As a child welfare expert who has worked amid bullets and bombs in some of the world’s toughest war zones, Jennifer Morgan is not someone easily shaken. But even she admits she was shocked by some of the orphanages she visited recently in Haiti.
‘Outside it is a sunny day. Then you step inside the walls of an orphanage and realise that the children there have been exposed to rapes, severe beatings, emotional and mental trauma,’ she said. It was even more disturbing, she added, than the damaged children she came across amid the deadly mayhem of Darfur.
But perhaps the most troubling thing is that these tragic scenes in Haiti are not unusual. In dozens of places around the world, unregulated orphanages have become a boom business trading off Western guilt. Our desire to help is backfiring in the most dreadful fashion. (more…)
The scandal of orphanages in tourist resorts and disaster zones that rent children to fleece gullible Westerners
Minister seeks to reopen Vietnam for Irish adoptions
THE GOVERNMENT will begin talks on securing a new administrative agreement with Vietnam shortly to help reopen the southeast Asian state for Irish couples pursuing intercountry adoptions.
An estimated 200 Irish couples seeking adoptions in Vietnam were left in limbo following a decision by the government last year to suspend all adoptions from the country. The suspension, which was announced in January 2010, followed international concerns about the process of adopting children from Vietnam. (more…)
CBI files chargesheet in Preet Mandir case
Vijay Chavan
Posted On Wednesday, March 09, 2011 at 06:03:07 AM
The Special Crime Branch of the CBI on Tuesday filed an 87-page chargesheet against six accused including trustees of Preet Mandir and then chairman of Child Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) for their alleged involvement in illegal child procurement racket and extorting money from the parents. (more…)
Adoption body sent delegation to US
The Irish Times – Friday, February 25, 2011
CAROL COULTER, Legal Affairs Editor
THE ADOPTION Authority of Ireland (AAI) sent a delegation to the US last week to discuss inter-country adoption with officials there.
The delegation was headed by its chairman, Geoffrey Shannon.
It is understood there is an increased level of interest from Irish couples in adopting from the US. (more…)
Call for inquiry into Magdalene laundries
Source: http://www.irishtimes.com
The Irish Times – Wednesday, November 10, 2010
PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent
THE IRISH Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has called on the Government to set up a statutory inquiry into treatment of women and girls in Magdalene laundries. It also said financial redress should be available to survivors. (more…)
Pressuring countries on adoption ‘can lead to trafficking’
By Louise Hogan
Tuesday November 02 2010
Putting pressure on countries to sign up to adoption agreements could potentially lead to child trafficking, a childcare expert warned yesterday.
Geoffrey Shannon, the chairman of the new Adoption Authority of Ireland, yesterday stressed that it was “hugely important” to avoid any links between humanitarian aid agreements and payments in the adoption of children from other regions. (more…)
New Adoption Authority appointed
irishtimes.com - Last Updated: Monday, November 1, 2010, 16:58
Vietnam adoption procedures treat children as ‘commodities’
October 31, 2010 8:00 PM EDT
Adoption Act will provide more partner countries
The Irish Times – Saturday, October 30, 2010
Pat and Nora Butler: “Vietnam is going to ratify the Hague Convention next year, so we are hopeful.”
JAMIE SMYTH, Social Affairs Correspondent
THE GOVERNMENT has moved to ease the concerns of people in the process of adopting children from abroad promising a new adoption regime will provide more partner countries for them to adopt from. (more…)
Russians threaten adoption hold-ups over spies
Source: http://www.irishcentral.com
Seek to end Irish police probe of passport theft
By BARRY J WHYTE, IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Wednesday, October 13, 2010, 7:56 AM
Richard and Cynthia Murphy, Russian spies, used Irish passports
Russia’s Ambassador to Ireland has warned that an adoption agreement between both countries may be in jeopardy because of an Irish government investigation of stolen passports. (more…)
