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Ethiopia: Stakeholders, Public Has to End Foreign Adoption

BY ZERYHUN KASSA, 26 DECEMBER 2013

The House of Peoples' Representatives and the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth urged stakeholders and the public to undertake integrated work to totally stop adoption of Ethiopian children by foreign families.

In a press conference, House Speaker Abadula Gemeda and the Minister Zenebu Tadesse told journalists that stakeholders should work closely to end foreign adoption.

Tamara Fierens (37) from Borgerhout lost both her parents earlier this year. Six months later, the hospitalization costs have not yet been fully reimbursed. "A little bit of humanity would be nice," she says.

Koen DeBeuckeleer

Tuesday, December 24, 2013 at 3:30 PM

Tamara Fierens lost both her parents this spring. Where normally the grieving process starts, a new agony started for Tamara. After all, reclaiming the hospitalization money went much less smoothly than expected. 'My parents have dutifully paid for hospitalization insurance all their lives,' says Tamara. 'Normally you don't expect any problems. But in the meantime I've already sacrificed many a free morning calling the insurance company and insurance agent.'

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Congo Suspends International Adoptions

KINSHASA, Congo December 20, 2013 (AP)

By SALEH MWANAMILONGO Associated Press

Associated Press

The Congolese government has suspended international adoptions of Congolese children, following allegations that some were abandoned by their adoptive parents, while others were "sold to homosexuals." The move by Congo further restricts foreign adoptions, following similar decisions by Russia and China.

US Shatto family absent at adoption annulment hearing in Russia

CONTEXT

Russia launches criminal probe into US death of Maxim Kuzmin

Children's ombudsman demands police materials on Maxim Kuzmin's death in US

US parents cleared in death of adopted Russian boy

News & Events (archive) Three States join the 1993 Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention 20-12-2013 In December 2013, the following three States have joined the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption: Croatia (5 December), Haiti (16 December) and Serbia (18 December). The Convention will enter into force for all three States on 1 April 2014.

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Is it a School or Adoption Agency?

Is it a School or Adoption Agency? thumbnail

By: SEM Contributor on December 19, 2013.

The Law on Adoption in Sierra Leone is quite clear, and in line with various restrictions imposed by other countries in the interests of the children concerned, and their relevant culture. Significant in our case is the fact that it is not deemed appropriate for a single man to adopt, and if not a single man, presumably the question of two men acting as an adopting couple would be out of the question.

As Sierra Leone increases her contacts with the outside world, and a vibrant Diaspora, it is inevitable that prospective eligible adoptive parents living abroad should seek to adopt a child thus providing the prospects of a life overseas in a different country. In such cases, there is a requirement for the adopting parent to demonstrate an ability to look after the child in Sierra Leone for a period of six months prior to final permission being granted for emigration.

Malcolm Sweeting, Roger Leese

Leading international law firm Clifford Chance has named Hope and Homes for Children as this year's winner of its annual Access to Justice Award.

Hope and Homes for Children is an international charity that works to transform childcare systems in order to uphold and protect the rights of children. Specialising in the global eradication of children’s institutions, it supports governments in establishing modern family-based care systems. The charity’s ‘Opening Doors for Europe's Children’ campaign operates in 12 countries across Europe and calls on the EU and national governments to prioritise moving children out of institutions and into loving families – a process called deinstitutionalisation.

Hope and Homes for Children has won a donation of £50,000 from the Clifford Chance Foundation and 500 hours of pro bono volunteering. It plans to use the donation to fund a national audit of the childcare system in Ukraine to inform its Opening Doors campaign and the development of legislation, policy and best practice guides to drive change. The funds will also support the delivery of training to 30 professionals and government representatives in child rights and deinstitutionalisation. These professionals will train a further 370 who will be the 'engine' of the reform of the Ukrainian childcare system, leading the implementation of changes set out in legislation and policy.

Pro bono volunteering hours from the firm will be used to provide vital legal expertise to the Opening Doors campaign in Ukraine, including the delivery of the national audit. It will also support the training programme and will come from lawyers and business services staff from the firm's offices in Kyiv and around Europe.

Vertrek Marc Tijhuis

Algemeen directeur van Wereldkinderen, drs. M. (Marc) Tijhuis, zal de organisatie verlaten per 1 januari 2014.

De afgelopen jaren heeft Marc Tijhuis succesvol de organisatie door een moeilijke periode heen geloodst en Wereldkinderen weer 'op de kaart' gezet. Sterk teruglopende aantallen adopties hebben er helaas toe geleid dat begin 2013 een omvangrijke reorganisatie heeft moeten plaatsvinden. Door de geringere omvang en complexiteit van de huidige organisatie is in onderling overleg, om bedrijfseconomische redenen, besloten de positie van algemeen directeur aan te passen aan de huidige situatie. Wereldkinderen blijft voor u dezelfde professionele en flexibele kinderwelzijnsorganisatie die zich inzet voor de individuele rechten van het kind onder het motto ‘ieder kind heeft recht op een thuis’.

De taken van Marc Tijhuis worden vanaf 1 januari 2014 waargenomen door Inge Prenger. Inge Prenger is sinds 2000 in dienst bij wereldkinderen en is vanaf 2010 manager van de afdeling Adoptie.

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Orphanages to be re-examined

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By Martins E. Ssekweyama

Posted Monday, December 16 2013 at 02:00

The police say a number of orphanages in the souther region are illegally operating.

From: JUST-CHARTE@ec.europa.eu [mailto:JUST-CHARTE@ec.europa.eu]

Sent: Mittwoch, 11. Dezember 2013 10:58

To: arun.dohle@gmx.de

Subject: Reply to your letter addressed to the European Commission_Ares(2013)3694510

Please find attached a reply to correspondence to the European Commission.