July Through December 2007 from the JCICS Files

July 2007Vietnam
Here the JCICS admitted that their member agencies are placing a large percent of the children. This is important because the extensive amount of corruption was revealed in the 2010 FOIA Vietnam information obtained by the Schuster Institute. See the extensive investigation here http://www.brandeis.edu/investigate/gender/adoption/vietnam.html

Names of the agencies by province can be found here: http://pear-now.blogspot.com/2010/09/adopton-agency-vietnam-province.html.

“Vietnam Meeting in Bangkok

Joint Council may call a one or two day meeting of member agencies with Vietnam programs. The purpose would be to have a frank and open dialogue regarding the present issues that only agencies are in a position to address. Joint Council members are doing a large percentage of the placements.”

August 2007
Disdain over the free speech rights of adult adoptees was revealed by an adult adoptee JCICS member.

“Adult Adoptee Overview & Update: S. Cox & K. Sacco

Discussion was held regarding increased anti-adoption sentiment pervading adult adoptee networks and the impact this is having on the field.”

September 2007
Member agency trips were revealed. Bethany and Gladney go to Colombia. Unidentified agencies go to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Democratic Republic of Congo (another country that has been expanding in the past few years).

November 2007
Africa

“Africa

Joint Council is collaborating with Mark Moore, a specialist for Senator Landrieu who is well connected in Africa. The trip to Africa was cancelled due to logistical reasons and has been postponed until January or February of 2008.”

Mark Moore is fluent in Lusoga, a Ugandan language. http://www.freeman.tulane.edu/energy/people.php

“Affiliated Researcher

Mark Moore is an Africa subject matter specialist and serves as a research fellow working with Tulane Energy Institute personnel on educational program development in Africa. Moore resides in Washington where he served as a Legislative Fellow for Senator Mary Landrieu focusing on Africa related issues. He is founder of the Kibo Group, a non-profit development group focused on East Africa and has most recently lead a start up of a nutritional aid company called MANA nutrition. He is fluent in Lusoga, a language of eastern Uganda, where he lived for 9 years. Moore has a masters degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC and an undergraduate degree from Harding University in Arkansas.”

Mark’s  company, Mana Nutrition, a humanitarian aid operation, is now in Rwanda and Uganda. http://mananutrition.org/about_us

The Kibo group http://www.kibogroup.org/about/ is in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda.

Both of these groups have important influence in the region and it is not surprising that the JCICS would want to latch onto this positively-perceived group in order to promote their adoption business in these countries.

Vietnam
“Joint Council will be holding a mini-summit in DC during the last week in November. It will include caucus agencies, non-member agencies and representatives of DOS & USCIS. Mr. Dao from the DIA in Vietnam will be invited to come and address ongoing concerns with practice levels, corruption and the renewal of the bilateral agreement which expires in June 2008 and must be renewed in September 2008.”

Russia

Here’s a new one: They tried to influence Interpol through the Department of Justice!

“Russia

Joint Council is working with a few members of congress & CCAI to leverage the DOJ to pressure Interpol to issue clearances for agencies waiting for approval since July.”

Colombia
The JCICS was steamed that local Colombians are not charged for domestic adoptions. In fact, they labeled this as “difficult.” How dare the Colombians favor local, domestic adoption over THEIR money-making territory! For shame!

Colombia was the eighth most prevalent sending country in FY 2010 up from the eleventh in 2007.

“A Columbia [sic] caucus has been formed and will be having a conference call to discuss difficult provisions within the new regulations. (eg. Adoptions for Columbian [sic] nationals are to be free of charge).”

Guatemala
The JCICS heavily influenced Guatemalan legislation by leveraging 203 US congressman to sign a letter.

“Guatemala 5000

Joint Council was instrumental in having a letter from 203 members of Congress be sent to President Berger, UNICEF in Guatemala & NY. Joint Council is working with DOS to help them understand the proposal and support it along with the Hague Permanent Bureau. It should be officially introduced into Guatemalan Congress next week.

December 2007Children’s Home Society helps pay for the JCICS upcoming Africa trip.

Nepal
The JCICS sure knows how to prioritize! They put moving fast above other issues in Nepal: “Discussion is underway to strategize about how to get the committee to process more than ten cases per week.”

Speed was also the agency focus in Ethiopia. (see http://reformtalk.blogspot.com/2011/02/ethiopia-reality-behind-spin.html )

July 2007 full notes http://poundpuplegacy.org/files/jcics/July%2011%202007%20Minutes%20-%20WEB.pdf

August 2007 full notes

http://poundpuplegacy.org/files/jcics/August%2029%202007%20Minutes%20-%20WEB.pdf

September 2007 full notes http://poundpuplegacy.org/files/jcics/Sept%2026%202007%20Minutes%20-%20WEB.pdf

November 2007 full notes http://poundpuplegacy.org/files/jcics/November%207%202007%20Minutes%20-%20WEB.pdf

For all 2005-2009 meeting minutes, see http://poundpuplegacy.org/node/46329 .

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