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Violence Against Women Act
Contact: Michelle Ortiz, Supervising Attorney, Lucha Project, 305-573-1106, x1690 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NEWS RELEASE
February 28, 2013
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VICTORY! Americans for Immigrant Justice Lauds the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPRA)
Americans for Immigrant Justice applauds the U.S. House of Representatives' passage of the bipartisan Senate version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The House vote continues the bipartisan tradition of VAWA, with 87 Republicans voting in favor of this crucial legislation that enhances protections for all survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Significantly, this legislation also includes the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protect Act (TVPRA), which provides essential safeguards for survivors of human trafficking.
"This was a hard-won victory, and we are so pleased that Congress listened to our concerns and those of our clients. Our voices were heard and truly made a difference in preventing harmful provisions from needlessly targeting long-standing protections for immigrant survivors," said Michelle Ortiz, Supervising Attorney, AI Justice Lucha Project.
This bipartisan reauthorization is an important victory given that previous proposals threatened to roll back existing protections for immigrant survivors. AI Justice engaged in an almost year-long campaign with other national advocates to educate legislators and urge them to pass a VAWA that protects all survivors. AI Justice is grateful to U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and the three South Florida U.S. Representatives -- Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Mario Diaz-Balart and Joe Garcia -- for standing firm in their commitment to protecting immigrant survivors. We would like to especially thank Representative Ros-Lehtinen for her unwavering commitment and leadership in encouraging other Representatives to support this version of VAWA that expands protections for all victims.
AI Justice was established in 1996 and provides free legal services to immigrants of all nationalities, including immigrant victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. AI Justice's specialized Lucha Project addresses survivors' needs in a holistic manner and engages all immigrant communities in an effort to end violence against women. We have assisted thousands of immigrant survivors, and we understand firsthand why this important legislation is needed.
Americans for Immigrant Justice (AI Justice) has been fighting for the American dream since its founding in 1996. One of the nation's largest non-profit immigration law firms, AI Justice represents vulnerable immigrants at no charge. This direct service work informs its broader policy work. AI Justice influences national policy; successfully litigates or otherwise challenges patterns of abuse; and educates the public about the impact immigration laws and directives have on our communities. AI Justice is dedicated to protecting and promoting the basic human rights of immigrants. Please visit www.aijustice.org for more information.
Haitian Art Program
Ayikodans - This week-end
AYIKODANS
AYIKODANS made its Arsht Center debut when the Center's President/CEO John Richard and prominent community leaders joined forces to save the dance troupe after the devastation of the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti. Since then, the stunning ensemble based out of Port Au Prince, Haiti has received glowing international media attention. Most notably, founder/artistic director Jeanguy Saintus was invited by Lincoln Center to stage a piece for its prestigious Out of Doors festival, a performance which earned Saintus recognition from The New York Times.
In a triumphant celebration of its 25th Anniversary season, AYIKODANS – including the full company of dancers, drummers, and vocalists - returns to their Miami family and the Arsht Center with an all-new program for Miami audiences.
Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP™ to the Rescue
It was a scene straight out of that old campy commercial from the 1980’s. Hoping to relieve her back pain, Ruth Triebwasser went to sleep on a recliner instead of her bed. Sometime during the night, she slid off the chair and could not get up.
In the original television ad for a medical alarm bracelet company, the actress playing the elderly woman who falls, uttered the now famous catchphrase, “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” A friendly dispatcher immediately assured her help was on the way. But in real life things are more complicated. And on that day, of all days, she can’t remember why, but Triebwasser wasn’t wearing her medical alert bracelet. “I wear it always. That night I didn’t have it on.”
The frail, elderly Miami Gardens resident would spend nearly 24 hours on the cold tile floor before firefighters broke in to rescue her, and there is no telling how much longer she would have lain there, or if she’d even be alive today were it not for the NeighborhoodHELP™ (Health Education Learning Program) team.
“We knocked on the door and we didn’t get an answer,” said Faisal Rahim, a second year medical student at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Rahim is one of the members of an interprofessional team that visits Triebwasser once a month as part of the Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP™, a key component of the College of Medicine curriculum.
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| » | See how the Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP program at FIU changes lives |
| » | Purchase Alan Lomax In Haiti: Recordings For The Library Of Congress, 1936-1937, nominated for two GRAMMY Awards. |
A Documentary by Kimberly Green
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| » | Watch GFF President Kimberly Green's CGI Stories segment about the music of Alan Lomax. |