The FOA March on UNICEF has been cancelled for the time being. Click on more for more info.
DEAR SUPPORTERS:
WE WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOUR FOR YOUR OVERWHELMING SUPPORT OF OUR MARCH AGAINST UNICEF ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2007. TO DATE WE HAVE OVER 2,000 PEOPLE EAGER TO BE PART OF THIS PROTEST!
HOWEVER, UNICEF HAS RESPONDED TO OUR INTENDED DEMONSTRATION WITH A REQUEST THAT WE CANCEL THE DEMONSTRATION AND MEET WITH THEM. WE’VE DECIDED TO TRY TO DIALGOUE OVER THE ISSUES THAT ARE OF MOST CONCERN TO US ABOUT UNICEF’S POSITIONS AND INFLUENCE ON INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTIONS IN MANY COUNTRIES. I AM ALSO PLANNING TO MEET WITH THE GUATEMALAN UNICEF REPRESENTATIVE IN GUATEMALA NEXT WEEK.
THEREFORE, WE ARE CANCELLING THE OCTOBER 30, 2007 DEMONSTRATION AT UNICEF HEADQUARTERS. IF WE DO NOT FIND OUR MEETINGS WITH UNICEF SUCCESSFUL WE WILL NOTIFY YOU ABOUT ANOTHER DATE FOR A MARCH AGAINST UNICEF.
those planning to attend the demonstration are requested to remain on alert for a rescheduled demonstration in the very near future, depending upon the outcome of the discussions.
HANNAH WALLACE
PRESIDENT
FOCUS ON ADOPTION
I just went back and read how the annual Halloween Campaign has been posted. It's amazing to me that in four years, the same flier still works okay. The story hasn't changed much...
So I'll link you back to three yeras ago to get the flier(s) and the idea. But I'd like to add/ask one more thing from those participating this year.
To everyone who was asked to collect for the UNICEF campaign and is not, instead collect for another charity. That way the sprit of good work can continue.
And for all of us who may have a trick-or-treater or two come by collecting for UNICEF, let's instead pledge to donate $5 for each child that comes for UNICEF to another charity. Compliment the trick-or-treater for wanting to do good and let them know that they have achieved it, just for a different charity.
One recommendation, a great charity that I don't believe we have featured before is Behrhorst Partners For Development: http://www.behrhorst.org/
Click here to go back to the 2004 post on this campaign and find the fliers: http://www.guatadopt.com/archives/000228.html
Since UNICEF has been protecting Director Veneman and not tansferring calls to her or to her voicemail from the switchboard, then here may be a more creative way to get through while they are closed.
Phone Call: The issue that Unicef needs to clarify clearly are "does UNICEF support the grandfathering of all cases in process as of the effective date of any new law in Guatemala (cases would be processed under the current adoption system)?"; and "what do they mean by "due process" in their statement?" Due process has a very different meaning than grandfathering.
To leave a message on the voice mail of the Executive Director (Veneman) you should:
1. dial the switchboard 212-326-7000
2. Listen to the recording, and choose 1 to use the "dial a name feature"
3. Type in 8363626# (which are the numbers for the letters Veneman)
4. You should hear a voice mail outgoing message for the office of the Executive Director.
5. Leave your message at the beep.
Fax: Ask the same questions, in your own words, by fax. Unicef's fax number is 212 326 7758.
Posted on behalf of Casa Quivira In-Process Families:
Help get all 42 Casa Quivira babies home now
Many of you have posted about the Casa Quivira situation and asked, "How can I help?" Regardless of why this may have happened, there are still 42 innocent babies caught in the middle. We need your help.
Why now? Congress has been on recess and begins session again at noon on Tuesday, September 4. The developments are increasingly disturbing each day. We need to rally together for the safety, well-being, and right to a permanent family home (today, not 15 years from now) for all 42 children caught in this political mess.
Approach
Please contact the Chief of Staff or the Legislative Director in your Senators’ and Congress members’ Washington DC offices, we cannot contact lower level staffers. Call and/or Fax –email as a follow-up.
1) Call and fax both state Senators and your Congressional rep (DC offices)
2) Call and fax U.S. Government reps on the subcommittee that funds Guatemala with our Federal Tax dollars (list to follow)
3) Call and fax Consul General, John Lowell in the US Embassy
For US reps contact information—including Chief of Staff and Legislative Director names, please go to www.visi.com/juan/congress/
US Embassy in Guatemala
* Ask for John Lowell Consular General
phone: 011-502-2326-4000
Here is a sample fax. Be sure to add your approriate information. IN addition, it always best to wrote one from scratch using the same points: Download file
fax: 011-502-2326-4654, or 011-502-2326-4674
List of Senate and Congressional members of the subcommittee that funds Guatemala programs
Senator Patrick Leahy (Chairman) (VT) Senator Daniel Inouye (HI)
Senator Tom Harkin (IA) Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD)
Senator Richard Durbin (IL) Senator Tim Johnson (SD)
Senator Mary Landrieu (LA) Senator Jack Reed (RI)
Senator Judd Gregg (Ranking Member) (NH) Senator Mitch McConnell (KY)
Senator Arlen Specter (PA) Senator Robert Bennett (UT)
Senator Christopher Bond (MO) Senator Sam Brownback (KS)
Senator Lamar Alexander (TN) Chair: Nita M. Lowey (NY)
Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (IL) Adam Schiff (CA)
Steve Israel (NY) Ben Chandler (KY)
Steven R. Rothman (NJ) Barbara Lee (CA)
Betty McCollum (MN) Dave Obey (WI)
Ex Officio Frank R. Wolf (VA) Joe Knollenberg (MI)
Mark Steven Kirk (IL) Ander Crenshaw (FL)
Dave Weldon (FL) Jerry Lewis (CA), Ex Officio
*************************************************************************************
Message Points for phone calls
To Senators/Congress members:
As you may be aware, Guatemalan authorities raided the baby home of Casa Quivira, a licensed foster home in Antigua Guatemala, with 46 babies inside, on the night of August 11. These babies were all in process to be adopted by American citizens.
We are calling you because the 42 remaining babies are in jeopardy. It is still unknown to all families involved where their children are or the status of their babies’ health and well-being.
The affected families are American citizens who entered into the adoption process in “Good Faith” and should all be able to go through the established legal Guatemalan adoption process like ALL other 5,000 in-process adoption cases.
Requests:
1. That the families affected be made aware of the location of their children, the status of the health and well being of their children. Additionally, It is in the best interest of the children to be returned to the Casa Quivira facility.
2. That the Casa Quivira cases be allowed to proceed immediately and be processed in a timely manner just like all other 5,000+ in-process adoption cases that are working through the same notarial process which is specified under Guatemalan law.
I ask that you as my Senator/Congress member contact the Department of State Office of Children’s Issues with my requests.
Contact information:
Julie Furuta-Toy Director of Office of Children’s Issues
Phone: 202-736-9083
I also ask that you as my Senator/congress member contact Ambassador Castillo with my requests.
Phone: 202-745-4953
Here is a sample fax. If possible, write one from scratch as it is more effective: Download file
Posted on behalf of Families Without Borders:
Families Without Borders is an adoption advocacy group founded in 2003 during Guatemala's initial ratification of the Hague. All of our members have children who were adopted from Guatemala, and most were directly affected by the virtual shutdown of Guatemalan adoptions by PGN in 2003. Until recently we have focused primarily on educating corporate sponsors of UNICEF about the true impact of UNICEF'S policies, decisions, and actions on intercountry adoptions - especially from Guatemala. However, we are deeply and increasingly concerned by the recent DOS statements about ICA from Guatemala, as well as by the pressure they are putting on the Guatemalan government to implement specific and restrictive adoption reform laws.
We have analyzed the current published DOS position on Guatemalan intercountry adoptions and have summarized our conclusions and opinions in a "white paper." We also have crafted a sample cover letter that expresses our major concerns with the DOS position. We hope that you will read the letter and supporting white paper, and send both documents to your Senators or Congressional Representatives. At this time, we feel that these representatives have a much greater potential to influence DOS than do adoption advocacy groups. Please feel free to add personal information to the cover letter as you feel appropriate. A directory of Senators and Representatives can be found at: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm and at http://www.house.gov/writerep/ respectively. Due to potential delivery delays for security screening of mail to the House and Congress, may we suggest that fax would be the most efficient and effective method of contact.
For more information about Families Without Borders, please visit the web site www.familieswithoutborders.com
Click here to read the FWB position paper: Download file
Click here to download a sample letter: Download file
The US CIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Service) has proposed a fee increase that would impact adoptive families. The proposed increase would have the cost of fingerprrints go from $70 to $80 per person and the I600A Application would go from $545 to $670.
A public comment period on this is open until April 2. To comment, go to http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main. Enter "USCIS-2006-004" as the keyword and choose USCIS as the agency (sorry but no direct link is possible).
My personal opinion is that the fee increase is not a problem IF the funds are used to ensure proper staffing levels and training of embassy personnel.
We've been receiving a number of requests for help "organizing". Now is a sketchy time and never before has the title of the Beatles song "Tomorrow Never Knows" held more true. Admittedly, we are somewhat at a loss for what to recommend. But one of our avid readers and commenters (who hopefully is soon to join with her own Writer's Corner) put together this campaign. We thank Marie for her help!
The Call To Action
There are many changes possibly occurring in Guatemala that might affect the processing of adoption cases. Adoptions may halt and families could be left without a child. We are short on time and your child and the children of Guatemala now need your help. Just take 5 minutes to write a letter, e-mail or call your US Represntative, Senators and even the President now. President Bush is visiting Guatemala next month and adoption is most likely an area of discussion between him and Pres. Berger.
Include in your comments:
· that you wish that the U.S. continues to encourage Guatemala to take the necessary steps to pass implementing legislation that is consistent with the Hague Convention but does not remove the chance for orphans to join a permanent family.
· Tell them that you strongly agree with the DOS statement that “any sudden halt to adoption processing would be problematic and hurt both the children and adoptive parents because children would be caught in the process with no system through which they could be placed internationally with a permanent family.”
Here are some main requests you MUST stress to them:
· As parents we have entered into this on a good faith agreement
and as citizens of the United States we should be protected
· In-process cases must be allowed to continue
without unnecessary interruptions or delays, while still ensuring that everything is consistent with the law (remember that with everything going on, we need to be understanding of additional measure the Embassy may be taking)
· Encourage the DOS to honor the statement of processing all
I-600 (A) applications
· Provide additional staff at the Embassy to process these cases
accurately and in a timely manner
· You may want to provide a short summary of your adoption story
Remind them that your vote counts!
To find your reps…
U.S. Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
US House of Representatives:
http://www.house.gov/ .
To e-mail Pres. Bush:
President George W. Bush: comments@whitehouse.gov
Thanks again and call, e-mail or write those letters NOW!
Here is a sample communication:
It's that spooky time of year again, which means it's time to brace ourselves for the UNICEF Trick or Treat fund raising campaign. I was at the Notre Dame game last weekend versus UCLA (Go Irish - nice finish!) and was surpised at how many kids were there collecting for UNICEF. I wish I had brought some of these fliers with me!
Each year, many adoptive families had out fliers about UNICEF and Intercountry Adoption to parents of trick or treaters. So rather than describe whole thing again, here's a link back to the listing from 2004: http://www.guatadopt.com/archives/000228.html.
Those of us who've adopted children from Guatemala know that UNICEF's annual Halloween collection campaign involves a lot of tricks, but certainly no treats, for children hoping for a "forever family." But outside of the adoption community, very few people know what UNICEF has been up to under the guise of "helping the children."
UNICEF's tricks include:
advocating for new adoption laws without providing the funding to implement those laws effectively and care for children in orphanages and other institutions
distorting the nature of the notarial adoption process in Guatemala
denying that they oppose ICA when in fact their actions indicate they do.
We all grew up knowing a UNICEF that worked to vaccinate children, promote literacy, and provide humanitarian relief. We can only hope that UNICEF will one day return to its original mission, rather than its current emphasis on public policy advocacy that may sound good on paper but that has had a devastating impact on children eligible for adoption.
So lets make them and all parents that come to our doors on Halloween aware of what is going on.
Here are two different fliers you can use to hand out.
The first one prints four-to-a-page that is perfect for handing out to all parents out with their kids. It is a rehash from last year but unfortunately, the story hasnt changed.
The second is one developed by my lovely wife and is more designed at those Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF. Feel free to use it as-is or to customize it with your own childs picture.
The important thing here is to utilize this childrens holiday as a chance to inform more of the public about UNICEFs position on intercountry adoption and to make UNICEFs supporters aware of what all they stand for.
Lately, there have been extended dealys for in-process families waiting to receive their visa pre-approvals. So here are a few of the things being done as well as explanations for those of you wanting to take action...
Posted from the Big List with Permission from Hannah Wallace:
Dear Listmembers, I've been silent on this list for several months, but not
at all inactive. Right now I'm in Guatemala and trying to get a meeting with
Roy Hernandez regarding the systemic problems that the majority of people are
encountering with the Embassy in Guatemala. At the same time, Focus on
Adoption and the Joint Council on International Children's Services are attempting
to address the systemic issues as organizations. Back in March of 2001, INS
had a conference in Guatemala and many of the problems were resolved after that
conference. I think that there are solutions now to some of the problems,
but we need to advocate to get interest in resolution.
The problem is, and has been, primarily that the Embassy IS seriously
understaffed in relation to the crucial role they play in Guatemalan adoptions. In
trying to fulfill this expanded mandate in Guatemala (supervising the DNA
process, and pre-approving children for Visa status prior to the adoptions becoming
finalized). Furthermore, when the Congressional Delegation (Delahunt et al)
went to Guatemala, they went to investigate constituents complaints about
flawed and fraudulent adoption practices. There was also great concern about the
IAR situation, so the Embassy was really asked by Congressional leaders to step
up their investigations and maintain greater oversight over attorneys and
agency practices in Guatemala. However, there still have not been additional
officers assigned on a permanent basis to the Guatemalan BCIS post. For several
years, there have been attempts to deal with this by having officers from other
posts in the region assigned (usually month by month) to Guatemala, which
sometimes causes more problems than it solves, as they're inexperienced with the
Guatemalan process. Also what one of these temporary officers says one month,
may not be consistent with the next month.
Finally, because of the staff time problems, the Embassy has not been
receiving phone calls for many months. The only people who can really get through,
and sometimes not very quickly, are Congressional liaisons. While this frees up
their time to work on cases, it causes an incredible problem in resolving
problems when they come up. Simple misunderstandings, mistakes, etc. become
extenuated and resolution of simple problems is difficult.
I would suggest that families contact their Congressional Reps and the
Congressional Coalition on adoption to gain advocacy for solving the staffing
problems and communication problems at the Embassy -- the systemic problems. You may
want to refer to examples from your own situation, but your own situationis
multiplied by hundreds at a time and ARE the result of staffing problems. BCIS
officers need security clearance to be assigned to a post. Most officers who
have this security clearance have been assigned to "hotspots", esp. since
Sept 11. There may be budgetary considerations, which Congress can address, but
essentially the allocation of funds and officers has been made for Homeland
security above Citizenship Services.
For specific concerns about your own case, you should ask for your own
Congressional liaison to find out what is happening, and should ask for help around
specific situations. The more people who complain, the greater the chances of
being heard, especially if you address the more systemic issues.
Hannah Wallace, Adoptions International
President, Focus on Adoption: An Intercountry Adoption Advocacy Organization
Here are some e-mail addresses and websites that may come in handy:
1) Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute: info@ccainstitute.org
2) E-mail for the CIS Ombudsman: cisombudsman@dhs.gov
3) Finding your Representative: http://www.congress.org ....here you can find your congress person and ask him/her to write to Mr Cuddihy at Office of International Operations (CIS) and Mr.Mercier at Office of International Affairs(ICE)
Below is a drafted letter, courtesy of an Adoption Forum participant, that can be used:
Dear ______________,
I am writing to ask your help in whatever can be done to improve the adoption process from Guatemala, specifically the US Embassy VISA pre-approval step. After going through months of pulling together paperwork, including obtaining prior approval from the US Dept. of Homeland Security to adopt a child from Guatemala, US citizens are currently forced to wait again two more months in the middle of their adoption to get VISA pre-approval from the US Embassy.
These delays are recent (up to the beginning of May were taking the normal 2-3 week timeframe). However, in the past month they have only processed 3-4 days worth of DNA results and appear to be getting more and more behind each week. Communication with the US Embassy staff on this matter has become very difficult for families and the Embassy (DHS) has not posted any updates to why these recent delays are occurring. It should also be mentioned that the slowdown in this step is adversely affecting the rest of the adoption process - cases are routinely being kicked out of the Guatemalan Attorney Generals office (PGN) because they do not have VISA pre-approval, causing additional weeks of waits to reenter the system.
We are asking your help in contacting Joseph D. Cuddihy at the office of International Operations, Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), and Richard F. Mercier of the Office of International Affairs Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) requesting an increase in the staffing of CIS Adoption Unit in Guatemala.
If even a couple more staff members could be added to help with the flow of paperwork, perhaps adoptive families could be together sooner and the children would have much needed permanency.
Sincerely,
The spin doctors of the media have been hard at work once again legitimatizing undocumented, false claims being made about Guatemalan adoptions by Casa Alianza and UNICEF. This time around, it is not in a sensationalized newspaper story but rather as part of a Lifetime Special Report television program called Babies for Sale. You can read about it here:
http://www.lifetimetv.com/reallife/relation/features/babyforsale.html
This story/program, written by former Gen-X Time reporter Jessica Reaves, does seem to have been initiated with good intentions and appears to focus around a couple who stood the high ground against an unscrupulous lawyer in an attempted adoption that had nothing to do with Guatemala. And in as much as this program stands to educate prospective parents to adequately research and question those they hire in the adoption process, we applaud the effort.
At issue, however, is how they are framing the world of intercountry adoption. Particularly troublesome for those of us who fight to educate people on the truths of Guatemalan adoption and dispel the lies carried in the media is this excerpt:
UNICEF estimates that nearly 1,500 babies are illegally peddled from Guatemala each year for sale to couples in North America and Europe, earning criminal baby brokers an estimated $50 million each year, according to Casa Alianza, a child welfare group in Latin America.
We at Guatadopt know that this is a false, unsubstantiated claim that is being regurgitated by Ms. Reaves without ever second guessing it. And while the program does not center on Guatemalan adoptions, Ms. Reaves did have Guatemala on her mind.
On May 27th and June 1st she posted to the Adoption Forum sites looking for families who had been victimized by child trafficking. She posted this directly to the Guatemala Adoption forum along with one on Activism and Legislation and one on International Adoption - General Issues. Guatemala was the only country specific forum she posted to.
What bothers me about this is the fact that if she was using a site like that (which I think was a good thing for her to do if she was truly investigating), then she certainly had the ability to learn about Casa Alianza's stance on adoptions as well as the controversy that surrounds every claim they make. So IMHO, it was a dereliction of her journalistic integrity, intentional or not, to just quote that 1,500 figure. If she had done her homework, she'd know not to accept it at face value. Since the basis of the story is not Guatemala, she would have been best served leaving this figure out of her work. But by utilizing it in the story, it seems to me to be an at least somewhat intentional attempt to sensationalize the story without regard for objectivity and accuracy.
You can write to Lifetime TV about this though website at this location: http://www.lifetimetv.com/about/write.html . I would encourage readers to do so but to realize that this story, in its entirety, may be a valuable one. Nonetheless, the station, its producers, and Ms. Reaves need to be made aware of the impact these lies have on us. So please be kind and diplomatic while also expressing your dissatisfaction.
Guatadopt.com has attempted to contact both Lifetime TV and Ms. Reaves in order to bring this to their attention and provide them with documentation of why they should not have quoted the 1,500 adoptions figure. Thus far we have received no reply so feel free to suggest that they do contact us in your letter to them.
As you may or may not be aware, there is a new law project being presented in Guatemala. While many aspects of this bill are positive compared to previous new law proposals, it has one very disturbing aspect. This bill threatens to end the ability of single parents to adopt children from Guatemala.
Focus on Adoption will be working to try to prevent this No Singles clause from making its way through the Guatemalan Congress by proving to them that children adopted by single parents are not having their rights jeopardized. These efforts would be in addition to the work of groups like the ADA who are dedicated to preventing laws from being passed and implemented that are not consistent with the Guatemalan Constitution.
In order to do so, Focus on Adoption will be presenting the Guatemalan authorities with proof of the loving homes that single parents provide. As such, Focus on Adoption is asking for the help of singles who have adopted from Guatemala. Focus on Adoption would like to receive copies of any and all post-placement reports from singles that have adopted. If you have not had any post-placement reports done, then providing a simple progress letter and photograph will suffice. Letters from any older adoptees with single parents would also be wonderful.
Please be sure that the information sent includes your name, your childs birth and adopted names, date the adoption was completed, and who your adoption agency was. Once again, this information is needed ONLY for single parents who have adopted.
It is possible that you may be asked for this same information from your agency for the same purpose. If so, just let them know that you have already sent it directly to Focus on Adoption.
Information can be mailed to:
Focus on Adoption
312 S. Lincoln Avenue
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
Via Fax: 856-321-0809
Via E-Mail: reachoutnj@aol.com
For more information on Focus on Adoption including how to become a member, please visit http://www.focusonadoption.com.
Many of us have been nothing short of appalled by the negative and often inaccurate portrayal of Intercountry adoption from Guatemala. The mass media have failed in their journalistic duty to investigate a story comprehensively and objectively. The fact that, if true, the horrific cases written about could not reasonably result in an adoption from Guatemala is overcome by sensationalized headlines.
Individuals, grassroots organizations, and non-profit groups have been attempting to clarify the facts around adoptions from Guatemala for some time. Unfortunately, our voices have not been heard by those with the ability to create an accurate portrayal.
A petition has been written to try to show the numbers of people disturbed by the medias portrayal of Intercountry adoption from Guatemala. It is targeted to two media watchdog organizations as well as the C.I.S. in Guatemala, all of whom have the ability to help with this situation. This petition has been by endorsed by both Focus on Adoption and Families Without Borders.
To sign the petition, go to http://www.petitiononline.com/41203gm/petition.html . Please pass it on to as many people as possible.
Please have every individual sign separately rather than putting something like "Mr. and Mrs. Jones" so that we get a more accurate number of signatures.
p.s. There is a typo on the title of the petition. I am trying to get this fixed but normal rules for the petition site are, for good reason, that once it is posted, no changes are permitted. This typo will not appear when the petition is forwarded to hose it targets and I promise to do a better job of proofreading next time...
The Bay Area Group (CA) has been very successful with convening meetings with high-ranking staff members in the offices of Senators and Representatives in their area. They have pulled together information on a wide range of topics and put it into a format for use in meetings with our elected officials. The packet, which is currently 95 pages long (so don't just download and hit print unless you're really ready for that), is most effective when placed in a binder and left with the staff member after the meeting. They have also provided helpful hints about scheduling meetings, what you should bring, how you should prepare, etc.
Some notes about the packet:
(1) you will have to revise sections of it based on the composition of your own group - for instance, there is space for a list of group members, pictures, etc that will be different for each group. If you don't use a section of the packet, make sure to remove mention of it from the table of contents.
(2) there are portions of the packet that use color - for changing the color of text directly, highlighting sections of text, a map, etc. If you are using a black and white printer, go through the document carefully to make sure that these areas are still legible and differentiated from the rest of the text.
(3) this is a large file (95 pages) and might take a little while to download. Please be patient.
Please, feel free to use this packet in your meetings with senators and representatives.
Congressional Packet Kit - ms word
The Bay Area group indicated that they didnt start seeing what they really need from the reps (calls/ letters) until they began meeting with them. The dozens of letters their office received prior to the request for a meeting got their interest, but it was the meetings that really have been the golden nugget in terms of getting officials to ACT on our concerns.
Julie Nicholson has put together some pointers that the Bay Area Group has learned from these meetings. You can find it at:
Helpful hints for Congressional meetings - ms word
Julie is willing to correspond with anyone who wants further information on setting up a meeting, how theirs have gone, etc. She can be reached at: juliemn@earthlink.net.
If you simply want to know what to ask for when the congressional offices call in response to your repeated letters, a list of "action points" (which is also found in the packet) has been compiled. Remember that meeting directly with a staffer is the best way to get action, but you can start with the action points here:
A big thanks to all of the people who have worked on this packet, and provided documents or information for inclusion. We hope that it will be put to use by many people as senators and representatives all over the country are faced with requests for meetings on this issue!
My amazing group of coauthors has worked feverishly to put together another petition. This one is addressed to Michelle Bernier-Toth, Director of the Office of Children's Issues at the U.S. Department of State. It outlines the problems that are being faced with the U.S. government position regarding Guatemalan adoptions (eg sending us to the Central Authority for information, suspending DNA authorizations, etc) and requests five major points of action.
Please read, sign, and pass on to everyone that you can, the petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/DOSguat/petition.html
We have requested that you supply your state of residence. That request was made because we hope that U.S. Senators and Congressional Representatives will look at this petition while considering how they will intervene on behalf of their constituents. If they see that there are people from all over the country who are affected, and many people from their state, then they might be more likely to take positive action quickly.
The petition was authored by Ellen Daley, Allison McSweeney and myself (Maura Meade-Callahan) with thoughtful revisions by Theresa Lacey and Hannah Wallace. Thanks to everyone.
In consultation with adoption professionals and adoptive parents, we have pulled together another online petition. This petition is specifically for US adoptive parents who have "transition" cases and have not been able to get DNA authorization from the US embassy.
Although we know there are many people who support the position that the BCIS should resume DNA authorization and testing immediately, we thought that a statement directly from those involved would have a great impact. We do encourage everyone to continue mailing your letters to Joe Cuddihy at the BCIS. A sample letter is available on this site. I also hope to put together a more general petition to get the DOS and BCIS to stop legitimizing the Central Authority in Guatemala. However, that one isn't done yet.
For now, I encourage all families who are stuck in the process without DNA authorization to please visit the petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/DNAauth/petition.html and sign it. I will fax letters to Joseph Cuddihy (BCIS in DC) and Roy Hernandez (US Embassy in Guatemala) tomorrow to let them know about the online petition. Hopefully there will be quite a few signatures on it by that time.
Thanks,
Maura Meade-Callahan
with special recognition to petition co-authors (in alphabetical order): Ellen Daley, Tina Edmonson, Allison McSweeney, and Julie Nicholson
Maura Meade-Callahan has written a position statement for us. I encourage everyone to take the time to read it and sign it. As many of you know, UNICEF has been pressuring the Central Authority to implement unrealistic procedures.
UNICEF Position Paper/Petition
**NOTE: I have had many comments on this post and I wanted to make sure that readers did NOT think that by adding a comment, they were signing the petition. To read/sign the petition, click here or on the link above. At the top of the petition are links to sign or to view signatures. There is also a place for your comments.