“My Journey from Torture to Truth” Sister Dianna Ortiz Sunday, November 10th, 2002

Sr. Dianna Ortiz, a US born survivor of torture in Guatemala, began her presentation by lighting a candle to remember persons tortured, past and present, and to pray for those who do the torturing, give orders to torture or manufacture arms of torture. …. “May their own blindfolds fall away.”

For the last 12 years Sr. Dianna has thought of little else but torture, not as an obsession, but as a responsibility to those she promised never to forget. Why she survived her abduction and torture by the Guatemala military in November 1989 and others did not, she cannot answer. That she has a new ministry which chose her is very clear. She is the Executive Director of TASSC International, Torture Abolition and Survivors Coalition International, the only organization founded by torture survivors. The mission of TASSC is to abolish torture wherever it occurs.

FACT

• At this time more than 150 governments are engaged in torture
• There are more than 500,000 survivors of torture in the US
• Not only could you be living next door to a survivor of torture, you could be living next door to a torturer. (Estimates of torturers currently living in the US range from 1,000 to 10,000)

Sr. Dianna read from her book The Blindfold’s Eyes to approximately a hundred persons gathered in the church of SJA. I felt fear and horror as the story of her experience unfolded. The stillness in the church told me others were also deeply involved. She stopped reading, overcome by tears.

Regaining her composure, Sr. Dianna challenged the audience members to guard against the madness of thinking that they can do nothing about torture. She asked for support in the work of TASSC, seeking to rebuild shattered lives. She referred to the black blindfold each attendee received with the name of a country whose government is engaged in torture. My blindfold said Peru. Sr. Dianna encouraged each person to learn about the torture in their particular country and the role of the US government in assisting in the torture.

Sr. Dianna concluded, “Thank you for being a pillar of hope for those of us who have suffered torture. You have renewed my hope in the human family.”

Susan Sell is a member of the Pastoral Council serving as its Trustee. Susan is also a member of SJA's Sister Parish Committee as well as Chairperson of WomenSpirit.

Additional information is available at www.tassc.org .

Tax deductible contributions to : Friends of TASSC, Attn: Dianna Ortiz, 4121 Harewood Rd. NE, Washington, DC 20017.

The Blindfold’s Eyes - My Journey from Torture to Truth,
by Sr. Dianna Ortiz with Patricia Davis, published 2002, Orbis Books, PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308 (Available at the Resource Center of the Americas)