I am bumping this post up. Mainly because there is post on a website that is on the extreme other side of the political spectrum that I occupy which has a very good article on this same subject. Odd how two people on oppisite sides of a political fence can agree on individual rights and abuse. Or maybe not odd. More the way things should be?
From abyss2hope: A rape survivor's zigzag journey into the open inWhen Programs To Protect Victims Fail
In so many cases of violence against women, the systems that victims interact with or that are designed to help victims are designed by people who have no first hand insight into the problem they are trying to deal with or well-designed programs get approved but then become little more than a shell because there isn't a political need to provide effective programs.
We wouldn't allow a highway system to be designed with no one on the design team who will ever go on those roads and no one who has gone on the existing roads. We also wouldn't spend millions to build roads and then have little or no funding to keep the roads in good repair and expect everyone to say the system works well. continued
Beware The State Bearing Gifts.
I want you to keep those words in mind, "Beware The State Bearing Gifts", you who read the tale, I am about to unfold.
I originally thought to use them as the title of this exposition, but instead, thought it more fitting to call this polemic J'ACCUSE!, the immortal words of Emile Zola, the great French novelist,as they appeared in a Paris literary newspaper, L'Aurore (The Dawn) on Thursday, Jan. 13, 1898, ".
When he wrote his accusations in a letter to the President of France denouncing the sacrifice of the Rights of Capt. Alfred Dreyfus, on the Alter of State Expediency.
" No other newspaper article has ever provoked such public debate and controversy or had such an impact on law, justice, and society."
I do not hope to create such a conflagration, but I do hope to ignite a spark, in a few, and maybe those few can nurture it, spread it and carry it much further than this small insignificant blog.
I am going to relate a tale of the suppression of the rights of one woman, to an extreme that surpasses even the injustice done to ALFRED DREYFUS.
A story, so bizarre, so convoluted, that when she approached other organs of the State, for succor, no one believed her!
There exists in Canada a program called NIVA (New Identities For Victims of Abuse). This is a noble endeavor, it had admirable aims, but,
When Candace unwillingly enrolled in a secret government protection process which offers Battered Women facing possible deaths in the hands of violent partners new identities to escape the abuse, little did she know that she was "jumping from the frying pan into the fire"!
Yes you read correctly unwillingly enrolled , against her wishes, terrorized into entering a program, and making sacrifices, that her situation did not warrant, and then abandoned. Her very identity ripped from her, forced to exist in a limbo of legal non-existence.
The man,whose abuse had prompted her to approach the State for Justice and Protection, paid for his actions, was punished, how?
With absolutely nothing. No repercussions, no penalties, no fines, nor even prosecution.
Candace, instead was the one who sacrificed, everything.
Everything but the breath in her body and her child, and even in that last instance the State did not even take the precaution of assuring her legally total custody rights to her child.
I will provide links to more complete details of this story, which if read by any right thinking person, will lead to only one conclusion.
This woman was violated in every possible way that it is possible to be violated.
Appealing to the State for Justice and Protection, Candace received neither Justice, nor Protection, instead the State stripped her of everything of value to her, her rights, her identity and her dignity.
There is a word in English to describe such a violation, That word is RAPE
J'ACCUSE !
I ACCUSE the State of the Institutionalized Rape of the Woman Known as Candace.
Read her story and weep.
Come with me now on a Journey of Discovery. I warn you it will be a Dark Journey, because it is a Journey into the Belly of the Beast that is the State gone rogue.
Some Great Men once wrote these words.
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it
They wrote them, because in All Government there lies a potential for abuse and when the Juggernaut of the State forgets that it is the Servant of the People, instead of their Master, steps must be taken.
Do I advocate that NIVA be abolished? No it's intent is good, but as we shall see it must be altered because it has gone terribly wrong.
My Journey of Discovery of this truth began with an email
Hi kdan,
i am trying to help this woman if you could do a story and help I would appreciate it, can you let me know. It is so bad she has no clothes and no bed, furniture, little food, etc. She emailed me and being I been in NIVA I know what it was like and it is this bad, so please if you can help let me know and do more to get it out. The story at the like can be condensed I have Margaret permission to do so and it no problem you could even do a different angle. Anything really
Do you mind if I cc to the the email also
if any questions please email back
Look forward to hearing from you
Holly
Holly's Fight for Justice
http://fightforjustice.blogspot.com
Thank you for any help
http://www.indymedia.org/en/2006/01/832211.shtml
I have had an internet acquaintance with the author of that email for some time and her story is also daunting. Daunting and evidence of experiences that qualifies her to make statements on this issue, and judgments of the validity of the statements of others.
Here are just a few items from her past.
"America's Most Wanted John Walsh...aired the story, which helped bring a serial rapist flight from justice to an end!"
READER'S DIGEST for published her personal story.
Holly's Fight for Justice
Victim of a serial rapist, the young woman from Red Deer, Alta., determined to bring her attacker to trial.
Those who know Rasai's case attribute his arrest to Holly's fight not to let the file be forgotten. "Holly actually forced institutions to do their jobs," says Scott Newark, executive director of the Canadian Police Association.
Holly's case and others like it also helped change Canada's Immigration Act. Would-be immigrants like Rasai can now be turned away if officials believe they committed a crime outside Canada punishable here by a jail term of ten years or more.
Holly has since started a new life in a new city. Reflecting on her crusade, she says: "Either you're going to live with the pain and deal with it, or you're going to die from it. If I had not fought to see Rasai caught, I would have died inside."
In a world where people commonly think one person cannot make a difference, Holly made a difference, forced the Law and Society to correct Injustice and now she is trying to do that for others.
Another person on this stage is MARGARET AKULIA,
Margaret Akulia was sponsored as a student refugee to Canada by WORLD UNIVERSITY SERVICE OF CANADA. Since immigrating to Canada in 1987, Akulia has held various positions and worked in different capacities, including and not limited to working as a Counsellor, Advocate; Human Rights Officer with the Canadian Human Rights Commission; Administrator; Community Development Consultant; Trainer; Researcher; Grassroots Educator, Group Facilitator, STORY TELLER and ENTREPRENEUR. Her ongoing work includes advocating for change and implementing solutions in areas adversely affecting disadvantaged and historically marginalized groups
Margaret Akulia is an African born Canadian Social Justice activist with a multidisciplinary background. Since immigrating to Canada in 1987, Ms. Akulia has held various positions and worked in different capacities, including serving as a Board of Director for various organizations and groups advocating for socio-economic solutions in areas adversely affecting disadvantaged and historically marginalized groups, locally and globally.
Both of these women have vast personal experience with the issues of Abuse and Social Injustice, to an extent that dispels any thought that this story is one of exaggeration.
A VICTIM TWICE: CANDACE? STORY OF SPOUSAL ABUSE AND "LIVING UNDERGROUND" THROUGH A GOVERNMENT PROTECTION PROCESS KNOWN AS NIVA (NEW IDENTITIES FOR VICTIMS OF ABUSE) - STORY WRITTEN BY MARGARET AKULIA, AS TOLD TO HER BY CANDACE
Note: Candace? Story is a true story. However, names have been changed to conceal identities.
To obtain a fuller version of the story, please
click here
.To receive a periodic ENEWSLETTER, INFORMATION AND UPDATES; by Email about Candace' Story and otherTRUE STORIES;told in script, art and film format ;as ;recounted by the subjects themselves and written ;by MARGARET AKULIA please
click here
to send an Email, making sure to ;write INFORMATION AND UPDATES;in the SUBJECT LINEYou can also send a ;request ;through our CONTACT INFORMATION
To make a donation of any amount for Candace and her daughter Amelia, please contact MARGARET AKULIA by Email at
akulia@telus.net. You can also contact MARGARET AKULIAthrough ourCONTACT INFORMATIONCANDACE' STORY SUMMARY AND
INTRODUCTION
Technorati Tag:NIVA ***MARGARET AKULIA
***Holly Desimone
***Reader's Digest
***New Identities For Victims of Abuse
Posted by ky/kentuckydan at 12:01 AM CDT
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Updated: Wednesday, 18 October 2006 3:22 AM CDT