Hello Dear Friends and Fellow Kossacks,
As many of you know, my husband, Dan, a US Vietnam vet who survived being tortured, left me with a mission when he had a fatal heart attack on June 12th, 2005 : To stop torture as the law, policy and practice of the United States, and to push to ensure that those at the highest levels who are responsible for the torture committed by the United States since 9/11 are held legally accountable.
As part of that mission, last year, I attended, thanks to many of you, the Ecumenical Days of Advocacy Conference http://advocacydays.org/... a gathering of over 1500 people of faith in Washington DC. One of the focuses of last year's conference was torture, so it really helped my mission, with contacts and information. But, in my experience, the best part of the conference is that on the Monday following, those who attend the conference go to Capital Hill and lobby their elected federal representatives and their staff members, using all of the information they have gained from the weekend. That truly makes a difference. My lobbying last year was focused on getting the report on the Senate Intelligence Committee's Report on the CIA and Torture released. That was a huge point of lobbying for the Kossack community, I know, and together we made them release the Executive Summary. It is a small step forward for accountability, but every step forward makes a difference. Thank you !
This year's conference will focus on an issue close to the hearts and mission of many Kossacks : Mass Incarceration and Systems of Exploitation. http://advocacydays.org/.... I am particularly eager to talk about the conditions in US prisons, and prolonged solitary confinement, which is torture. I will be highlighting the case of the Angola Three and Mr. Albert Woodfox.
The Angola Three are three prison inmates – Robert Hillary King (born Robert King Wilkerson), Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace – who were put in solitary confinement in Louisiana State Penitentiary, a.k.a. Angola Prison, after the 1972 killing of a prison guard. Robert King spent 29 years in solitary confinement before his conviction was overturned and he was released. Wallace, before being released October 1, 2013, and Woodfox has spent 42 years of solitary confinement as of 2015. The prisoners have been the subject of two documentary films[1] and international attention. In July 2013 Amnesty International called for the release of 71-year-old Herman Wallace, who had advanced liver cancer.[2] He was released October 1, 2013, re-indicted on October 3, 2013,[3] and died on October 4, 2013 before he could be re-arrested.[4]
On November 20, 2014, Albert Woodfox, the longest-standing solitary confinement prisoner in the US, had his conviction overturned by the US Court of Appeals. He has not yet been released.[5]
Imagine spending 42 years in solitary confinement. That is torture !
To attend this important conference, I need your help. I have multiple disabilities and live on the provincial disability program in Ontario. Yes, although Dan was American, I am Canadian. I don't have much money left over at the end of the month once my expenses are paid. A very generous and loving and helpful Kossack has volunteered to cover my registration fee, so that it covered, but I will need a plane ticket and hotel expenses, unless there is a Kossack living in DC who would be willing to host me for a week. My paypal address is : chacounne@gmail.com, and for those of you in Canada, I can also receive Electronic Funds Transfers at that email address, which means I wouldn't have pay the paypal fees they charge. I appreciate any amount you can spare, and trust me, every dollar does make a difference.
With gratitude and love,
Standing for justice and accountability,
For Dan,
Heather