Adoptions from Africa are wrong, Kreviazuk says

Publication date: 23 June 2009

Victoria Times ColonistJune 23, 2009

Celebrities such as Madonna and Angelina Jolie are making a mistake by adopting African children, says Canadian pop singer Chantal Kreviazuk.

Kreviazuk--who plays a fundraiser in Victoria today for War Child Canada--said she believes Madonna and Jolie are well-intentioned, but the celeb adoption trend is merely a Band-Aid solution to a complex problem.

"It's traumatic; the(adopted African children) never truly feel they belong. They always wonder where their siblings are," Kreviazuk said in an interview from Los Angeles.

Kreviazuk's performance, with husband Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace, also features a talk by War Child Canada founder Dr. Samantha Nutt. Kreviazuk has worked for a decade with War Child Canada, which helps war-affected children around the world.

She had considered international adoption herself, but rejected the idea.

"The number one thing children want when they lose their parents is not to be separated," Kreviazuk said.

Countries: Canada