Adoption Alert—Suspension of Adoptions from Ethiopia

This updates our April 21, 2017 Adoption Alert to provide additional information on the Government of Ethiopia’s recent suspension of adoptions.

On April 21, the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s Office declared an immediate suspension of intercountry adoptions. The U.S. Department of State does not yet know how long this suspension will last. The Office of Children’s Issues and the Embassy are working with the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MOWA) and the Prime Minister’s Office to seek more information on the terms of the suspension. We are urging the Ethiopian government to allow continued processing of cases that were in progress prior to this suspension.

If you have questions about your pending case, please contact your Adoption Service Provider. You may also write to ConsAdoptionAddis@state.gov if you have questions about an adoption-related visa application or immigrant petition. You may copy the Office of Children’s Issues at Adoption@state.gov on your email to the Embassy if you wish.

Please continue to monitor travel.state.gov for updated information on intercountry adoption in Ethiopia.

May 2, 2017. Petition to Aid U.S. Citizen Guatemala Adoption Advocate. Nancy Bailey, an American who has lived in Guatemala, was arrested in 2014 and charged with child-trafficking. Bailey had run a foster home called Semillas de Amor (Seeds of Love) which had cared for many children who were adopted by U.S. families. International adoption from Guatemala was suspended at the beginning of 2009 but Bailey continued to run her children's home. When Bailey was first arrested, she was kept in house arrest but has been imprisoned for the last year. Now her trial will begin soon. This petition, filed by her U.S. supporters requests that Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman Jared Huffman intervene to:

Immediately contact the U.S. Ambassador in Guatemala to request a U.S. Embassy Official observe her trial to ensure its fairness and legality,

Personally explore the circumstances of Nancy's situation further as it concerns the global criminalization of the noble act of adoption and the unjust judicial treatment of Americans abroad. Given the politicization of international adoption in Guatemala, having a U.S. Embassy observer at any proceedings seems a necessary protection.

To read the petition, please click here.

https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/justice-for-nancy-bailey.html?sh=Sq%2FoX3JsH4hEfhIC8Xz43eFKgbfl9JSMCCL1hJjgtDw%3D

EU Affairs Minister Birchall: Romania - child protection best practice model to UNICEF

2 Mai 2017, 18:35 • ENGLISH

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Romania is one of the Central and Eastern European countries UNICEF relies on, and in this respect the United Nations Children's Fund has invited Romania to increase its involvement in efforts to improve the situation of children in various states in this region.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, the subject was discussed Tuesday during the meeting of Minister Delegate for European Affairs Ana Birchall with UNICEF Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States Afshan Khan. UNICEF representative in Romania Sandie Blanchet and UNICEF Romania Communication and Fund Raising Manager Despina Andrei also attended the meeting.

(Representative Image)

(Representative Image)

MUMBAI: The metropolis recorded as many as 1,940 cases of kidnapping of minors last year—a little over 5 cases every day— next only to Delhi, which reported 5,769 such cases. Mumbai accounted for nearly one-fourth of the child kidnapping cases in Maharashtra (8260), which is ranked second among states after Uttar Pradesh.

According to the NCRB report, a majoirty of the victims in Mumbai were between the ages of 12-15 years (894). Police officers attributed the high numbers to minors running away from home, eloping with lovers, followed by kidnapping for rape, adoption, revenge, murder and ransom. A police officer said most cases of missing children are recorded as kidnapping—especially when girls elope with young men.

The NCRB report shows the number of kidnapping for ransom is low. Besides, 20 children in Mumbai were kidnapped for forcing them into slavery, begging or trafficking in 2016.

Born and abandoned in Mumbai, reborn in Sweden, Erika Sandberg says she is Indian on the outside, but feels Swedish on the inside.

Rediff.com's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel narrates her tale.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

In August 1976, a Swissair jet flew out of the monsoon skies of Bombay, due west, with a precious little bundle onboard.

The Boeing was headed for Zurich. In Switzerland probably another air hostess took careful charge of this special delivery as she boarded a flight headed to Stockholm.

Born and abandoned in Mumbai, reborn in Sweden, Erika Sandberg says she is Indian on the outside, but feels Swedish on the inside.

Rediff.com's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel narrates her tale.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

In August 1976, a Swissair jet flew out of the monsoon skies of Bombay, due west, with a precious little bundle onboard.

The Boeing was headed for Zurich. In Switzerland probably another air hostess took careful charge of this special delivery as she boarded a flight headed to Stockholm.

Indian on the outside, Swedish on the inside

By Vaihayasi Pande Daniel

Last updated on: April 28, 2017 17:16 IST

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Born and abandoned in Mumbai, reborn in Sweden, Erika Sandberg says she is Indian on the outside, but feels Swedish on the inside.
Rediff.com's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel narrates her tale.
Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Development & Education

Fairy godmother or child trafficker? An American woman stands trial in Guatemala.

April 26, 2017 · 2:15 PM EDT

By Laurie Stern

nancy with kids.jpg

It's called the 'second-hand children's market': In the United States, parents are allowed to give away their adopted children if problems arise. There are even special “fashion shows” organized. In ZEMBLA INTERNATIONAL you can see how children present themselves on the catwalk. They are adopted children looking for new parents. The procedures surrounding the American re-adoptions are neatly arranged on paper. It is intended as a solution. And sometimes it can mean a new start for a child when untenable tensions arise in an adoptive family. But when French journalists investigate, they also encounter the excesses of this system.

In ZEMBLA INTERNATIONAL an investigation into the relocation of American adopted children.

Also watch the extra report for this broadcast: 'The ranch for kids '

Every year an American charity sets up the red carpet in the Lutheran church in the American town of Topton. During the children's fashion show, the children do everything they can to be allowed to go home with one of the potential new adoptive parents in the audience. Cindy, visitor to the children's fashion show:

"It almost looks like a trade fair, where children are the product."

You’ll never again have to worry about losing your wallet

In emergencies, medical personnel will have easy access to your health data

You’ll be able to automatically control many of your devices

Chips may however make us prime targets for people with bad intentions

We need to think about who really benefits from human microchipping