OPENING REMARKS BEFORE THE
NATIONAL VICTIM ASSISTANCE ACADEMY
BY OVC DIRECTOR AILEEN ADAMS
JULY 15, 1996
GOOD MORNING. IT IS MY GREAT PRIVILEGE TO WELCOME YOU TO THE NATIONAL VICTIM ASSISTANCE ACADEMY ... WHICH THE OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME HAS HELPED TO FUND. THIS IS AN HISTORIC OCCASION -- WHEN THE ACADEMY WHICH WAS FIRST LAUNCHED LAST YEAR HAS BEEN EXPANDED INTO THREE SITES SIMULTANEOUSLY USING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE OUR ABILITY TO REACH EVEN MORE STUDENTS. I HOPE ALL OF YOU -- IN FRESNO, IN TOPEKA, AND HERE IN COLLEGE PARK, WILL TAKE A MOMENT RIGHT NOW TO REFLECT UPON THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR PRESENCE HERE.
AN ACADEMY FOR VICTIMS ADVOCATES IS TRULY THE CULMINATION OF A DREAM THAT MANY PEOPLE IN THE VICTIMS FIELD -- SOME OF WHOM ARE WITH US TODAY AND MANY OF WHOM ARE NOT -- HAVE WORKED AND ADVOCATED FOR OVER MANY YEARS.
YOU, THE DIVERSE VICTIMS ADVOCATES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, ARE PIONEERS. NOT ONLY WILL YOU BE THE MEMBERS OF THE SECOND GRADUATING CLASS OF THIS ACADEMY, BUT YOU WILL ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM SOME OF THE MOST PROMINENT, MOST ARTICULATE, AND MOST EXPERIENCED NATIONAL LEADERS IN THE VICTIMS FIELD. AND YOU CAN TAKE WHAT YOU LEARN HERE AND HELP TO ENHANCE SERVICES AND LAWS FOR CRIME VICTIMS IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITIES. YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED FROM MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO APPLIED FOR THIS TRAINING BECAUSE WE HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT YOUR COMMITMENT AND YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS WILL HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR CRIME VICTIMS.
YOU WILL LEARN NOT ONLY FROM YOUR INSTRUCTORS, BUT FROM ONE ANOTHER. I THINK YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT JUST HERE TO TEACH YOU. WE, IN A VERY REAL SENSE, ARE ALSO HERE TO LISTEN TO YOUR VOICES AND TO LEARN FROM YOUR EXPERIENCES. DURING THE LAST DAY OF THE ACADEMY, I HOPE TO SPEND AN HOUR DISCUSSING WITH YOU THE ACADEMY'S FUTURE -- YOUR IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO EXPAND THIS CONCEPT -- ABOUT HOW CAN WE REACH MORE PEOPLE. HOW CAN THE CURRICULUM BE USED IN OTHER WAYS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN STATE TRAININGS FOR DIVERSE PROFESSIONALS? SHOULD WE USE TELECONFERENCING AND REACH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS IMPORTANT MATERIAL AND SPREAD THE COURSE OUT OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS? THERE ARE MANY POSSIBILITIES FOR HOW THE ACADEMY CAN GROW AND EXPAND -- AND YOUR INPUT INTO OUR PLANNING PROCESS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US. I LOOK FORWARD TO IT ON FRIDAY.
I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE THREE CO-SPONSORS OF THE ACADEMY -- THE VICTIMS' ASSISTANCE LEGAL ORGANIZATION (VALOR), CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY - FRESNO, AND THE NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS RESEARCH AND TREATMENT CENTER, AS WELL AS THE THREE SITES PARTICIPATING IN THE ACADEMY -- CSUF, WASHBURN UNIVERSITY IN TOPEKA, KANSAS, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND IN COLLEGE PARK. THE DIRECTORS OF THE CO-SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS -- JANE BURNLEY FROM VALOR, HARVEY WALLACE FROM CSUF, AND DEAN KILPATRICK FROM THE CENTER IN SOUTH CAROLINA ARE TRULY VISIONARY AND NUMBER AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT LEADERS IN THE CRIME VICTIMS FIELD. WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THEIR LEADERSHIP. CHRIS EDMUNDS AND THE REST OF THE PROJECT TEAM -- ANN, MARIO, DEAN, STEVE, AND TOM, WHO WORKED CLOSELY WITH THEM ON DEVELOPING THE EXTRAORDINARY CURRICULUM FOR THIS COURSE, ARE ALSO TREASURES IN THE NATIONAL VICTIMS MOVEMENT -- PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED THEIR HEARTS AND SOULS TO THIS PROJECT.
THE COMPETITIVE GRANT THAT IS FUNDING THIS ACADEMY WAS DEVELOPED OVER THREE YEARS AGO UNDER THE DIRECTION OF OVC ACTING DIRECTOR, CAROLYN HIGHTOWER, AND I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE CAROLYN FOR HER LEADERSHIP, HER VISION, AND HER COMMITMENT TO THIS IMPORTANT CONCEPT. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE AN OVC STAFF MEMBER, LAURA FEDERLINE, WHO OVERSEES THE ACADEMY GRANT. LAURA IS A VERY STRONG AND RELENTLESS ADVOCATE FOR CRIME VICTIMS AND HAS DONE AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB WORKING WITH JANE AND THE OTHER CO-SPONSORS.
IN CLOSING, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I THINK THAT THIS IS A PARTICULARLY EXCITING TIME TO BE COMING TOGETHER. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY WE HAVE BOTH A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE LEADER OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WHO HAVE ENDORSED AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION THAT WOULD RECOGNIZE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS FOR CRIME VICTIMS -- THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT VICTIMS OF CRIME ARE NO LONGER TREATED LIKE SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THIS IS A TIME WHEN WE CAN TRULY MAKE VICTIMS RIGHTS -- NOT JUST WORDS ON PAPER -- BUT A REALITY FOR EVERY CRIME VICTIM IN OUR COUNTRY. THIS IS ALSO A TIME WHEN WE CAN DRAMATICALLY EXPAND SERVICES TO VICTIMS BECAUSE OVC'S BUDGET WILL RISE FROM $230 MILLION THIS YEAR TO OVER $500 MILLION NEXT YEAR BECAUSE OF THE SUBSTANTIAL FINES COLLECTED BY U.S. ATTORNEY OFFICES AROUND THE COUNTRY. TODAY WE HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY IN WHICH TO ENSURE REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE FOR CRIME VICTIMS -- AND WE NEED ALL OF YOU EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU -- TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THIS UNIQUE TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE VICTIMS' MOVEMENT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR TIME TOGETHER ON FRIDAY, TO SHARING SOME OF MY THOUGHTS WITH YOU ABOUT THE VICTIMS MOVEMENT THEN, AND TO HEARING YOUR IDEAS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS ACADEMY. I WANT ALL OF YOU TO KNOW HOW ENVIOUS I AM OF YOU AND HOW I WOULD MUCH RATHER BE SPENDING THE ENTIRE WEEK HERE THEN RETURNING TO OUR OFFICES IN WASHINGTON.