The most brutal cases of genocide that have shocked the world in recent times were examined by nearly two hundred specialists from all continents, who met in more than forty panels in Los Angeles, California from June 23 to 26.
At the opening of the event, Kimberley Morales Johnson, a member of the Tongva indigenous people, revisited the wars of extermination against her people, ancestral owners of the territory on which the current city of Los Angeles was founded.
Research was presented on the Jewish Holocaust, and the cases of Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, with the partition of countries such as: India, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Rwanda, Namibia, Congo, Armenia, the former Yugoslavia, Yanomami indigenous people in Brazil, migrants to the United States, missing persons and indigenous people harassed by oil and mining companies in the southern cone of Latin America, including the Yanomami on the Brazil-Venezuela border.
In her keynote address, Marcia Esparza addressed the case of Guatemala and the disastrous consequences of the 1954 intervention from which state terrorism arose.
Cakchiquel expert Lolmay Pedro García Matzar and Brigittine French spoke about the need to use the native language when collecting testimonies about the genocide in Mayan lands.
At the closing of the event, Camilla Boisen spoke of the “moral horror” represented by the current genocide against the Palestinian people, and the way in which the Israeli occupation forces use the arguments of “natural law” and “just war” invoked more than 500 years ago by Spanish theologians to legitimize the extermination of the American Indians.
In the closing lecture, Shibley Telhami lamented that more than 80 percent of American specialists in the history of Palestine-Israel relations have chosen the path of self-censorship.
The Revenge of the Captives, a novel that mixes reality with fiction by the Chilean author, journalist, screenwriter and writer Carmen Gloria López, a book published in 2022 that addresses the role of women in times of war and which is Camilasbooks' recommendation this Saturday.
With a mix of reality and fiction, the novel “La vengance de las cautivas” (The Revenge of the Captives), by Chilean journalist, screenwriter and writer Carmen Gloria López, narrates the experience of a group of seven Spanish women who survived the siege of Villa Rica. A book published in 2022 that addresses the role of women in times of war and which is Camilasbooks' recommendation this Saturday.
Described by the reviewer herself as a “very powerful book,” this text places us in 1610 in Santiago de Chile, where a trial is held to gather the testimonies of these seven women captured by the Mapuches during the Arauco war.
The historical novel challenges the concepts of heroism, patriotism and honor, while also raising the question of the role of women in times of war within a nation, a fact that had not been raised before, Camilasbooks said.
And women, in a way, are also witnesses of many things, but from a different point of view. In this case, the story obviously does not take place on the battlefield itself, but it does involve other types of problems and situations for the people who participate in the war.
“This is a perfect account, I think, of the silenced female voices in times of war, where we have many themes such as motherhood, violence, rage, courage and survival. I think it is also a very controversial theme in the midst of resistance,” she said.
To learn more about this book and others, don't miss this Saturday's review on Camilasbooks.
She fled Guatemala at a very young age because she could not accept rejection, violence from society, or even death for her sexual orientation and gender identity. Zafiro Rivera has lived in San Francisco, California, since 1992, where she faces daily challenges such as transphobia, homophobia, and discrimination, acts of hate that, despite her struggle, continue to persist.
Always beautiful, with an infectious smile and full of enthusiasm, Zafiro went from being a victim to raising her voice to fight for the rights of trans women and the LGBTQI+ community, especially those of Latin origin, who, out of fear, shame or ignorance, have been left behind in the protection of their rights.
Zafiro Rivera, a transgender woman, former sex worker, and current activist. Photo: Eric Alcocer.
Zafiro Rivera, a transgender woman, former sex worker, and current activist, has seen fellow activists die from addiction problems and, for this reason, has not remained silent in the face of the problems faced by girls like her.
“Many transgender women in San Francisco face stigmas and problems such as transphobia, discrimination, lack of job opportunities, access to decent housing or immigration status that allows them to have better living conditions,” Zafiro Rivera told Península 360 Press.
For Zafiro, being a trans girl is not easy. “We face many challenges, especially in our places of origin. We face transphobia, discrimination, even among ourselves, but we also experience these problems in cities like San Francisco.”
“That’s why we do the marches,” Zafiro said, while she adjusts her hair and confirms that she looks beautiful. “We have to make ourselves present so that our voices are heard, to make ourselves visible, so that people understand us and comprehend us a little more. It is important that the population knows and respects gender diversity.”
There and here, the same problems
Her vanity prevents her from doing so, but Zafiro is fully aware of the problems that trans girls face in San Francisco and other towns, the same ones that have persisted for years despite California being one of the most progressive states in terms of LGBTTTIQ+ rights.
“Problems like lack of housing, health insurance, immigration, many things that girls need. There is help, but sometimes there are barriers to people getting that help: language, immigration status, all of these are things that prevent girls from being able to access those services,” she stressed.
Paying bills, rent, food and clothing is something we all go through in our adult lives, but what happens when you can't get a job because of your sexual preference or gender? While it's true that discrimination for any of these reasons is prohibited, it is a constant practice behind closed doors, which is why many trans women are forced to become sex workers.
“Many of us have to resort to sex work because we are not given work because we are transgender girls, so it is an option that we have to make, although many girls do find and can do work like any normal person,” she explained.
As an activist and health promoter, she acknowledged that, in the past, she resorted to sex work as a way to obtain resources.
“I am currently in an organization that works for people living with HIV, that supports Latinos and members of the LGBTQI+ community. I always talk to other trans girls to let them know that they can get ahead,” she said.
According to data from the Trans Employment Initiative (TEEI), an organization that supports transgender and gender non-conforming (GNC) people, 47 percent of transgender people in the United States reported having been unfairly fired or denied employment.
In turn, 76 percent say they have experienced harassment in the workplace. Trans people are twice as likely as the general population to be out of work, despite the fact that trans people are also twice as likely to have a bachelor’s degree. As a result, San Francisco’s trans and GNC community faces widespread poverty and homelessness.
two souls
Transphobia, homophobia, discrimination, lack of professional employment opportunities, housing, and comprehensive personal development are problems that occur daily among members of the lesbian, gay, trans, bisexual, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) community living in California, especially when they are immigrants and/or Latinxs.
Angel Fabian Vera, Executive Director of BAAITS, American Indian Two Spirits, Bay Area. Photo: Omero Sanchez
This was denounced by Ángel C Fabian-Tlahuizpapalotl, executive director of American Indian Two-Spirits Bay Area (BAAITS) ‒ Two-Spirit Indian-American of the Bay Area‒, an organization with a presence in various parts of the United States, dedicated to human rights, promoting culture through spirituality, as well as focusing on art with people who identify as two-spirit, such as Native Americans or indigenous LGBTQI+ people.
“I think that something that still exists, unfortunately, is discrimination. I was just giving a presentation to leaders of a health organization, and there is still a lot of work to be done in the community,” Vera told Península 360 Press.
The activist said that there are “indigenous people in the transgender community who identify as such, unfortunately, they experience the highest rates of homelessness and joblessness, where abuse persists. There are people who are discriminated against, the highest rate is in the transgender community, and many who identify as two-spirited.”
Vera regretted that “many indigenous youth who are part of the community also figure among the highest rates of people who think about suicide, who are discriminated against, who suffer from harassment in schools. The good thing is that there are also many beautiful things in this population.”
He stressed that “among the double-spirited population, we have a lot of courage, a lot of strength to move forward, especially because of our indigenous identity, our customs, our culture, our ancestral and original languages, which are very strong and very much alive.”
Proudly gay and positive
For Juan Pablo Medellín, who identifies as a gay, cisgender Latino man, immigrant and proudly Mexican, “although there has been progress in the rights of the LGBTQI+ community, discrimination for various reasons can be present, there are laws that protect us but we have to continue working to enforce them.”
Juan Pablo Medellín, originally from Mexico City but raised in Aguascalientes, had to turn to a social organization from a very young age to receive information about sexual and gender orientation.
In this regard, he recalled that “this whole gay pride month movement began in New York City, a few decades ago, because at the time there was a lot of repression against people of the same gender who gathered together.”
“Ultimately, for me, it is a way of living, of being ourselves, being honest with ourselves. There are many people who question 'pride of what?' It is not about showing off, which is one of the things that people complain a lot about, but rather it is a personal issue, about being able to be who we want to be, because the LGBTQI+ community has always been discriminated against and violated,” she said.
Juan Pablo recalled that the attacks against the community “have reached the point where many people have to live a life of lies, lead double lives, pretend to be someone they are not; that is why it is a source of pride to say 'this is me, no matter who it may bother', for me that is the importance, to accept ourselves first,” he stressed.
Originally from Mexico City but raised in Aguascalientes, from a very young age he had to turn to a social organization to receive information about sexual and gender orientation, as well as on the subject of HIV. “I am very grateful for the help I received at the time, because it was the way I was able to find peace of mind in this regard.”
“I came to San Francisco six years ago. For me, it has been a place that offers many advantages to people in the community. I say this because the two biggest challenges I have had in my life have been coming out of the closet as a teenager and being diagnosed with HIV, which fortunately these days is no longer comparable to what it was in the 80s or 90s, but it is still something that changes your life because you are a victim of stigma.”
In favor of an “inclusive pride”
BAAITS Executive Director Ángel Fabian Vera mentioned that, in many ancestral cultures, being part of the LGBTQI+ community was something admired, not under a community or under an acronym, it was simply because one could be freer, but it was not something out of the ordinary.
He explained that double-spirited people, as they were known, “were and continue to be special, but during colonization, specifically in our Latin American cultures, Catholicism tried to erase much of what already existed in our native communities.”
“We, as double-spirited people, were in charge of our families, of ceremonies, we were medicine people, of rituals in our communities, but that was taken away from us by colonization,” she explained.
In this regard, he asked the general population to be in favor of inclusive pride, because, unfortunately, in the case of the double-spirited population, discrimination can come from other members of the community.
"We have to continue moving forward, demanding that attention be paid to the problems that we know exist, that are experienced daily by our population. The demand must be, above all, with our leaders, who are the ones who make decisions regarding public policies," he added.
Important data:
LGBTQI+ is an acronym that refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex people. The term has evolved over time to include all gender identities and sexual orientations, hence the “+” symbol.
The term LGTBIQ+ began to be used in the 1990s, although over time it has been adapted to new groups in the world.
History of gay pride celebration
International LGBTIQ+ Pride Day, also known as Gay Pride Day or simply Gay Pride, is celebrated every year on June 28 with the aim of urging tolerance, equality and dignity for gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer, and intersex people, among others.
The celebration is on June 28 because that date commemorates the Stonewall riots (New York, USA) of 1969, which marked the beginning of the homosexual liberation movement.
These riots consisted of a series of spontaneous and violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early hours of June 28, 1969, in the pub known as the Stonewall Inn in the New York neighborhood of Greenwich Village, one of the few spaces of freedom for the homosexual community that was frequently harassed by the city police.
The Stonewall Inn's regulars had had enough of this homophobic harassment and that day the police wanted to arrest several of the 200 people who were in the bar for reasons as simple as two men or women dancing together or not wearing clothing considered traditional for their sex.
During CNN debate with Biden, Trump lies on immigration issues, accusing Biden of allowing millions of unauthorized immigrants into the country, arguing that the country's southern border is open.
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With 130 days to go until the presidential elections in the United States, tempers are high, a situation that was reflected during the first debate between the Democrat and current president, Joseph Biden, and the Republican and former president, Donald Trump, the latter pointing out and pointing out the poor management of the current administration in immigration matters, for which he resorted to lies.
This Thursday, a presidential debate was held between the two presidential candidates, an unprecedented event so far in advance of the elections, and before both the Democratic and Republican conventions take place, so the presentation of sensitive issues such as immigration was one of the critical points of the night.
Amid all the back-and-forth, Trump accused Biden of allowing millions of unauthorized immigrants into the country, arguing that the country's southern border is open.
Here are three fact checks of claims made during the debate related to immigration:
“He decided to open our border, open our country,” Trump said of Biden during the debate.
This is not an accurate statement, as while unauthorized crossings have reached a record number during the Biden administration, the border is not “open.” In fact, it could be said to be more reinforced than ever.
The federal government has added more sections to the walls on the southern border, while military operations have increased in various parts of the area, and the number of expedited expulsions has grown.
It is noteworthy that a large majority of Republican lawmakers have not allowed a $118 billion border agreement to be passed in the Senate. This bill would have given the U.S. executive the power to close the border with Mexico to asylum seekers when the daily average of illegal crossings exceeded 5,000.
Trump also claimed that immigrants are committing crimes, calling it “immigration crime.” It is true that there are cases of people who entered the country illegally and have committed serious crimes, however, data shows that the vast majority do not commit crimes, and there are even Northwestern University study which examines a 150-year period and found that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than people born in the U.S.
In this regard, the Republican argued that immigrants arrive in the United States illegally from "mental institutions" and "asylums."
In the debate held on CNN, Trump said that immigrants who arrive in the country illegally are housed in “luxury hotels” while veterans are on the streets.
He also stated that during his administration (January 20, 2017 - January 20, 2021), the country had the “most secure border in history.”
“We have to get a lot of these people out and we have to get them out fast because they are destroying our country,” Trump said during the 90-minute debate in Atlanta.
While he did not explain how he would carry out mass deportations, Trump has repeatedly said he would carry out a mass deportation campaign of undocumented immigrants using local law enforcement, the National Guard and potentially the U.S. military.
“And because of (Biden’s) ridiculous, insane and very stupid policies, people are coming in and killing our citizens at a level we’ve never seen,” Trump said, without providing substantial evidence.
After moderator Jake Tapper pressed both candidates on their immigration plans by asking, “Why should voters trust you to solve this crisis?” Trump dodged the question, instead making sweeping assessments about immigration based on isolated crimes.
In response, he reiterated his promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants if he wins a second term.
Tapper countered: “Does that mean they will deport all undocumented immigrants in the United States, including those who have jobs, including those whose spouses are citizens and those who have lived here for decades? And if so, how will they do it?”
Trump not only did not answer, but he diverted the conversation towards terrorism and crime, which, according to him, immigrants bring with them.
Redwood City nombra a Tanisha Werner nueva directora de Ingeniería y Transporte, iniciará sus funciones el 15 de julio, cuenta con más de 18 años de experiencia de responsabilidad progresiva en ingeniería civil, con especial atención a los proyectos de infraestructuras que benefician al público.
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La administradora de Redwood City, Melissa Stevenson Díaz, anunció el nombramiento de Tanisha Werner como nueva directora de Ingeniería y Transporte.
“Estamos encantados de dar la bienvenida a Tanisha de nuevo a Redwood City”, declaró Stevenson Díaz. “Su experiencia en ingeniería y su compromiso con el servicio a la comunidad la convierten en la persona perfecta para este puesto. Esperamos contar con su liderazgo para impulsar las iniciativas de infraestructuras y transporte de nuestra ciudad.”
Werner, quien iniciará sus funciones el 15 de julio, cuenta con más de 18 años de experiencia de responsabilidad progresiva en ingeniería civil, con especial atención a los proyectos de infraestructuras que benefician al público.
Recientemente, Werner ocupó el cargo de directora adjunta de Infraestructuras en SamTrans, donde trabajó en la gestión del diseño y la construcción de infraestructuras críticas para la transición a cero emisiones.
Anteriormente, ocupó el cargo de subdirectora de Obras Públicas/Ingeniera Municipal en la ciudad de Menlo Park, allí supervisó un Programa de Mejoras Capitales de 100 millones de dólares y dirigió un equipo responsable de la revisión del desarrollo privado y de las secciones de servicios públicos.
La carrera anterior de Werner incluyó puestos de responsabilidad progresiva en las ciudades de Sunnyvale y Santa Clara, y en el Distrito Regional de Espacios Abiertos de la Península Media. En particular, comenzó su carrera de servicio público en Redwood City como ingeniera adjunta, gestionando programas de repavimentación de calzadas y proyectos de mejora de capital.
Werner posee un máster en Administración Pública por la Universidad Estatal de San José y una licenciatura en Ingeniería Civil por la Universidad Estatal de Fresno.
“Me siento honrada de tener la oportunidad de dirigir el Departamento de Ingeniería y Transporte de Redwood City. Esta ciudad ocupa un lugar especial en mi corazón como punto de partida de mi carrera de servicio público. Me comprometo a aprovechar mi experiencia para mejorar las infraestructuras de nuestra ciudad y a trabajar en colaboración con nuestra comunidad para alcanzar nuestros objetivos”, expresó Werner.
Como directora de Ingeniería y Transporte, Werner supervisará las funciones de uso y desarrollo del suelo, incluyendo el desarrollo del suelo, la ingeniería y el transporte.
Además, tendrá la responsabilidad funcional del Capital Improvements Program (CIP) de la ciudad, que abarca los servicios públicos, los proyectos cívicos y las inspecciones de la construcción.
H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, San Mateo County Health is participating in a statewide program to provide personal protective equipment to poultry and dairy farm workers.
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In response to the possibility of infection with H5N1, also known as bird flu, San Mateo County Health is participating in a statewide program to provide personal protective equipment to poultry and dairy farm workers.
Cases of H5N1 have been detected among birds in the Bay Area and in other animals, including dairy cows, nationwide.
While there have been three recent human cases reported nationwide among workers in close contact with dairy cows, there are no known cases of H5N1 in humans or livestock in California to date.
According to health authorities, the current risk to the general public is low, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The CDC recommends that dairy farm workers and others who handle raw milk, as well as slaughterhouse and poultry farm workers, have personal protective equipment, including an N95 mask or other approved respirator, gloves, goggles, and a face shield available if needed.
County Health is providing, upon request, a one-time supply of PPE to farms, businesses and organizations that employ or provide services to dairy farm workers, raw milk handlers, and slaughterhouse and poultry workers, the county said in a statement.
According to CalOSHA (California Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulations, the use of PPE is voluntary when there are no confirmed occupational exposures to H5N1, but respirators must be provided and worn when employees work closely with animals or products known or suspected to be infected with H5N1, including animal excrements and other materials that have been in contact with the animal.
Poultry and dairy farm operators, as well as community organizations that serve poultry and dairy farm workers, can request a 30-day supply of PPE for at-risk workers by emailing the County Health Department at HS_MHOAC@smcgov.org.
The deadline to place an order is July 9, 2024. The PPE ordering program is available only to commercial operators and farmworker support organizations and not to individuals.
Personal protective equipment is intended for immediate use and to allow time for facilities to obtain and distribute their own supplies. Materials cannot be returned to CDPH or County Health.
Location of the senior farmworker housing plan at 555 Kelly Ave. in downtown Half Moon Bay, California. The city council rejected appeals and approved the project on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (Google Earth via Bay City News).
Construction of affordable housing for the community's elderly farmworkers will go ahead, the Half Moon Bay City Council decided Wednesday, rejecting efforts to delay the project.
Council members listened to arguments from applicants, appellants and the public for nearly three hours before deliberating and ultimately voting unanimously to support the project.
The January 2023 shooting in Half Moon Bay, where a farmworker allegedly shot and killed seven coworkers at Mountain Mushroom Farm, exposed the poor living conditions in the area. The tragedy prompted the city to initiate plans to develop affordable housing for its farmworkers at 555 Kelly Ave. in the downtown area.
“In the immediate aftermath of the horrific shooting, a light flooded into the city of Half Moon Bay and brought to light the living conditions of farmworkers,” said Lilli Rey, president of Ayudando Latinos A Soñar’s board of directors.
The nonprofit provides resources and assistance to families and individuals in need in California's coastal communities. They will provide services directly to residents of low-income housing at 555 Kelly Ave. in a Farmworker Resource Center.
Multiple appeals were filed raising concerns about the location, building size, and the lack of a comprehensive parking plan in the project. Several members of the public also reiterated the same uncertainties during public comment.
“I have a problem with this project and this is how it has changed since it was originally approved. It has changed from four stories to five stories,” said David Gorn, a member of the Half Moon Bay Planning Commission. “It has changed from studio apartments to larger apartments. When it changes, it adds almost twice as many people than what was originally approved.”
The project began as a four-story building with 40 studio apartment units. The developers then changed the units to a mix of 26 one-bedrooms, eight two-bedrooms and six studios, while adding another floor.
Mercy Housing is leading the development of 555 Kelly Ave. It is an organization that creates and manages low-income housing across the country.
Mercy compromised on community concerns about building height by reducing the floor-to-ceiling height on each level so that the resulting building height increase would be just five feet above four stories, said Ramie Dare, director of real estate for Mercy Housing California.
Opponents of the project said emotions were getting in the way and that the city should use logic to evaluate its decision and wait to ensure a more carefully planned project.
But there has also been pressure from above since California Gov. Gavin Newsom sharply criticized Half Moon Bay for the delay in a statement issued in May.
“This delay is egregious and puts the well-being of Californians at risk. The state Housing Accountability Unit is reviewing the city’s actions and will take all necessary steps to hold Half Moon Bay accountable if the project does not move forward as required by state law,” Newsom said at the time.
Council members had mixed opinions about the project during deliberations. Robert Brownstone and Harvey Rarback supported the plan. Rarback had an issue with limited parking spaces, but suggested negotiating with Our Lady of the Pillar Catholic Church next to the project site, which has plenty of parking spaces.
“If people are waiting for a comprehensive parking solution downtown, they’re going to be waiting for a while, and I don’t think this project can wait for a while,” Rarback said.
Councilwoman Deborah Penrose said she had attended the meeting hoping to propose a motion to reject the project and request that the original plan for four stories and 40 studio units be returned. But hours of public comment and hearing the urgent needs for these homes from the community led Penrose to move forward with the new plan.
“I have to act with my heart and not my head,” Penrose said. “It may end up hurting a lot of people because of traffic conditions and parking and the rest of the needs of the community. If that’s the case, I’ll have made a mistake, but I’m willing to do it because that’s what my heart tells me to do.”
Ultimately, all council members sided with the project's supporters, demonstrating their priority of getting older farmworkers improved housing rather than waiting any longer to create a perfect plan.
“We cannot allow perfection to be the enemy of good,” Rarback said.
Young immigrants' votes could transform the next presidential elections in the United States. Second and third generations are ready to make decisions for themselves, their families and their communities.
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The vote of young immigrants is crucial in the upcoming presidential elections that will take place in the United States in November. The children of migrant communities have reached voting age, so the second and third generations are ready to make decisions for themselves, their families and their community.
"We believe that it is essential that our communities go out to vote and there are possibilities to make a change, to make a difference, we know that the white vote and the African-American vote are almost tied, but the vote of the Latino community can make a difference," said Adelina Nicholls, during the radio program Hecho en California with Marcos Gutierrez.
Adelina Nicholls is a sociologist from the Autonomous University of Mexico and has lived in Atlanta for many years. She is currently the executive director of the Georgia Alliance for Human Rights, and has worked with the most vulnerable immigrant communities for years.
For Adelina, people who can vote have a privilege that many would wish for; young people who are new voters come from Latin American families, mostly undocumented, however, they do not feel enthusiastic about voting because they do not sympathize with the candidates and their proposals.
According to migration statistics from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) 2023 annual bulletin, the majority of migrants entering Mexico do so with the intention of reaching the southwestern border of the United States. In 2023, a total of 2,542,074 migrant encounters were recorded on the southwestern border of the United States.
In 2018, a large number of young children of immigrants were voting for the first time, which is why one of the most important civic outreach programs was started. This program is focused on voting issues to raise awareness of the importance of citizen participation, said Nicholls.
Election issues, Nicholls said, should be of interest to young people because they directly impact the opportunities that may come to them, their friends and family. For example, in Georgia, citizens have not had access to a driver's license for about 25 years and face constant traffic tickets.
"What we are asking for is that the vote be used to protect communities, that this privilege be used to help and not to divide, because the vote is about us, not about them, the candidates," he stressed.
Nicholls is currently working on issues related to voting, especially the impact of participation by Latin American communities, who face the greatest misinformation and rejection due to not feeling like an important sector.
The work that has been carried out in the state of Georgia has been organizing grassroots communities, mainly immigrants, where they have been working for 25 years with low-income communities, giving priority to rural areas.
“We believe that this work is essential to create a network that is aware of the needs of these migrant communities, whether they have documents or not,” Nicholls said.
He concluded by saying that although demographic change is coming, a change of mentality is needed to truly take into account the young people who represent the future of the country.
Domestic violence calls are the go-to option to keep victims safe, San Mateo County is introducing an initiative that will send survivor advocates along with police to certain 911 calls.
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Concerned about the domestic violence that exists in the San Mateo County, supervisors on Tuesday introduced a bill that would send survivor advocates along with police to certain 911 calls.
Once the scene is safe (and the victim is willing), a survivor advocate from the new Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team will offer services and support that will include help finding emergency shelter, navigating the legal system, and locating prompt and ongoing support and care.
“This pilot, born out of the Domestic Violence Council Task Force formed last year, is an exciting example of what can happen when all of our agencies work together to meet the moment when survivors need support the most,” said Supervisor Noelia Corzo, President of the Domestic Violence Council.
"We hope this pilot will save lives," he stressed.
The Council’s Task Force on Domestic Violence was formed in 2023 following the deaths of five women at the hands of their abusers, while the new response team was born out of evidence-based findings that immediate intervention with trained advocates can save lives in addition to preventing future abuse, the county said in a statement.
Supervisors on Tuesday selected Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse, or CORA, as the county's partner in establishing the Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team.
Likewise, supervisors authorized the County Executive Office to negotiate a contract with CORA to operate an 18-month pilot response program.
“We know that the sooner we can engage a family and their children in a variety of services, including counseling, the more likely a family will be able to break out of a cycle of abuse,” said Karen Ferguson, executive director of CORA. “This program, in partnership with law enforcement’s response to domestic-related incidents, offers vital community support.”
As a pilot program, the program will begin with the Daly City and San Mateo police departments and the North Fair Oaks Sheriff's Office.
Under a developing protocol, law enforcement is responsible for stabilizing a scene, such as stopping a crime, arresting a suspect, or ensuring the safety of a victim, for example.
Once the scene is stabilized, CORA's survivor advocate will provide support and a variety of services.
To do so, advocates will be trained in culturally competent response, the county said. Advocacy services will be available approximately 40 hours per week with flexible scheduling as needed. When an advocate is not available, officials will provide information about CORA services 24 hours a day.
“Together, we stand united against domestic violence. Our co-response task force exemplifies our unwavering commitment to protecting and supporting victims and ending domestic violence. Through collaboration and dedication, we are creating a safer and stronger community for all,” said Sheriff Christina Corpus.
Supervisors authorized negotiating a contract with CORA for up to $800,000. Funds from the Measure K half-cent local sales tax will provide seed money for the pilot. Officials will evaluate the program's effectiveness throughout the pilot period.
Violence in numbers
One in five women in California who experience homelessness said intimate partner violence was the reason they left their last home, according to a report by the UCSF Benioff Housing and Homelessness Initiative.
In 2022, there were 1.37 million incidents of domestic violence victimization, according to the U.S. Bureau of Criminal Justice Statistics. More than half of female homicide victims are killed by a current or former male intimate partner.
96 percent of murder or suicide victims are women, according to a study published by the National Institutes of Health.
In San Mateo County, 911 operators receive, on average, nearly five calls a day, 365 days a year, reporting domestic violence, according to the state Attorney General's Office.
Nearly half of victimizations from intimate partner abuse and domestic violence are not reported to police.
COVID outbreak has dozens of San Francisco County inmates in isolation, the San Francisco Sheriff's Office said there are 42 confirmed COVID inmates in its custody, with the highest numbers reported at County Jail No. 3 in San Bruno.
More than three dozen inmates at the San Francisco County Jail are in isolation due to a COVID outbreak at the correctional facility, the Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.
In a statement, the San Francisco Sheriff's Office He said there are 42 confirmed COVID-19 inmates in his custody, with the highest numbers reported at County Jail No. 3 in San Bruno, which has the largest inmate population.
According to officials, 3.3 percent of the county's jail population tested positive for the virus as of Tuesday.
“Prison staff began noticing an increase in COVID cases on Thursday, June 20, and took immediate steps to test and separate infected individuals from the rest of the population. COVID testing will now be ordered on a regular basis for high-risk patients,” the police agency said.
Inmates and prison staff, including law enforcement officers, nurses and teachers, have been encouraged to wear N-95 or KN-95 masks, and testing kits are available.
“To prevent the spread of infection, staff are advised not to come to work if they are experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, congestion, sore throat and body aches,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
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