ACT | Documents

Former Holt CEO accused of sex abuse.

Byline: Jeff Wright The Register-Guard

A lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleges that former Holt International CEO David Cousineau sexually molested an underage girl for four years while he served as a Roman Catholic priest in the 1970s.

Cousineau resigned from the Holt position in April, two months after the adoption agency learned he had once been accused of molesting an 11-year-old boy in California. An independent law firm hired by Holt couldn't substantiate those allegations, but the agency decided the accusation had impaired Cousineau's ability to manage Holt.

The plaintiff in the new suit said in a telephone interview that she decided to file after learning Cousineau worked in a job involving children.

"I heard he worked with orphans, and I just thought that was a scary situation," she said. "I felt I had to come forward and that something needed to be done."

Organizations: Holt International Children's Services Inc.

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Il Network intende promuovere il dialogo giovanile multiculturale a livello europeo e il processo di pacificazione nella regione balcanica con la creazione e consolidamento di una rete di relazioni locali e internazionali, anche attraverso l’utilizzo delle nuove tecnologie.
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Viewing cable 04BRUSSELS2496, VERHEUGEN RESPONSE TO DEPUTY SECRETARY ON ROMANIAN

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin

04BRUSSELS2496 2004-06-10 12:56 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Brussels

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

Countries: Romania

Organizations: Independent Panel of Family Law Experts of the EU Member States, Wikileaks, Lobby to Re-open Romanian Adoptions (2001- )

Persons: Richard L. Armitage

Placement agencies for adopted children

Since January 1, 2003, the federal government has been responsible for supervising the placement offices for adoptive children. In accordance with Article 6 of the old adoption ordinance and in accordance with the Hague Convention, the federal government and the cantons guarantee the reliability and seriousness of the placement agencies on the list. Accordingly, the cantons were previously and since January 1, 2003 the federal government has been responsible for approving the switching centers. The responsible regional social services provide the list of recognized adoption agencies to parents who are willing to adopt, thereby providing a guarantee. Parents who are willing to adopt and who care about the child's well-being rely on the list of Swiss placement agencies with a Swiss permit, which is checked by the authorities.

In this context I ask the Federal Council:

1. According to which criteria does the federal government draw up a license or withdraw it?

2. What does the official approval of an exchange guarantee for?

3. Is the Federal Council aware that the agency "RomAdopt" is working with questionable practices?

Countries: Switzerland, Romania

Community college initiative by the Madras Centre for Research and Development of Community Education

June 08, 2004

Community college initiative by the Madras Centre for Research and Development of Community Education

Mylapore Times (dated May 29 - June 04, 2004), a local neighbourhood newspaper in Chennai, interviewed Dr. Xavier Alphonse, a Jesuit priest who set up the Madras Centre for Research and Development of Community Education (MCRDCE) in 1999 to facilitate the growth of community colleges in India. For the last five years, the centre has been actively involved in this process and has, till date, helped to set up 111 colleges.

Dr. Xavier Alphonse, director of MCRDCE, has served as the Principal of Loyola College, Chennai, for three years and currently works in the English Department of this college. He set up the Madras Community College in San Thome in 1996, worked here for three years and visited 18 community colleges abroad, before he decided to set up the centre.

Here's the text of the interview.

How would you define a community college? It is a place that makes people fit for a job. It is an alternative system of education to empower the socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged. Here, we concentrate more on skill development based on each individual. Anyone can join - school dropouts, degree holders who want to learn a particular skill - we even have students from the rural areas. Anyone from the age group of 16 to 47 years can enroll.
What is this 'alternative' system of education?
First, we concentrate on teaching life-coping skills. This covers self-esteem, motivation, time management, dealing with loneliness and failure - a complete attitudinal formation of the individual. Second, we have a dynamic relationship with employers. So far, formal education and industries have been like a railway track, they never met. But with community colleges, they are very much a part of the process. Internship is a must for everyone, because we believe that hands-on experience is invaluable. Here, we follow a reverse process as compared to formal education. We conduct a complete analysis of the employment scene and see where people are required. We have assured job placement.
Why were community colleges started ?
The movement began in order to give equal opportunities to all. In my experience as a teacher, I have seen that the poor always get eliminated. They needed a space of their own. According to a UNDP survey, there are 550 million people in India without skills, though we are ranked seventh when it concerns information technology skills. Obviously, skills of the day are not reaching the poor.
What is the role of the centre you run?
We are the facilitators. Before we help to set up a community college, we conduct meticulous and extensive research on the community. We approach industries or organisations for help and sponsorship. I design textbooks and the centre also helps in teacher training. We have trained more than 650 teachers so far. Now we are trying to make the projects financially viable, as no fees are charged. In the sense, if they cannot pay, we don't throw them out. Some of the students have been known to pay the institution after they get jobs and they even sponsor the education of some of their juniors.
How is the movement progressing ?
It is a positive growth. For our centre, I believe that we have crossed the first stage of conceptualising and implementation. Now we need to concentrate on consolidation and quality sustenance. Personally, I want the community colleges to go to rural areas as well. We need to set them up there, hone skills in integrated farming, horticulture and tapping native medicines so that they can give back to the community. Another thing we need to concentrate on is the vertical growth of the students - how to induct them into other universities for higher studies. I am trying to link up with open universities for this purpose.

The MCRDCE web site provides some more information.

The Community College movement started in India in 1995. As the Community Colleges were emerging, there was a need felt by the Community Colleges to have a Co-ordinating Agency. To respond to this need, The Madras Centre for Research and Development of Community Education (MCRDCE) was started in January 1999. It is an undertaking of the Jesuits of Tamilnadu Province to help, facilitate and consolidate the Community College Movement. The Centre is the unit of the Loyola Technical Institute Society, Madurai.
MCRDCE is a service agency that helps the various Community Colleges in different aspects of the Community College system. It is not a body of accreditation that gives recognition and approval for the Community Colleges. It performs the functions of helping the agencies to establish Community Colleges, monitor them continuously and evaluate them periodically. It has succeeded in bringing all the Community Colleges for five Consultations during the last two years. It has also conducted two national workshops involving the NGOs in India and existing Community Colleges in collaboration with the HRD Ministry. It has fulfilled the function of net working among the Colleges and sharing of information. It has provided a direction and a focus to the Community College Movement.

For more details, contact
Madras Centre for Research and Development of Community Education
Gokul Villa, 'A' Block, Flat No. S5&S6, 2nd Floor,
No. 250, R.K. Mutt Road, R.A. Puram, Chennai - 600 028. E-mail : mcrdce@vsnl.com

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Comments

Hi,
My father lives in Chennai. He is 53 years old. He was taken out of school at a very early age and has never had the opportunity to return to complete his education. He is self-taught and has worked abroad in the technical and fields. But I know that he has a desire to finish his high school education and then move on to college education. Is this possible in India? If so, where would I find the information to enroll him to fulfill his lifelong dream? Please help!
Sincerely,
Yolanda.

Posted by: Yolanda Chatelier | December 08, 2005 at 12:59 AM

ABOUT VISUAL COMMUNICATION FEES

Posted by: MOHAMMED RIZWAN | September 16, 2006 at 05:32 PM

i want admission in B.tech chemical streem,am diploma holder from punjab technical board.
please give me proper feedback and contect number.
with respect,
responsible administration

Posted by: jaspal singh | June 25, 2007 at 02:54 PM

I WANT TO DO WORK AS COMMUNICATION OFFICER

Posted by: ramvilas | January 28, 2008 at 11:54 PM

To Whom It May Concern:
I am an associate professor of English at a community college in Tennessee (USA) and I am looking for a college or university that would accept me as a teacher, free of charge, from July through December 2009 (sponsored by Rotary International).

Posted by: Mary Nietlling | February 25, 2008 at 11:07 PM

Shanthimalai Research & Development Trust a charitable trust working for needy peoples in south india. We setup new community college with in a month, we expecting volunteers and other support from world wide please conduct email: ctlc@shanthimalai.org those who interested.

Posted by: G Venkatesan | December 01, 2008 at 03:20 PM

Dear Sir,
I want to open a community college in Triable area in Maharashtra. How much Grant are provided by govt.of India. Please give me the right guidence about this.And also I want to contact with you by tele-communication so please give me your contact number.
Regards
Mr.Dilip G.Rajurkar
Mb.No.-09422159902.

Posted by: Mr. Dilip G. Rajurkar | August 24, 2009 at 04:32 PM

Rev. Father,
I belong from catholic family in sikkim. From the childwood days i had a burning desire to serve the poor. i completed my graduation from st.joseph's college ,darjeeling (2005). so, in 2006 i got a chance to join visva bharati university,bholpur(W.B) for M.S.W ( master's Degree) but all went wrong as my admission was cancelled as i did not opt for any special subject in my degree level. I was disheartned and came back home but again i got admission in Rabindra Bharati University (distance Learning) in 2007 since the admission i could not appear my examination due to certain financial issues. Right now im working as a teacher in small school in my locality and thinking of establishing my own NGO to help the needy and the poor students. father i just want some guidelines that how to start it........ though i have many childrens who are seeking help. ???????? I do not have any financial references.
father do your institution provide any community service cources if then can you please refer to me
Thankyou

Posted by: Asish Ariel Lepcha | February 20, 2010 at 01:18 PM

Rev. Father,
And Hi Mr.Johnson

This is Indhumathi, who worked as the project coordinator in siruganur(Voice Trust). Since i have a deep concern and inspiration of community college, i have registered an NGO on my own and seeking a good support from my funders to start a community college. im planning to go ahead by end of the year and before that i missed ur contact number and pls do send an email about ur present location of mcrdce and mr.johnson your phone no.pls.
Father,i catched u up once in kalaingar tv and then and there in magazines. long live you and your work.

My Mobile no: 9865457731

Persons: Alphonse Xavier

Verbied zelf kind zoeken

Verbied zelf kind zoeken (Ina Hut -Wereldkinderen- over adoptie)

Gepubliceerd door Administrator2 op 6/06/2004 (937 gelezen)

NRC/Handelsblad: 5 juni 2004 - Esther Rosenberg.

DEN HAAG, 5 JUNI. Over de Nederlandse adoptiepraktijk wordt veel gesteggeld. Mensen met een kinderwens moeten lang wachten en veel betalen. Daar is niet zoveel aan te doen, zegt directeur Hut van adoptieorganisatie Wereldkinderen.

Na ruim vijf jaar wordt de adoptiewet binnenkort geëvalueerd. Het afgelopen jaar was er veel discussie over de manier waarop adoptieorganisaties hun werk deden: adoptie werd duurder terwijl de wachtlijsten langer werden. Sommige ouders vermoedden dat de organisaties niet genoeg hun best deden, dat er meer kinderen geadopteerd konden worden. In de Kamer pleitten partijen voor aanpassing van de wet. Homoparen zouden kinderen uit het buitenland moeten kunnen adopteren, en minister Donner van Justitie zou zelf iets moeten doen aan de lange wachtlijsten.

Vorig jaar melden 3.049 ouderstellen zich voor adoptie, terwijl er 1.150 kinderen geadopteerd konden worden. Dat wil zeggen dat bijna drie stellen wachten op eenzelfde kind. "In andere Europese landen zie je dezelfde ontwikkeling", zegt Ina Hut (43), directeur van de grootste Nederlandse adoptieorganisatie Wereldkinderen. "In Frankrijk wachten gemiddeld zeven ouders op één kind."

Voor mensen die de overvolle kindertehuizen zien, is het moeilijk voor te stellen dat er wereldwijd te weinig adoptiekinderen zouden zijn.

"Lang niet alle kinderen in die tehuizen komen voor interlandelijke adoptie in aanmerking. In Colombia, dat ik eind april bezocht, worden moeders vaker gestimuleerd hun baby's bij zich te houden, door ze gratis voeding te geven gedurende de eerste zes maanden. Ook wordt voor de baby's eerst in het land zelf een adoptiegezin gezocht. Bovendien hebben veel kinderen in die tehuizen een handicap, of ze zijn al wat ouder."

De wensen van Nederlandse ouders sluiten niet altijd aan bij de kinderen die voor adoptie in aanmerking komen. Bedoelt u dat?

"Ja. Ouders willen het liefst een gezonde baby, wat overigens heel begrijpelijk is. We hadden jarenlang voorstellen liggen voor kinderen uit Haïti waar we geen gezin voor konden vinden. Kinderen van een jaar of drie, vier of vijf. Kinderen besmet met hiv, of ze misten een armpje. In sommige Oost-Europese landen zijn we bijvoorbeeld gestopt met bemiddelen. Veel adoptiekinderen daar kwamen van aan alcohol verslaafde moeders, ze waren hier niet gewenst en wij konden ze niet plaatsen."

Wat vindt u daarvan?

"Ik vind dat de discussie in Nederland over adoptie de verkeerde kant opgaat. Er zijn groepen adoptieouders die forse druk uitoefenen op de politiek om het aantal adopties uit te breiden, terwijl dit mondiaal niet te verwachten is. Dat stimuleert kinderhandel. Het mag niet zo zijn dat er straks kinderen worden gezocht voor ouders, in plaats dat er ouders voor kinderen worden gezocht. We hebben misschien hetzelfde doel, zo veel mogelijk kinderen die voor adoptie in aanmerking komen een thuis geven, maar de kinderwens van ouders mag hier niet bepalend voor zijn."

Ouders betalen duizenden euro's en moeten jaren wachten op een kind. Daarom regelen ze steeds vaker hun eigen procedure, waarbij ze enkel jullie handtekening nodig hebben. Wat vindt u daarvan?

"Justitie staat deelbemiddeling toe. Wij, en met ons meerdere adoptieorganisaties, vinden dat het onder de huidige condities verboden zou moeten worden. Als ouders zelf contact leggen met een tehuis, moeten wij de betrouwbaarheid van hun contacten in dat land controleren. Wij zijn medeverantwoordelijk terwijl het eigenlijk alleen om een papieren controle gaat. Om echt te controleren of er bijvoorbeeld geen sprake is van kinderhandel zouden we daar veel meer tijd in moeten steken, zouden we af moeten reizen naar het land zelf. Dan kunnen we het net zo goed helemaal zelf doen.

Als wij de betrouwbaarheid van onze adopties zouden kunnen garanderen met enkel de eisen waaraan deze 'zelfdoeprocedures' moeten voldoen, dan zouden we dat doen, dat zou ons ook een hoop geld en moeite schelen. Maar dat kan nu eenmaal niet. We voeren nu alleen nog controle op deelbemiddeling uit als we de contactpersoon of organisatie in het land kennen, of als het bijvoorbeeld gaat om een gezin dat een familielid wil adopteren."

Waarom denkt u dat de minister van Justitie het wel toestaat?

"Ik merk dat Justitie graag iedereen te vriend wil houden. Justitie is onvoldoende duidelijk hierover. Óf zelf adopteren moet verboden worden, hetgeen mijn voorkeur heeft, of er zou een apart platform moeten komen met onafhankelijke deskundigen dat zich speciaal met controle hierop bezighoudt."

Zou adoptie via officiële organisaties niet aantrekkelijker gemaakt kunnen worden door bijvoorbeeld de kosten te verlagen?

"Toen Wereldkinderen zo'n anderhalf jaar geleden, voor mijn komst, in een financiële crisis zat, heeft de vorige directeur om bedrijfseconomische redenen het tarievensysteem gewijzigd. Wereldkinderen had in 2002 een tekort van 8,5 ton. In plaats van één tarief berekenen we nu de kosten per land, die uiteenlopen van zo'n 8.000 tot 14.000 euro. Nu we weer uit de rode cijfers zijn gaan we dit systeem dit najaar evalueren. We zien namelijk dat sommige ouders zich bij de keuze van een land hierdoor laten leiden. In gesprekken zeggen ouders bijvoorbeeld dat ze banden hebben met India, dat ze daar graag een kind uit willen adopteren, maar dat ze dat niet kunnen betalen. Dat kan natuurlijk niet, ik zou graag terug willen naar het oude, solidaire systeem."

Er is veel discussie over tot welke leeftijd mensen mogen adopteren.

"Van mij mag de uiterste leeftijdsgrens wel worden opgeschoven, naar 48 jaar. Maar dan moet je wel uitgaan van de leeftijd van de oudste van de twee ouders. Adoptiekinderen zijn al gescheiden van hun moeder, van het kindertehuis. Het risico dat een ouder overlijdt voor het kind volwassen is, moet je zoveel mogelijk minimaliseren."

Bron: NRC/Handelsblad

Organizations: Wereldkinderen aka NICWO

Persons: Ina Hut

ADOPTIONS FROM ROMANIA 1990 BIS 1999 AND HOW IT IS TODAY FOR THE CHILDREN

An Interview with Heidi Wolfram, who was responsible for "Parents of children Austria" for international adoptions from Romania

Adoption Advice: Ms. Wolfram, they were some years in the Parents Association for Children (EFKO) for the management of international adoptions from Romania, responsible for Romania has not stopped them before and they are to remain in contact with the adoptive families whose children have become teenagers . How was it that the EFKO has been active at that time in the field of international adoption? Have you worked from the outset in this project?

Heidi Wolfram: The project began, have been discussed as a foster parent Round the appalling conditions in Romanian institutions, and soon we were at one point in seeking to change a bit for the better. In response, some interested parties together and done the first time driving under the guidance of a Romanian-Catholic priest in a home in Sin Martin. Here was the primary concern is to contribute a little to meet basic needs. On the occasion of this visit, the hostel administration turned to us and told of the many unvisited children whose parents to a large extent, were not known. She asked if we could arrange for these children adoptive parents. This idea was then brought home by the Romanian leadership to us and it was actually adopted some children from Sin Martin with its support to Austria. Then, however, international adoptions have been stopped by the state, because after the opening of the country in a short time a vast number of Romanian children were adopted abroad. Nationals of Western countries came to Romania and not brought the older children from the homes, but moved through the villages and bought the babies from their mothers. This terrible situation was ended by the adoption stop.

Subsequently, the central adoption committee was set up in Bucharest, which we recognized as an official clearinghouse for Austria. We were authorized to convey to the whole of Romanian children were also in Austria, and Austria from all provinces with the exception of Salzburg authorized to assist families with the adoption of Romanian children.

Photo: Parents of children Austria
Suburb in Romania were needed from now on a lawyer who was required by the Adoption Committee and completed all the necessary channels for the adoptive family. The documents of the family had to be sent to the committee which made a child's proposal after the attorney had in turn presented to the committee the child for this special family.

If logged in our families, we first conducted a very detailed initial interview. All adoptive recruiter had to complete a preparatory course. We also visited all the families personally and I know that I traveled to Vorarlberg, to make me a picture of the life circumstances of individual families. After this preparation, the following documents were sent to Bucharest: the documents of the adoptive applicants, their curriculum vitae, a detailed social report from the relevant Youth Welfare Office and the statement by the competent district administrative authority, that it does not violate the Austrian laws to adopt a child from Romania. All these documents were translated in Vienna, certified by a court-approved translator into Romanian and. After different lengths of time the child's proposal came from the committee. It helped that we contacted the attorney and the children who were released to mediate, said. According to the scanty records, such as age, gender and health certificate, we then tried to gently make a proposal to fit into the family of this child could. Thus, the lawyer went to the committee, which then gave permission for a first contact. Once the family had visited the orphanage, saw the child and an adoption is approved, settled the attorney with the adoptive recruiters the necessary means, so the adoption process could start immediately.

Amazingly not a single adoptive family has rejected a child, although two or three disabled children were among them. Upon completion of the Romanian adoption process, the adoptive parents could pick up their children. At the Austrian Embassy, the children were given a limited permit because they were still Romanian citizens. In Austria, the parents had to extend the residence permit and apply for Austrian citizenship for their child. After its issuance, the children were discharged from the Romanian citizenship and her passport had to be given at the embassy.

Adoption Advice: Can you tell us about the situation a little, you have experienced in Romania? As the children were cared for in homes and at what age they could be adopted? Can you tell something about the health and development of children?

Wolfram Heidi: I was several times in Romania. Although the pictures of the homes at that time went through all media, we were all shocked. The hospital infections of the children was extremely strong, they were severely neglected. The nurses had no training and therefore do not know what a child needs. The older children came forward to an all with arms raised high and wanted to be taken. The homes at that time did not have a baby bottle so that the children poured into the food with tin cups "" was. I can remember a family whose newly arrived child refused to eat until the adoptive mother remembered that the children only tin cups were used to. After they had bought something like that, the child began to eat again ...

Even when there were already many convoys, nor passed a lot of mistakes. Were delivered things that were not really needed, or knew of them, not people, as they were applied. I remember that I was once invited by the Committee in a model home (you always need a permit) to visit a home where the nurses showed us how children from eighteen-Disney video set, which she apparently by the Americans have had. In another home there was a sumptuously furnished room for physiotherapy, which remained empty because no trained support staff was present. We repeatedly offered training for the staff in "our homes", which first aroused great opposition. In Romania, it was a long time so that people no longer knew who they could trust. If three were talking, they did not know which of them was the spy. This mistrust is still noticeable. Mittlerweilen are the children placed in institutions are often better than the children outside in the families, especially in the countryside, where unemployment and poverty are still very large.

The first children who came to Austria, were developed in very different ways. Through the long adoption process came the youngest adopted children with less than a year into her new family. There were also children who had more than one home switch behind and had therefore almost bindable. During a visit we met a three-year boy who was constantly in a cot on his back. You have to understand that children between the ages of three years from the nursery into a babies home, or in a home for handicapped children had to go, what their fate is often sealed. The criterion for inclusion in an infant home was that the child could eat alone. The affected boy, but was absolutely nothing, so we tried to get him out of the home before it was too late. He could be placed in a foster family, and after a year you would have this child no longer recognized in Austria. He began to walk, to talk to ... Outwardly he was a four year old, but obviously not all in its development. The family has done and now he's enormous, although with difficulty, but can still finish the school. The family is currently looking for a suitable education.

Adoption Advice: Have you had contact with other organizations in the field of adoption agency from Romania?

Heidi Wolfram: After the second stop we had to adoptions in Romania with a Romanian organization working together, the adoptions but also cover other social services in the country. Our partner organization, for example, had to check whether at home were found adoptive parents for children, which point in very young children and was once the case. Slowly they also began to seek foster care for the children. Even the convoys to the refugee camps were better coordinated. I once took part in a meeting organized by giving the adoption committee for all organizations, international adoptions from Romania. Of the Americans, to the Greeks, all nationalities were represented. The meeting was held in Bucharest Ceausescu's palace. A greater discrepancy can hardly imagine. In huge state rooms with negotiations on the fate of these poor children. There were working groups in which I took also in contact with other organizations. Basically it was the agencies, but primarily about getting children to adoption.

Adoption Advice: How have you experienced it, when international adoptions in Romania were suspended in June 2001 to improve the adoption of legislation? Do you have an insight into how the situation looks like in Romanian orphanages at the moment?

Heidi Wolfram: Our club had at the time, some candidates who are well-prepared and already were about to put their records together. It was therefore very difficult to make it clear to them that they must take distance from her adoption request. If you have seen, however, the situation witnessed in the country and how adoptions were handled and how much money was involved, was probably a sensible stop adoptions measure. We all know that the adoption of the Romanian tourism was an obstacle on the path to the EU. However, it is again the weakest link, namely the children who suffer the most to stop adoptions because the homes are still full. Also, it still lacks of sufficient understanding of children. That's why I think it would be useful if there was an orderly and technically sound way to pursue international adoptions from Romania. Romania has signed the Hague Convention, already ratified and is, a feasible way would be given.

The association "Parents for Children", following the adoption stop its activities for the care of the homes even more enhanced and differentiated. The most urgent task now is to enable children in care professional training. The situation in the orphanages became more secure. But knowing what a child needs, it must only be re-purchased here. Even the untrained personnel is still a problem. Since there is much to be done.

Adoption Advice: Ms. Wolfram, you are still part of the annual meeting of Romanian adoptive families contact with the children who come by now in her teens. How have the children develop? What influence has taken the history of children in Romania on their development?

Wolfram Heidi: The last meeting with Romanian families were last year. In my opinion, has the majority of children are really well developed, although often arise problems in school. But I think that we are well prepared parents. If an educated family, adopted, it may well be that even her adopted child will embark on an academic career, but it may be that it has totally different installations and can not meet these expectations. It must be able to accept the adoptive parents. Especially when children in infancy, have such large deficits, much patience is necessary.
As far as I can judge now, it is most children well. I know a girl, when there has been no problems at all. She lives in the family, as she had never come from outside, and is also a very good student. Other families say, the kids might need help in school, but are no delays in other issues in the development. Still others are really difficult and there are some children here who need professional assistance such as therapy. When these problems are accepted by the adoptive parents, it is also good. Some children have ADHD, what parents can be overloaded and they are looking for ways how to promote the child best. If there is willingness from all sides who have children but certainly good prospects.

Adoption Advice: Ms. Wolfram, thank you very much for your time!

Heidi Wolfram was at the club as a Certified Social Worker "Parents for Children" for the care and organization of international adoptions from Romania responsible. Meanwhile, Mrs. Wolfram retired, but remains in Romania meetings and actively foster parents laps.

Please also note the support for Romania project of "Parents of children Austria. For more information about the project, which will find supports eight orphanages in Slobozia / southern Romania, among them: www.rumaenienhilfe.at or www.efk.at. Donations: The First 05150914, BLZ 20111

Release Date: 02/06/2004
http://www.adoptionsberatung.at/index.php/article/articleview/152/1/99

Countries: Romania, Austria

Persons: Heidi Wolfram

A young Thai Girl search for her roots in Thailand

Date : 2004-05-31 A young Thai Girl search for her roots in Thailand : Anybody who could provide information may contact - The photograph of Maria-Elsa: inset - when she was 10 to 12 weeks old. This is a heart wrenching story of a young Thai girl named - Maria-Elsa, who is at present 27 years old, living in Sweden and she is searching for her roots in Thailand. She was adopted by a Swedish family when she was less than six weeks old and brought to Sweden and now she is grown up and searching for her biological parents in Thailand. Maria-Elissa wrote to “Asian Tribune” and sought our assistance to locate her biological parents and her roots in Thailand. “Asian Tribune” undertook to assist her on humanitarian grounds and we appeal to those who might be able to provide some form or … any form of information that might lead to locating Maria-Elissa’s biological parents or members of her family or her biological roots - to contact “Asian Tribune” and leave the information. After checking the credibility of the information “Asian Tribune” would revert back to contact those provided the information for further developments. Given below is the first person testimony of Maria-Elissa : My name is Maria-Elissa - I am 27 years old, said to be a Thai, but brought up in Sweden when I was just a baby less than six weeks old, and I am now a Swedish national and live in Sweden. I was adopted from Thailand in April 1977, during the height of the period when babies were kidnapped by the notorious gang of Pongsawat and Choulay and sold to innocent and unsuspecting Europeans families, especially from Sweden, who visited Thailand with the noble idea of legally adopting Thai babies with the consent of the biological parents and the approval of the Government of Thailand. I presume that everyone in Thailand must have probably heard of this scam by a few notorious gangs long before. It is learnt that between 1975 and 1977 nearly 900 Thai children were taken for adoption just alone in Sweden, unfortunately I am not aware of the adoption details of Thai babies in the other European countries for the corresponding period. Out of the 900 cases of adoption in Sweden from Thailand, just 5 of those adopted children are aware of their real identities and the rest - 895 children are searching for their identities, their biological and genetic roots. Absence of information regarding the biological background of these said 895 children, who were adopted from Thailand points only to one plausible conclusion – probably they were all kidnapped and sold with fabricated identities. Unfortunately I am one of them and with a made up identity. In 1977, I now learnt that, many Swedish people, who visited Thailand for child adoption ended up falling into the trap laid by Pongsawat and Chou lay’s organizations and ended up paying huge sum of money for adopting a This baby. I understand that the scam of selling Thai babies to foreigners was brought to the notice of the Thai Government. Subsequently, in April 1977, according to my information, Government of Thailand deployed their Military Police to Bangkok airport, to arrest those involved in the smuggling arrangements of Thai children and to stem this inhuman practice of stealing and smuggling babies abroad. Unfortunately, it is said that the Gang got the wind of it and got wiser than the Thai Government and they got hold of those Military police officers to help them with the smuggling of the babies. According to arrangements, smugglers have to hand over the babies to the Military police outside the airport and they will bring them inside the flight and hand them over to the Swedes who have paid money for adoption. My adopted mother and 3 more ladies from Sweden said to have got their babies delivered inside the plane and that was the last plane that left Bangkok airport with babies in 1977. It must be clearly stated that none of these ladies had any idea that the babies were stolen from their biological parents. They all were of the impression that since they could leave the airport without any problem and as the adoption papers too were in order, the unsuspecting Swedish families who came to adopt Thai babies unsuspectingly thought that everything was done legally, rightly and correctly. When I started trying to investigate about my background, I have heard so many different stories as to, - “who I might be? - during these years, and I don't know which one to believe - probably none of them. I have taken up this matter with the Swedish Government. Though they were aware of the ongoing baby sale scam in Thailand, they did not venture out to stop such practices. Many of the children who were adopted from Thailand are today suffering due to lack of identity crisis to different diseases, such as psychosomatic illness and self-hate, because of the lack knowledge about their true biological background. There is no way in the world you can just pick a baby from one side of the earth and bring it for adoption and expect the said child to feel "at home" on the other side of earth. It is being today already proved by medical science. There are so many little things that create a person, and when you do not know anything about your background, you become totally rootless, overwhelmed with a feeling of nothingness and you need roots to go on with your life. Some of these Thai adopted men and women do not live no longer. According to the information I received, a man hung himself up in a tree, because he couldn’t deal with the stress of not knowing who he was. A girl tried to kill herself several times, but couldn’t make it, so she ended up in the mental hospital. Some of these men and women who are supposed to have a better" life in Sweden, are unable to come to terms with the life over here. They cannot work with piece of mind, they cannot concentrate on their studies, they cannot lead a happy and contended life, because of the questions about their identity keep on looming large in their mind and they have come to saturation point and they are unable to take it any more. There are a few who managed to overcome the questions of their identity and tread on without any problem seemingly with ease. Well, congratulations to them, but I am not one of them. The question of identity fully occupies my mind and the mind keep on yearning for a confirmation of my true biological identity. Many including me are interested in knowing from which part of Thailand we all come from? Whether our biological parents are still alive? Why they chose to give us for adoption? Whether they gave us for adoption with their full consent? Or we were stolen from our biological parents and sold for adoption by the greedy agents? That is why I am writing this brief resume about me. This is written with the fervent hope that it might lead me to get in touch with my biological parents. I wish to get in touch with my parents in Thailand. I am not leaving any stone unturned in my search for my parents. My adoption papers were said to be fabricated by one or some unscrupulous agents. The Thai name for me found in the adoption papers too is not genuine, must have been baptized by the spurious agent/s. Also the Thai family name too is made up by some people in Thailand, who must have got paid to sign the papers. Yet I still l need to know who I am. This is an unending search until my biological parents are located, found and confirmed conclusively. I am at times worried that maybe my biological parents are thinking about me everyday? Maybe my mother asks herself everyday what happened to her baby? Who took her, and why? Maybe she wonders if I am alive, or maybe she doesn't wonder at all. Maybe she is dead... I don't know, but sometimes I can feel in my heart that they live - at least my father …..? It's a strange feeling, and I am not quiet efficient to explain it, but sometimes I feel inside me that he is still alive and I do so much want to find him and see him. Can you help me with that? I contacted the man who helped my adopted mother in Sweden to adopt me in 1977. He fled the country in 1977, to Sweden on the same aircraft as my mother returned back to Sweden with me – a small bundle with flesh and blood lying in her lap – strangely enough but could get the grasp of those memories as I was too young to understand what was happening around me --- My mother and the other Swedish ladies were told not to speak to him, look at him or show that they recognize him at all during the flight to Sweden, otherwise he could have been arrested and thrown into a jail for lifetime. I don't know if he kidnapped me, but the story he told me, while visiting him in Phuket - where he stays nowadays, is the same story he has told my friends who were also adopted from Thailand in 1977. So, he is probably lying, or maybe he just can't remember. The story he told me goes something like this: "You were found in Phatalung by a taxi driver. This man - I did try to find him during a few years, but they said he had died - brought you up to Bangkok where he left you in an orphanage, where we took care of you until the day your mother from Sweden came to adopt you." Isn't it strange that he told the same story to the other Thai adopted men and women? There was this team from Swedish Television who went to Thailand to make a documentary about the kidnappings of children. They did some research for me and said that this taxi driver probably is the man himself, telling me the story that's why he couldn’t find the taxi driver no more. The team made this 2 hour long documentary that was sent on Swedish Television in 2002 about two friends of mine, Sawitri and Malinee - both were adopted too via Pongsawat and Choulay. Sawitri and Malinee never found their parents, but they did find out that they had double identities, and that the signatures on the adoption papers where made up, and also that the men and women, who were said to have placed their signatures on the adoption papers, never did this at all. They were completely surprised, and wondered what kind of person who had stolen their identities to sign false documents. So it is such a mess. Maybe you don't want to help me with this, but I think that maybe that my photograph as a baby published here might try to kindle your memory. Maybe someone, who still recognizes me as a baby, sees the pictures and contacts “Asian Tribune” for further information. I know this may sound odd, and maybe you just think that I should be grateful, living in Sweden. And yes, I am. But I still can't go on with my life, because my brain is in such a mess with all these thoughts whirling inside my head and I just can't drop it. It is too important to me. Will you please help me? Please, keep in touch. Best Regards, (sgd.) Maria-Elissa - Sweden. - Asian Tribune -

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Countries: Thailand, Sweden

Organizations: Adoptionscentrum

A young Thai Girl search for her roots in Thailand

Date : 2004-05-31

A young Thai Girl search for her roots in Thailand :

Anybody who could provide information may contact -

The photograph of Maria-Elsa: inset - when she was 10 to 12 weeks old.

This is a heart wrenching story of a young Thai girl named - Maria-Elsa, who is at present 27 years old, living in Sweden and she is searching for her roots in Thailand. She was adopted by a Swedish family when she was less than six weeks old and brought to Sweden and now she is grown up and searching for her biological parents in Thailand.

Countries: Thailand, Sweden

Opinion of the Independent Panel of EU Family Law Experts: adoption is not child protection

See Ask the EU

http://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/762/response/2971/attach/html/2/DG%20ELARG%20BDT%2088%202007%201341.pdf.html

Delayed until after VideoConference with US

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Organizations: Acquis Communautaire, UNCRC acquis or not?, Independent Panel of Family Law Experts of the EU Member States, Subsidiarity, TIMELINE WHISTLEBLOWER ROELIE POST, European Commission, Secondment contract ACT

Countries: Romania