hunger strike from La Prensa

Two women who made hunger strike in front of the National Palace to demand the appearance of their daughters smaller than had been robbed today said them to have recognized during a diligence in the General Office of the judge advocate general of the Nation (PGN). Ana Field of broom and Olga Lopez ended their uninformed one and went today to the PGN to verify if some of the children who would show to them there were his. The minors were found and put to disposition of that institution after a levelling the Saturday last in a house she cradles clandestine in zone 9. Field of broom said indeed that, was its Zulemita daughter there, to whom they snatched it in March of 2007, and that it recognized thanks to spots that the girl has. Olga Lopez also said to recognize its small Suly Amaryllis, that not known robbed it when as soon as it was 37. Although the women protested like hers to the two minors, the PGN did not allow the encounter because the legal process not yet has been clarified. In order to guarantee fehacientemente that Ana and Olga have found their daughters, the test of the DNA to order will be due to practice of a court of minors.

How are the kids doing now that there is less MONEY

from the US Adoption industry?

Typical US Story - Heavy on annectdotal commentary

Light on substantive policy content. Totally APPROPRIATE! I understand and appreciate all coverage. It's the human element that makes the story so very compelling. Each baby is precious and their families are so important; here and there. 4000 such stories last year... WHATSNEXT?

http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/featr/content/features/stories/2008/04/13/Adopt.html


"They are just about ready to give up.

Blair and Gary Miller have a real desire to adopt a little girl from China. They already have done it once: Connelly, now 5, was adopted in 2003.

But if the seemingly endless backlog in Chinese adoptions continues, the Rocky Mount couple could be looking at a five- to 10-year wait before they hold the new child in their arms, Blair Miller said. The wait is just too long for the Millers, who have two biological children in addition to Connelly."

he Millers knew about programs with other countries, but they wanted Connelly to have a sibling from China who she could better relate to, Miller said. Having started the paperwork for a second adoption in February, it now seems easier to be content with the three children they have rather than start all over with another country.

"Knowing the type of life that we have given our daughter and thinking about where she started in an orphanage, it is absolutely heartbreaking knowing how we could change another child's life and that it is not going to happen," Miller said.

Officials in China say the delays are due to staff shortages, major changes to their adoption law in 2007, that there are fewer orphans for Americans to adopt because Chinese citizens are being encouraged to adopt domestically and people from other countries are waiting as well, Johnson said.

In Russia, a decrease in adoptions followed a shift in the responsibilities of certain ministries and the implementation of a new procedure requiring private groups to register, Johnson said. Things are slowly getting back to normal in there.

There have been short-term moratoriums in the Ukraine, and one in Nepal for almost a year, Johnson said. Slowdowns in countries such as South

Guate News Adoption

Adoption problems in other countries

From..."The Associated Press

The slowdown affecting adoptions from China coincides with unrelated complications in several other countries that have been major sources of adopted children for American parents. Some examples:"

This is about adoption in general and mention Guatemala prominently-

"-GUATEMALA: Irregularities and suspected fraud have cast a cloud of uncertainty over many of the 2,900 pending U.S. adoptions from Guatemala, which is the second-largest source of adopted children - after China - for the United States. The State Department on April 1 advised potential adoptive parents not to initiate new adoptions from Guatemala."

A bit simplistic, but

and"

"RUSSIA: Laws affecxcvjhzxczxzxczxcting refer to oriinal article s by foreighljklhners have become stricter, while Russia has been trying to expand domestic refer to oriinal article . Last year, XYZZY,310 Russian children were adopted by Americans, down from a peak of 5kjhxzc865 in XYZZY00hkj4.

-VIETNAM: Renewed U.S.,nnzx concern about possible baby selling, fraud and corruption - and same fears that led to suspension of Vietnamese refer to oriinal article s from XYZZY003 to XYZZY005 - are again holding up visas for some babies adopted in Vietnam. and U.S. embassy has confirmed more than a dozen problematic cases, and Vietnamese refer to oriinal article officials have said roughly XYZZY0 American families are affected.

-KAZAKHSTAN: Officials of Kazakhstan, and eighth-largest supplier of adopted children to and U.S. in XYZZY007, informed and State Department last month that it was reviewing its refer to oriinal article process and would suspend its normal handling of applications during and review."

http://www.kansascity.com/440/story/568533.html

Week 1 - Guate Hague Compliance

The first week of the new Hague convention has come and gone. We are planning to return to Guatemala to assist the orphanages with the additional children that we anticipate will be aggregating at the existing orphanages. We plan to be back in Guatemala shortly with people and resources and will be finalizing our partnership and support for the existing organizations.
Our first priority will be for the newborns and infants that are not cared for by their birth mothers. We plan to offer nutritional supplements in the form of baby formula for the foster mothers helping with newborns. We also intend to assist with foster homes for babies that had been planned to be adopted internationally and have now been delayed as well as some of the government-run orphanages which have very few resources.
We will attempt to quickly solicit donations of food, clothing, vitamins, and, of course, money. All donations should be made through and to Orphan Helpers out of Newport News, Virginia or call me, Jamie Waller, at 908-656-3915 or e-mail me, please. Thank you.

This is IT - State Department shuts door!!

Ouchie!!

Warning: Adoptions Initiated in Guatemala on or after April 1, 2008




April 1, 2008


The Department of State advises potential adoptive parents and adoption service providers not to initiate new adoptions from Guatemala because the Department cannot process such adoptions from Guatemala to completion at this time.

The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the Convention) entered into force with respect to the United States on April 1, 2008. Effective April 1, 2008, newly initiated intercountry adoptions between the United States and other Convention countries must comply with the Convention’s standards.

Guatemala acceded to the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention in March 2003. Guatemala, however, has not yet established the regulations and infrastructure necessary to meet its obligations under the Convention. As a result, the Department of State cannot issue the documentation required by the Intercountry Adoption Act (IAA) for issuance of an immigrant visa for Convention adoption cases.

Background and feedback from the front...

First thing that I have read where people are turning back....

"From the Joint Council on International Children's Services:

March 28, 2008 On December 31, 2007, the Hague Convention went into force in Guatemala. On April 1, 2008, the Hague Convention goes into force with respect to the United States. With the Convention in force in both countries and with Guatemala not currently having a functional Hague compliant intercountry adoption process, new adoptions between the United States and Guatemala can not be processed. Until such time that Guatemala has a functional Hague compliant process for intercountry adoptions, USCIS can not process I800-A or I800 petitions for Guatemala as of April 1, 2008. It is the current assessment of Joint Council that intercountry adoption and other permanency services will not be viable options for Guatemalan orphans until some time in 2009.
Joint Council Delegation to Guatemala On April 16th, Joint Council and its Guatemala Caucus Co-chairs, Bruce Mossberg of Bethany Christina Services, Chris Huber of FTIA and Margaret Orr of Small Miracles International, will travel to Guatemala for a series of meetings. With a long-term goal of reestablishing intercountry adoption and all other permanency services as viable options for children living outside of family care, this delegation will seek to assess the status of the current Hague implementation plan, the status of pending adoption cases, and the feasibility of a joint effort to assist the Guatemalan government in providing much needed services to children. Joint Council remains committed to its mission of protecting every child’s right to a permanent, safe and loving family. It is our belief that the delegation to Guatemala will be the first step in achieving our mission for the children of Guatemala."

http://kinnells.blogspot.com/2008/04/some-disappointing-news.html

Interesting Article in La Prensa..

{from 2006}

Adopción de niños está en riesgo, advierte EE.UU.
Por: Olga López

El Gobierno de Estados Unidos advirtió que si Guatemala no aprueba una ley de adopciones que garantice la legalidad de los niños, se podrían suspender las adopciones hacia ese país.

El cónsul estadounidense en el país, John Lowell, indicó ayer que su gobierno se vería obligado a tomar esta medida cuando ratifique el Convenio de La Haya, en 2007.

Declaró que uno de los requerimientos que exige este acuerdo es que cada país miembro cuente con un ente rector que vigile que los procesos de adopción se efectúen de manera legal.

Es importante que exista esta autoridad central, pues se encargaría de realizar las investigaciones sobre la procedencia de los menores y de revisar que los procesos de adopción se efectúen de manera transparente.

intersting egg article FT

{Above My Payscale, but...}

http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=1008

Egg Donors and Human Trafficking

By Michele Clark and Jennifer Lahl

Tuesday, April 1, 2008, 8:39 AM

Whenever most people hear the term “egg donor,” they usually consider this a good thing, as most of us assume that anyone who donates is altruistically motivated and thus engaged in something intrinsically good. And besides, it’s for a great cause, so everything is all right, yes?

Nothing could be further from the truth. Sadly, egg donation has less to do with altruism and more to do with the exploitation of women–particularly young women and often poor women who are usually facing large debts or just trying to make ends meet.

In fact, we contend that human egg harvesting is the newest form of human trafficking.

There is a fairly universal consensus that something horrible called human trafficking exists. We watch documentaries of young women and children being forced into the commercial sex industry, or toiling long hours in sweatshops. Our hearts ache at the human misery we see. Slowly, we Americans are beginning to recognize that these abuses of human life and dignity take place in our own backyards. Thankfully, the United States has been a leader in the global war to combat human trafficking. It was one of the first countries to pass comprehensive legislation that recognizes trafficking as a crime and that calls for concrete action, both in this country and overseas, to prevent it, as well as to protect and assist victims of trafficking and bring perpetrators to justice.

So what exactly are the current laws addressing human trafficking, and why do we think that human egg harvesting must be seen through the trafficking lens?

First, there is the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), which was signed into law on October 28, 2000, and imposes severe sentences on those who have been convicted of human trafficking. The TVPA demonstrates U.S. commitment to assist those persons trafficked into the United States by providing them with assistance and granting them a three-year residence visa–if they agree to cooperate with law-enforcement efforts.

But is the TVPA enough to keep human trafficking at bay? Unfortunately, no. Turn on the news, pick up a newspaper, and the stories are still there. The TVPA does not go far enough in preventing human trafficking and monitoring new means of abuse, notably those forms that develop as a result of technological and medical advances.

The TVPA also falls short in its definition of trafficking, which only includes sexual exploitation and forced or bonded labor. A more inclusive and comprehensive definition is required to correct newer forms of human-trafficking violations. The United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime–known as the Trafficking Protocol–provided the anti-trafficking community with the first generally accepted definition of the crime and allows for a broader interpretation of trafficking. The Trafficking Protocol indicates that the purposes of exploitation that it lists are not to be considered exhaustive but rather are a “minimum listing”: “At a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs” constitute human trafficking (emphasis added).

Article 3 of the Traficking Protocol provides a more comprehensive definition of human trafficking, namely:

• acts of trafficking, which include recruitment of persons. Young women are heavily recruited for their eggs. One Google search would confirm this.
• means of trafficking, such as forms of coercion, fraud, deception, the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability, or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits.
• purposes of trafficking: exploitation, which is at the heart of trafficking, for the purpose of forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, or the removal of organs.

In March 2005, the European Parliament, taking its cue from the Trafficking Protocol, issued a resolution specifically condemning the trade in human eggs. The resolution, titled the European Parliament Resolution on the Trade in Human Egg Cells, was a direct response to the exploitation of Eastern European young women and condemned “the trade in human egg cells,” stating that “harvesting of egg cells poses a high medical risk to the life and health of women.” And, “despite the possibility of serious effects on women’s life and health, the high price paid for egg cells incites and encourages donation, given the relative poverty of the donors.” The European Union got serious about human trafficking following news stories of several young women who were severely harmed through egg donation in Eastern Europe.

U.S. laws do not currently recognize the trafficking of human organs as part of human trafficking. Yet the United States did recently ratify the U.N. Trafficking Protocol and, consequently, has a commitment to bring its national legislation into harmony with its provisions. The buying and selling of human tissue represents a commodification of the human body that has already been declared an affront to the basic dignity of the human being by international laws. Egg donation is a form of trafficking in the human body.

Vulnerable young women, trusting the medical establishment with their well-being, are being heavily recruited by means of deceptive advertisements and coerced with large sums of money in relation to their social-economic status. Advertisements such as Eggdonation.com recruit egg donors by suggesting that they are the “solution to solving female infertility.” Thedonorsource.com says their egg donors create the “pathway to parenthood.” Elitedonors.com, who represents financially well-off clients, offers a maximum compensation of $100,000 for the “preferred donor” who meets a set profile of physical characteristics. And now, adding to the competition for eggs, cloning researchers such as Harvard’s Kevin Eggan and Advanced Cell Technologies’ Robert Lanza say they hope there are women willing to donate their eggs for their cloning research in order to develop patient matched stem-cell lines.

The U.N. Trafficking Protocol places a premium on the crime of taking advantage of vulnerable women–whether young college women who face graduation with the prospect of entry-level wages and large student loans, or migrant workers in Spain who are unlikely to get within a hundred miles of a college education and so succumb to the growing egg trade in their country. Whatever their nationality or class, they are not told the truth about the health risks of egg donation. Medical science does not know the full implications of egg harvesting because there is inadequate tracking, monitoring, and meaningful short- or long-term follow-up of these young women. Prospective donors are told simply that there are “no known risks.”

One donor explains her experience: When she had questions about the consent form, she was hurried and encouraged to “just sign it.” After she made repeated calls complaining of side effects, a nurse from the agency finally responded that it was all part of taking the drugs and that she should continue to endure the side effects. Ultimately, the agency’s inadequate screening process and neglect led to her suffering a major stroke and paralysis, and finally cost her the ability to conceive children naturally. Another woman was hospitalized with severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Less than a year later, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. These are only two examples of scores of similarly poor outcomes that have appeared in the medical literature but that are not systematically reported to any regulatory body. Potential donors have the right to know how common these disastrous outcomes are.

GlobalART USA’s website touts its company as “The IVF Physicians’ Source for High-Quality Oocytes . . . At Exceptional Prices.” It is a state-of-the-art IVF laboratory maintained in Eastern Europe, in full operation since 1998. Why you might ask would a U.S. company be in full operation in Eastern Europe? So we can traffic human eggs to the world. The United States must extend its definition of human trafficking and realize that a new form of trafficking is occurring in egg harvesting. No matter how great the demand is for the human egg, we must resolve to protect young and vulnerable women.

Michele Clark is an adjunct professor in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and an international expert on combating human trafficking. Jennifer Lahl is national director of the Center for Bioethics and Culture Network and founding director of Hands Off Our Ovaries, an international awareness campaign on the risks of egg-harvesting practices.

Hey - We Drove through Teculutan on Easter Sunday - Day before the shootout

Not sure what to make of this story. Seems scary like most police-drug related stories. As usual Juan Carlos does and excellent job of reporting -

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23817817/

"GUATEMALA CITY - Guatemalan prosecutors were investigating Wednesday whether a reputed Mexican drug lord was among the 11 people killed in a shootout this week.

Guatemalan news media, citing unidentified police sources, have reported that Joaquin Guzman — the reputed head of the Sinaloa cartel — was killed in the gunbattle Tuesday outside a water park in Teculutan, a drug-trafficking stronghold in northeastern Guatemala.

Eight people died at the scene, and three others died later.

Drug prosecutor Geovanny Castro told a news conference that officials do not have any evidence that Guzman was killed, but they also can't rule out the idea because three of the victims have yet to be identified. Castro said samples have been taken from the bodies to perform DNA tests.

In Mexico, Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora said officials were working with their Guatemalan counterparts to confirm whether any of the victims were even Mexican.

"Whether a Mexican drug lord was among those detained or killed is just speculation," he said.

Guatemalan police detained three Mexicans and three Guatemalans after the shootout.

Guzman was arrested in 1993 in Guatemala. He escaped from a Mexican jail in 2001 by hiding in a laundry cart.

He is now one of Mexico's most-wanted drug lords and is believed to lead the powerful Sinaloa cartel.

Wow... sound familiar - Very Insightful from Dr. Rotabi

"For example, there are cases when a child is abandoned with the district health nurse, midwife, or other trusted community leader. It is not uncommon for this individual who receives the baby to then seek a willing and able family to take in and care for the child. The receiving parent(s) may go to the local municipality to have a birth certificate issued with their family name indicating the adoptive parents as birth parents. A child may never be told that this transaction took place. This process of paperwork alteration would typically take place in a small municipality office, with nothing more than a clerk and a type writer. There would be no further documentation than an altered birth certificate. This is indicative of a society that has many non-formal practices and, as a result, these 'adoptions' are not tracked in national data (Rotabi, et. al, in press).

The Associated Press Story Casa Quiveras

Is it getting better or worse??

A full Moon Easter Procession

Okay- Yes this is a little off subject, but it is a wonderful experience... and How many people get to spend time in Guastatoya ??

Visiting with the kids

Wonderful loving children

Dear Diary

  Saturday was spent at a major conference that studies the change in adoption and it's impact. Hosted by Holt International and the Local Social Service Agency - Bienestar Social. 

  Very earnest and hardworking people showed their passion and commitment to serving the kids.  There was considerable focus on the need to de-instituionalize the kids. Evidence show that they blossoms emotionally and intellectually when place with adoptive or foster parents. 

 Set up many appointments for the coming week. Many who work for the government are on vacation after Wednesday, but they have offered to meet with us.  

  With 187 private orphanages and only 7 public, it is clear that the public sector wants to work with charities and Churches. 

 

The Kids are God's amazing gift

Day 2 Casa Fundaninos

Day 1 Guatamala City Photo Album - Jamie and Emilio

Day One Pics

Orphans and Casa Hogares

Diary

Diary Observations

" It's important for us to articulate the vision that talks about helping the babies where they are and reaching them with nourishment, nutrition, and of course, the Holy Spirit and witnessing Jesus Christ to them where they are. We are outside the political fray and want to assist the government. However, the government ultimately chooses to pursue things."




just wanted to tell you a little bit about this wonderful country. We keep learning more and more each day. The impression of the orphan industry is quite varied. There are those who think it will be a continuation of past initiatives and that the attorneys that provide the adoption services will ultimately go on and continue as if it's business as normal. Many others believe that the change will be more profound.

The perception of these baby meetings and these mass meetings of the babies with American adoptive parents took them to be potential for a number of years to certain hotels for meet and greet opportunities. The stories of children who were stolen from their mothers and those that were encouraged to get pregnant, stay pregnant, and have babies for compensation, are quite compelling and emotionally they are very challenging. The problem is, is that nobody has a good idea what the percentages are, how many are in the different categories, and how much it has really changed. It's important for us to articulate the vision that talks about helping the babies where they are and reaching them with nourishment, nutrition, and of course, the Holy Spirit and witnessing Jesus Christ to them where they are. We are outside the political fray and want to assist the government. However, the government ultimately chooses to pursue things.

This recent tumultuous history of this country is incredibly complicated and frightening. The perception of these various factions within the country that have very different interests is a concern. We heard the attorneys that specialize in adoptions referred to as the mafia lawyers, and that this was in essence an unorganized or semi-organized group of attorneys that were making a great deal of money and were unscrupulous and powerful and dangerous. Still very much a sense that if you're on the wrong side of any activity, your life would be put in danger and need to be very cautious in dealing with anyone who may have something to hide. The article that Greg had written was perhaps a bit viewed as perhaps a bit incendiary or potentially contentious, and we would need to be very cautious in how we pursued that line of reasoning and that thought process. All in all, a massively wonderful day. This is an incredible country, a beautiful place, wonderful people, and incredible natural resources, and just a real exciting place to be at this point in time.

March 12, 2008.

Day One

"Well we are changing planes in Houston. We arrived at Newark Airport this morning at 4:30 and are a little tired. One of the thoughts and concerns about the research project is that somebody had mentioned that the orphans in the adoption pipeline may have been grand-fathered into the adoption process and that many pundits are not as concerned or anxious or fearful that the tsunami of unwanted babies will occur. Part of me wonders if there may be a certain amount of business as usual, in other words, the 15 babies a day being exported to the US may be continuing and the transition to government supervision may be more of a soft transition or not the hard stop that we had been led to believe. That still begs the larger question, is there essentially a baby manufacturing component to the Guatemalan economy and my inexperience, my lack of experience in this area, makes me realize that I do not know or do not understand what the implications of that are, so those are my thoughts and will try to frame the research accordingly.