BAD KISSINGEN

Prozess um Kinderhandel geht weiter

Ankläger spricht von menschlicher Tragik

Am Landgericht Schweinfurt wird am Donnerstag ein Prozess fortgeführt, der die Justizbehörden schon rund vier Jahre beschäftigt. Es geht um den Vorwurf des Kinderhandels. Angeklagt sind zwei Frauen aus Hammelburg. Sie sollen im Dezember 2006 ein Baby aus Rumänien ohne rechtliche Grundlage zur Adoption an eine Familie im Landkreis Bad Kissingen vermittelt haben.

02.03.07: Verenigde Naties omarmen nieuw Nederlands initiatief voor Weeskinderen Stichting World Initiative for Orphans in Den Haag, is na uitvoerige consultatie door het VN Comité voor de Rechten van het Kind in Geneve, gevraagd haar activiteiten in structurele samenwerking met de Verenigde Naties uit te bouwen. Het United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneve, als onderdeel van het Hoge Commissariaat voor de Mensenrechten, heeft in een verklaring van voorzitter Prof. J.E. Doek, de interesse tot strategische samenwerking met deze jonge Nederlandse stichting vastgelegd. World Initiative for Orphans plaatst zich hiermee samen met Unicef en ISS op het wereldniveau van NGO's die in publiek-private samenwerking bijdragen leveren aan armoedebestrijding en aan het bereiken van de Millenium Doelstellingen. Na haar oprichting (2004) heeft Stichting WIO zich, sinds januari 2006, mede op verzoek van de VN, geheel gericht op het organiseren van wereldwijde samenwerking t.b.v. alle kinderen zonder ouderlijke zorg. Deze kwetsbare groep van ruim 150 miljoen wees- en verlaten kinderen zal in de komende 5 jaar doorgroeien tot 250 miljoen. In 2015 zijn 400 miljoen jonge mensen direct/indirect benoembaar in deze groep. Zij hebben nauwelijks toegang tot scholing, voeding, medische zorg en liefde en zijn vaak bijzonder kwetsbaar voor misbruik/exploitatie, ontvoering en kinderarbeid. World Initiative for Orphans werkt wereldwijd, binnen de VN Kinderrechtenconventie (getekend door 193 VN Lidstaten), aan praktische en snel inzetbare doch academisch onderbouwde oplossingen voor wees- en verlaten kinderen (4 alternatieven). In een unieke vrijwillige samenwerking van verantwoordelijke overheden, ervaren hulpverleners en academici uit de gehele wereld, worden, via onderzoek en een nieuw "eenvoudig kennisnetwerk", "best practices" uitgewisseld en ingevoerd. Oprichter/voorzitter Maarten Brekelmans is zeer verheugd over deze snelle en unieke internationale erkenning voor WIO's missie en pragmatische werkwijze. WIO is gevestigd in Den Haag en heeft medewerkers in 4 werelddelen. In Mei 2007 organiseert WIO het eerste wereldcongres over dit onderwerp in Den Haag. De maand mei 2007 is uitgeroepen tot World Orphan Month. WIO kent geen steun van de Nederlandse regering of andere fondsen.

.

Published: Friday, March 25, 2011, 9:33 AM Updated: Friday, March 25, 2011, 9:44 AM

By Charley Hannagan / The Post-Standard

Syracuse, NY -- The board of directors of the New Life Adoption Agency has notified families that the agency is closing.

The Syracuse agency was founded in 1991 and has arranged adoptions of children from China. The agency sent an email March 12 that it was closing. The email says the board of directors is working on a plan to close the agency and will email families once the plan is finalized.

“Due to the reduction in staff, we no longer have the ability to respond to emails or phone calls in a timely manner as we did in the past,” the email said.

African adoptions drop as economic crisis bites

International adoptions by Americans have decreased sharply due to the economic crisis and increased regulation imposed after high-profile celebrity cases, agency officials said.

Angelina Jolie and her adopted daughter Zahara, who was originally from Ethiopia Photo: GETTY

By Mike Pflanz, Nairobi 9:00PM GMT 25 Mar 2011

In 2004, American families adopted almost 23,000 children from around the world, but by 2010 that figure had more than halved to 11,058, according to US State Department figures.

Madonna abandons her plans to build school in Malawi
SHAREPRINTEMAILTEXT SIZE NORMALLARGEEXTRA LARGE
Also in Africa

AboutAstro.com
By Mike Pflanz in Nairobi
Saturday March 26 2011
Madonna has abandoned plans to build a boarding school for 400 girls in Malawi despite having spent $3.8m (€2.7m) on the project.

The singer and her co-founder, the charity Raising Malawi, cancelled plans to complete the school amid reports of mismanagement.

The charity has high-profile supporters including the actors Tom Cruise and Gwyneth Paltrow, as well as Kabbalah Centre International, the Jewish mystical organisation to which Madonna belongs.

"A thoughtful decision has been made to discontinue plans for the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls," Michael Berg, a co-founder of Raising Malawi, said. Madonna said she was intent on continuing the charity, which is now being run by a caretaker board that includes the singer and her manager.

Crisis

"There's a real education crisis in Malawi, 67pc of girls don't go to secondary school," she said.

Troubles with the school surfaced in October, when Philippe van den Bossche, the boyfriend of Madonna's former personal trainer, departed as executive director.

Madonna commissioned a report by the Global Philanthropy Group, which, according to its chairman Trevor Neilson, found a "startling lack of accountability" on the part of the management in Malawi and America.

Both Mr Van den Bossche, and Anjimile Oponyo, a former UN Development Programme worker who led the project in Malawi, were heavily criticised.

It was alleged that there was no land title for the intended site of the school in Lilongwe and that building work had not begun, despite Madonna's attendance at a "ground-breaking" ceremony.

Mr Neilson said he had advised the performer that starting a school from scratch was not the best use of her funds. He recommended providing money to existing educational schemes run by non-government organisations with expertise in the field.

Madonna's connection with Malawi began when she adopted a child from there in 2006, and then another in 2009. (© Daily Telegraph, London)

- Mike Pflanz in Nairobi

Beyond Borders Conference 2011 Dates and Keynote Speakers Announced

The 11th annual Beyond Borders Conference dates and location have been announced. It will take place on October 29 & 30, 2011, in Austin, TX. The keynote speakers will be Dr. Todd Ochs and Craig Juntunen, prominent figures in international adoption.

BBC-logo-2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Mar 25, 2011 – Great Wall China Adoption & Children of All Nations is pleased to announce that the dates for its eleventh annual Beyond Borders Conference, formerly known as East Meets West, is set for October 29 & 30, 2011, in its hometown of Austin, Texas. This annual conference provides a weekend of education, inspiration and networking for professionals, international adoption authorities and adoptive families.

New Life Adoption Agency closing

VideoImages

Print Story Published: 3/25 5:31 pm Share Updated: 3/25 6:37 pm

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - For two weeks, hopeful parents to-be have been left wondering what will happen after learning by email that the new life adoption agency in Syracuse plans to close. Some have invested money in the agency and waited months for a child.

Friday afternoon, the agency sent families a second email, informing them that adoption files will soon be transferred to another agency. The message doesn't specify which agency, when, or if the closure will delay their adoptions. It's the most information the agency has released since the closing was initially and unexpectedly announced.

(February 2004) Information on the use of your contributions and donations: help for abandoned children in Romania

(French only)

Grâce à vos contributions et dons réguliers, l’Association des agents du Conseil de l’Europe "Entraide-Solidarités" participe depuis plusieurs années aux efforts menés en Roumanie pour sortir les enfants abandonnés, parfois handicapés, des institutions inhumaines ou tout le moins pour rénover ou reconstruire ces institutions.

En 2003, l’association a soutenu l’action de SERA et M. François de Combret (SERA) nous écrit :

"... Le petit garçon qui a dessiné ce bonhomme de neige s'appelle Nelu ; il a 9 ans. Abandonné à la naissance, il a vécu ses premières années dans le sinistre "mouroir" de Ungureni (Roumanie). Grâce à votre générosité et à celle d'autres donateurs de SERA, il est sorti de cet enfer et il se trouve maintenant dans un orphelinat spécialement aménagé pour lui et 41 autres petits rescapés de Ungureni. Dans ce nouvel orphelinat, Nelu a accompli de grands progrès, comme le montre le joli dessin ci-joint.