate to contact us at internationalbridges@ibj.org.