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The Orphan Trade: A look at families affected by corrupt international adoptions.

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kippah...@hotmail.com

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May 11, 2009, 11:54:44 AM5/11/09
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The link below provides (at bottom of article) access to a slide-show
essay about international adoption.

http://www.slate.com/id/2217608/

The Orphan Trade
A look at families affected by corrupt international adoptions.
By E.J. Graff
Posted Friday, May 8, 2009,

Who wants to buy a baby? Certainly not most people who are trying to
adopt internationally. And yet too often—without their knowledge—
that's what happens with their dollars and euros.
Westerners have been sold a myth that poor countries have millions of
healthy abandoned infants and toddlers who need homes. But it's not
so. In poor countries, as in rich ones, healthy babies are rarely
orphaned or given up—except in China, where girls have been abandoned
as a result of its draconian one-child policy.

Yes, tens of thousands of needy children around the world—many
languishing in horrible institutions—do need families. But most
children who need new homes are older than 5, sick, disabled, or
somehow traumatized. Quite reasonably, most prospective Western
parents don't feel prepared to take on those more challenging kids,
preferring to wait in line for healthy infants or toddlers.
The result is a gap between supply and demand—a gap that's closed by
Western money. Adoption agencies spend sums in-country that are
enormous compared with local per-capita incomes. In poor countries
without effective regulation or protections for the poor, that can
induce locals to buy, coerce, defraud, and kidnap healthy children
away from their birth families for sale into international adoption.
To use the language of globalization, orphans are sometimes
"manufactured": Children with families are stripped of their
identities so that Westerners can fill their homes. No one knows how
many or how few are "manufactured." Whatever the proportion, the
Western adoption agencies can plausibly deny knowing what their local
contractors are doing wrong—and yet continue to send tens of thousands
of U.S. dollars in per-child commissions to local "facilitators" who
supply children. Once an illicit orphan-manufacturing chain gets
going, "facilitators" may even solicit older and unhealthy children to
order. When one country's adoptions are closed down to regulate or
stop the trafficking, the adoption industry moves to the next "hot"
and under-regulated country. (For Americans, these are currently
Ethiopia and, to a lesser degree, Nepal.)
Sometimes these people don't seem real; their names are strange, and
they live far away, in unimaginably different circumstances. To help
imagine their lives, we present some pictures of families affected by
corrupt adoptions.

rkb

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May 11, 2009, 6:42:16 PM5/11/09
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I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's clear that there are some bad
actors. But the press seems to keep reiterating the same examples:
Galindo. The Samoan deceivers. MSS in Madras. So I'm not sure whether
we're looking at a few bad apples, or at a system that is essentially
corrupt.

The only situation where it clearly seems endemic is Guatemala.

I think one of the things that does need to be clarified is orphanages
as respite care vs. orphanages for actual orphans. It's also true, as
one of the commenters to the article suggested, that in poor countries
children are sometimes sold (or kidnapped) for much more nefarious
purposes than adoption. In India, it's typically as laborers/ domestic
servants/ prostitutes. There have even been a few (rare) cases of
child sacrifice.

On the whole, I think international adoption is a good thing, not only
because it pulls a few children out of bad situations, but because it
focuses attention on places where help is needed. Who gave a damn
about Malawi before Madonna got involved? Parents adopting from
overseas build connections to the country their child is from, and I
think that's positive.

On May 11, 8:54 am, kippaherr...@hotmail.com wrote:
> The link below provides (at bottom of article) access to a slide-show
> essay about international adoption.
>
> http://www.slate.com/id/2217608/
>

> To use the language of globalization, orphans are sometimes

kippah...@hotmail.com

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May 11, 2009, 8:49:43 PM5/11/09
to
On May 11, 6:42 pm, rkb <rkb...@pacific.net.sg> wrote:
> I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's clear that there are some bad
> actors. But the press seems to keep reiterating the same examples:
> Galindo. The Samoan deceivers. MSS in Madras. So I'm not sure whether
> we're looking at a few bad apples, or at a system that is essentially
> corrupt.
>
> The only situation where it clearly seems endemic is Guatemala.
>
> I think one of the things that does need to be clarified is orphanages
> as respite care vs. orphanages for actual orphans.

I agree, but I would think that in really poor countries, because of
vicissitudes and despite best intentions, respite care could very
easily develop into permanent.
So it could be tricky because of that kind of overlap, as well as
possibly more expensive.
Of course I'm hypothesizing because I know fuck all.

> It's also true, as
> one of the commenters to the article suggested, that in poor countries children are sometimes sold (or kidnapped) for much more nefarious
> purposes than adoption. In India, it's typically as laborers/ domestic servants/ prostitutes. There have even been a few (rare) cases of
> child sacrifice.
>
> On the whole, I think international adoption is a good thing

> not only because it pulls a few children out of bad situations, but because it
> focuses attention on places where help is needed. Who gave a damn
> about Malawi before Madonna got involved?

For how long will they give a damn now? Everything is in constant flux
and publicity is a sometimes thing.
Personally I don't think Madonna needed to create a controversy to
draw attention to Malawi.
IMO simple generosity would have set a far greater and less ambiguous
example.
I'm not saying she is, but the way things are now it looks to many
like she is determined to get her pound of flesh.

> Parents adopting from overseas build connections to the country their child is from, and I think that's positive.

Some parents do, and they deserve credit for it.
But I don't know how true that is in any general way.
Sure there are connections, but how they pan out is not something that
anyone can confidently predict.

rkb

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May 13, 2009, 6:48:55 AM5/13/09
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On May 11, 5:49 pm, kippaherr...@hotmail.com wrote:
> On May 11, 6:42 pm, rkb <rkb...@pacific.net.sg> wrote:
>
> > I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's clear that there are some bad
> > actors. But the press seems to keep reiterating the same examples:
> > Galindo. The Samoan deceivers. MSS in Madras. So I'm not sure whether
> > we're looking at a few bad apples, or at a system that is essentially
> > corrupt.
>
> > The only situation where it clearly seems endemic is Guatemala.
>
> > I think one of the things that does need to be clarified is orphanages
> > as respite care vs. orphanages for actual orphans.
>
> I agree, but I would think that in really poor countries, because of
> vicissitudes and despite best intentions, respite care could very
> easily develop into permanent.
> So it could be tricky because of that kind of overlap, as well as
> possibly more expensive.
> Of course I'm hypothesizing because I know fuck all.

I guess it could happen that respite care became permanent; but at
least the kid would (presumably) be in touch with the parents during
that time. Of course it's expensive to fund. But it's been happening
for a long time. Apparently, in the British era, children would be
abandoned to government care by the thousand. The workers had
instructions not to disturb the jewelry the children wore (typically
amulets around their necks) because by those would their parents
recognize them months or even years later, when times were better.

There has to be some way of separating out the kids who really need
families, rather than assuming that because many don't, none do.

> > On the whole, I think international adoption is a good thing
> > not only because it pulls a few children out of bad situations, but because it
> > focuses attention on places where help is needed. Who gave a damn
> > about Malawi before Madonna got involved?
>
> For how long will they give a damn now? Everything is in constant flux
> and publicity is a sometimes thing.

I agree. But at least she's created the Foundation. If little David
was from Bangladesh, guess which country she'd be trying to help now?

> Personally I don't think Madonna needed to create a controversy to
> draw attention to Malawi.
> IMO simple generosity would have set a far greater and less ambiguous
> example.

But wouldn't have got any public attention at all. Do you care about
which country a film star sends money to? I might in an academic way,
but I'm really quite interested when they adopt a kid overseas. And a
good controversy hooks interest.

kippah...@hotmail.com

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May 13, 2009, 8:19:04 AM5/13/09
to

I'm not so sure. After all, Oprah has gotten and continues to get lots
for her school in South Africa (sex scandals not withstanding Life's
tuf. What is a poor celeb to do?)
And her efforts have brought attention to S.A. My son, who spent six
months in Cape Town, respects Oprah for that - even though she
infuriates him in many ways.
I'm sure Madonna could have, with publicist and camera crew in tow,
maintained a different but more useful kind of momentum.
Again, not saying it is, but it's almost like she needs to pick
whatever particular kid she takes a shine to as a souvenir.


> Do you care about which country a film star sends money to?

Somewhat. Speaking personally Madonna's munificence would have
impressed and interested me a lot more if the orphanage itself had
been her only African baby. As it is she seems to be going for a
matching pair. A sister for David. Almost the same age I think even.
Though it's not as if she's blessed with the kind of time needed to
get very personally involved in their upbringing.

> I might in an academic way, but I'm really quite interested when they adopt a kid overseas.

> And a good controversy hooks interest.

Point taken. We're talking about it :- ) For now.
But what can start with a bang can die with a whimper.

kippah...@hotmail.com

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May 13, 2009, 8:36:11 AM5/13/09
to
Oh well, Madonna is reportedly getting advice and comfort from a
psychic, which is nice to know and makes me feel much better for her.
Of course if she does become Mama of the world she won't feel the
need to adopt because we'll all be her children anyway.
Just imagine. She'll be my mommy and me even older than she is!

http://www.2dayfm.com.au/entertainment/madonna-seeks-psychic-love-20090513-3y29.html

Madonna seeks psychic Love
2009-05-13

Madonna is being advised by a psychic called Mama Love.

The 50-year-old singer - who was left devastated when her efforts to
give four-year-old Malawian Mercy James a home were rejected earlier
this year - turned to the medium in an effort to discover why her
adoption bid failed.

A source said: "Madonna has turned to Mama Love before and knows she
gets answers and advice she needs from her. Mama told her to take time
out and cool down. It's unlikely the adoption of Mercy will go ahead
now. She advised Madonna to slow down and let her spiritual side rise
up."

The psychic is believed to have told Madonna - who raises three
children, daughter Lourdes, 12, eight-year-old Rocco and three-year-
old David Banda - not to try adopting another child for the next two
years.

The source added to Britain's Heat magazine: "Mama told her, 'You
won't get the adoption you are looking for because the spirit is
trying to guide you to a higher maternal status. Follow my advice and
you will become Mama of the world.' "

Mama Love has also told the singer to set up "compassion centres" to
help those less fortunate than herself.

(C) BANG Media International

rkb

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May 13, 2009, 2:36:21 PM5/13/09
to
On May 13, 5:19 am, kippaherr...@hotmail.com wrote:

> Speaking personally Madonna's munificence would have
> impressed and interested me a lot more if the orphanage itself had
> been her only African baby. As it is she seems to be going for a
> matching pair. A sister for David. Almost the same age I think even.
> Though it's not as if she's blessed with the kind of time needed to
> get very personally involved in their upbringing.

I think you're right, she was trying to get a sister for David, and I
agree with her there. I think it would help David to have one of his
siblings, the one closest in age, to be from the same background as
himself, and also adopted. Ideally, she should have looked for a
sibling pair the first time round, IMO; but then again there's a
school of thought that suggests that each child needs individual time
to settle into a family.

I honor Oprah's efforts in South Africa, but that's a very different
country than Malawi. It's much more widely known.

rkb

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May 13, 2009, 2:38:24 PM5/13/09
to
On May 13, 5:36 am, kippaherr...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Oh well, Madonna is reportedly getting advice and comfort from a
> psychic, which is nice to know and makes me feel much better for her.
> Of course if she does become  Mama of the world she won't feel the
> need to adopt because we'll all be her children anyway.
> Just imagine. She'll be my mommy and me even older than she is!
>
> http://www.2dayfm.com.au/entertainment/madonna-seeks-psychic-love-200...

>
> Madonna seeks psychic Love
> 2009-05-13
>
> Madonna is being advised by a psychic called Mama Love.
>
> The 50-year-old singer - who was left devastated when her efforts to
> give four-year-old Malawian Mercy James a home were rejected earlier
> this year - turned to the medium in an effort to discover why her
> adoption bid failed.
>
> A source said: "Madonna has turned to Mama Love before and knows she
> gets answers and advice she needs from her. Mama told her to take time
> out and cool down. It's unlikely the adoption of Mercy will go ahead
> now. She advised Madonna to slow down and let her spiritual side rise
> up."
>
> The psychic is believed to have told Madonna - who raises three
> children, daughter Lourdes, 12, eight-year-old Rocco and three-year-
> old David Banda - not to try adopting another child for the next two
> years.
>
> The source added to Britain's Heat magazine: "Mama told her, 'You
> won't get the adoption you are looking for because the spirit is
> trying to guide you to a higher maternal status. Follow my advice and
> you will become Mama of the world.' "
>
> Mama Love has also told the singer to set up "compassion centres" to
> help those less fortunate than herself.
>
> (C) BANG Media International

Can't quarrel with Mama Love's advice. I like the idea of Compassion
Centers.

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