Praxis Int'l rewarded for hate speech with 3.5 million federal grant

Praxis International

You might recall in late September Amanda McCormick, an employee of Praxis International said, "I think I know a lot of men who deserve to be beaten," during her keynote address at the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence annual conference. Full article here

Yet somehow the OVW chose to overlook both that and the clear fact that the org has no interest in serving taxpaying families in the United States with anything but political ideology.  Even stranger is the fact the WSCADV is participating in this charade.

One has to ask why it was that Amanda felt so confident in making that outrageous statement when a project of such magnitude was in the works. This grant virtually doubles the income of this org, which is nothing but a PAC in high heels and makeup.

The press release is below:

WASHINGTON -- The Office on Violence Against Women announced November 17 the inaugural class of the Advocacy Learning Center, a program created to improve the skills and abilities of advocates to be a powerful force in the movement to end violence against women. The Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $3.5 million technical assistance grant in Fiscal Year 2009 to Praxis International of St. Paul, Minn., to create the Advocacy Leaning Center.

"The work of advocates is critical to the work of ending violence against women and providing a life line to victims," said OVW Acting Director Catherine Pierce. "Advocates have long been a source of hope and support to survivors in the aftermath of trauma, and we will support them and create a network of strong advocates that will work together for generations to come through the Advocacy Learning Center."

The first class of trainees assembled the week of October 25-30 and included 50 participants from 17 organizations, representing 12 states and one U.S. territory: Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and Vermont. Working with other advocates, participants will develop new ways to define and structure advocacy, from engaging and working with survivors to strategizing and acting to change systems and community responses, and discover what has made other social change efforts successful. The full list of participants is attached to this release.

OVW, a component of the Department of Justice, provides leadership in developing the nation's capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.

For more information, please visit www.ovw.usdoj.gov or www.praxisinternational.org.

Organizations Participating in the Advocacy Learning Center

Connecticut
Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Inc.

Iowa
Monsoon United Asian Women of Iowa
Seeds of Hope

Kansas
Friends of Yates, Inc.

Maine
Battered Women's Project
Spruce Run Association

Michigan
Relief After Violent Encounter, Inc.

Minnesota
American Indian Community Housing Organization
LA-MANO, Inc.

Missouri
Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault

New Mexico
Enlace Comunitario

Northern Mariana Islands
Karidat-Guma' Esperansa

Pennsylvania
Bridge Project

Texas
SafePlace

Washington
Tuwaduq Family Services
Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence

Vermont
Women's Crisis Center