American Jewish World Service ramped up a new advocacy campaign this week that calls on the U.S. government to help end violence against women and girls, stop hate crimes against LGBT people and end child marriage.
Ruth Messinger, AJWS president, spoke about the “We Believe” campaign on Dec. 10 at an International Human Rights Day event at the JCC of San Francisco. The first initiative of the campaign is to ensure the passage of the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA), which was introduced in the House of Representatives last month.
Claudia Samayoa, a Guatemalan human rights activist supported by AJWS, also spoke at the JCCSF. Both women addressed the state of human rights, and what American Jews and other human rights advocates can do to stand up for the most marginalized people in the developing world.
As part of the AJWS campaign, a delegation of 30 Jewish leaders and rabbis visited Washington, D.C., this week and met with White House officials on Dec. 11. The delegation included Rabbi Marvin Goodman, executive director of the Board of Rabbis of Northern California.