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Korean Adoptees of Hawai`i are pleased to host:The Asian Adult Adoptee Gathering & Film Festival
October 10-13, 2008 Honolulu, Hawai`iPlease visit www.kahawaii.org/mini08 for more information and film submission guidelines.Please pass this along!Mahalo,
Amanda
Foster care better for I.Q. than orphanage, study finds
Thursday, December 20, 2007
The results of U.S. research in Romania, being published on Friday in the journal Science, found that toddlers placed in foster families developed significantly higher I.Q.’s by age 4, on average, than peers who spent those years in an orphanage.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2883720
December 10, 2007
HONG KONG ? A high-ranking Dutch diplomat and his wife, who adopted a 4-month-old Korean girl in 2000 when he was posted in Korea, gave up the child last year, officials here said.
Now, officials here are looking for someone to take care of the school-age child.
The girl, Jade, is still a Korean citizen because the adoptive parents, whose names were not released, never applied to give her Dutch citizenship, according to an official at the Hong Kong Social Welfare Department.
She doesn’t speak any Korean. She speaks only English and Cantonese, according to people close to her. And she doesn’t have Hong Kong residency status, either. The Hong Kong Social Welfare Department, where the Dutch diplomat left Jade in September last year, has had responsibility for her ever since, the official said. Jade has been in Hong Kong’s foster care system, according to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post.
The paper also reported that the diplomat, who has a senior management role at a European consulate in the city, said “the adoption had gone wrong,” without any further explanation.
“It’s just a very terrible trauma that everyone’s experiencing,” he told the paper. “I don’t have anything to say to the public. It is something we have to live with.”
The diplomat’s wife thought she was infertile when the couple adopted the Korean girl in 2000, the official said. After they moved to Hong Kong, the wife got pregnant. They now have two children of their own.
The story has fueled anger among the Korean immigrant community in Hong Kong, which criticized the diplomat couple for “irre-sponsibly renouncing their custody of a child who’d been with them more than six years after delaying the naturalization process in Netherlands for years.”
A couple of potential families in Hong Kong showed interest in the adoption, but are struggling to complete the adoption process because of the strict legal qualifications here, Koreans familiar with the incident said.
The Korean Consulate in Hong Kong said it is aware of the situation.
“We could send her back to a Korean orphanage, but she’s been away from Korea for so long, and it would be very difficult for her to readapt in Korea,” said Jeong Byeong-bae, a consul of the South Korean consulate in Hong Kong. “So it is for the best under the circumstances to find a Korean family in Hong Kong.”
By Choi Hyung-kyu JoongAng Ilbo/ Lee Yang-kyoung Staff Reporter [ enational@joongang.co.kr ]
The Adoption and Family Information Service (AFIS) and the Post Adoption
Support Service (PASS) will be collaborating on running a 2 seminar series
in 2008. Planning is still in progress, however dates have been set for
your diaries. This series will be jointly run by AFIS and PASS and
acknowledges the benefits in coordinating some of the education processes
undertaken by AFIS in preparation for adoption and the work of PASS in
working with families after the adoption.
The first of the seminar series is called The Joys and Challenges of
Parenting your Adopted Child and will be held at Relationships Australia
South Australia (RASA) over 3 evenings: 8, 15, 22 and 29th May 2008. The
series is for both waiting parents and those whose child has already
joined their family. Some of the topics to be covered will be: promoting a
secure relationship with your child, parenting a child who has experienced
institutionalisatio n, supporting the child who is grieving, negotiating
education, supports and other systems available, supporting your child in
developing relationships in school, encouraging play, and managing
behaviour.
The second series will be on the Common Medical and Developmental Needs of
Intercountry Adopted Children and will be held at RASA on 11, 18 and 25
September 2008. Again this series will be for both waiting parents and
those who have already been placed with a child. Presenters will include a
paediatrician, child health nurse, occupational therapist, speech
pathologist and psychologist.
The seminars will be free to attend. Please contact either Sandi
Petersen, Coordinator, Post Adoption Support Service on 08 8245 8100 or
mailto:S.Petersen%40rasa.org.au or Meredith du Caine, Senior Program Development
Officer at Adoption and Family Information Service, on 8207 0060 for
further information.
Kind regards,
Sandi Petersen
Coordinator, Post Adoption Support Service
Relationships Australia SA
49a Orsmond St, Hindmarsh 5007
Ph: 8245 8100
Email: mailto:S.Petersen%40rasa.org.au
JINHEUNG MOONHWA Co., Ltd. has hosted a motherland tour program for all Overseas Adopted Koreans every year since 1996.
The purpose of this program is to provide an opportunity for Korean Overseas Adoptees to understand Korean culture and tradition, to foster a strong sense of pride in the Korean heritage and build a warm friendship between native Koreans and adoptees.
We invite Korean Overseas Adoptees to Journey 2008 as below.
? Tentative Date : June 16 - 28, 2008 for two weeks (13 days, 12 nights)
** subject to change slightly
? Applicant Qualifications / Participant Selection
- All Overseas adopted Koreans
- From 18 to 28 years of age.
- Preference will be given to those who have not visited Korea before
- Limited to 20 participants
? Participation costs
JINHEUNG MOONHWA Co., Ltd. will cover all expense for this program
(housing, food, transportation in Korea) except air travel to/from home country
and domestic travel from Busan/Jejudo/Seoul.
? How to Apply
- Fill out and Submit application form and brief essay which includes information about
yourself and what you hope to gain as a participant in Journey program. Include a recent
color photo.
Submit to: Robyn McLaughlin: korrob4@hotmail.com (USA) or
Suk-Hwan Choi : jh1004@jh1004.com (Korea)
Application Form (Download application form at http://1004calendar.com)
** Early application is highly appreciated as participants are accepted on a first come basis.
? Application Deadline : April 25, 2008
? Host: JINHEUNG MOONHWA Co., Ltd.
104-8 Shinseol-dong, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel: 82-2-2230-5190 Fax: 82-2-2230-5156
http://1004calendar.com
? Contact Information
- Korea : Mr. Suk-Hwan Choi
E-mail: jh1004@jh1004.com
Tel: +82-2-2230-5191 / Fax: +82-2-2230-5156
- U.S.A : Ms. Robyn Poland, a Journey 2001
E-mail: korrob4@hotmail.com
Tel: (Home) +1-732-721-8450/ (Mobile) +1-732-887-3183
SAVE THE DATES: August 1 – August 3, 2008
In 2008 Global Overseas Adoptees’ Link will celebrate its 10th anniversary. To commemorate this significant milestone, G.O.A.’L will host a special celebration together with our annual summer conference. More info will be forthcoming, so check our homepage for updates: www.goal.or.kr or contact Nicole Sheppard (ia_goal@yahoo.com).
REGISTRATION FEE SCHEDULE (Per Person):
USD 60 Until December 31, 2007
USD 75 January 1 - 10, 2008
FREE for Children under 6
**Registration fee includes: Welcome Reception, Breakfast and lunch on January 13th and 14th, and Tuesday night’s banquet.
Amy Anderson, Korean adoptee comedian, will provide entertainment for the Tuesday night banquet. For more information about Amy Anderson, please visit her website: http://ikaa.info/l/en/mailing/link/fde428777f6aecadec3c/268!
FLAMINGO HOTEL INFORMATION:
A block of rooms have been set aside for the IKAA Mini-Gathering Las Vegas at the Flamingo Hotel located right in the center of the famous Las Vegas strip. A special nightly rate has been arranged for $130/night and this rate will be available from January 12 - January 17, 2008.
To make your room reservations, you can call +1.800.835.5686 and use either the “International Korean Adoptee Associations” name OR the Reservation Code #SFKAA8. It is also possible to sign up online: here
There are a limited number of rooms available, so if you plan on attending the Las Vegas International Mini-Gathering, please go ahead and make your room reservations today!
IKAA POKER TOURNAMENT AT BALLY’S:
Participants must be over 21!
Bally’s, another big casino across the street from the Flamingo, will host a poker tournament for IKAA. The tournament will be open to adoptees and spouses/partners.
Sign up fee: $65. The fee can be paid with the registration to the general conference or online: here
Sign up for the Poker Tournament (75 persons on a first-come, first-served basis): http://ikaa.info/l/en/mailing/link/fde428777f6aecadec3c/271. Please include your name, country and payment method.
GOLF EVENT:
There is a possibility of a golf event, if there are enough participants. Please let us know (http://ikaa.info/l/en/mailing/link/fde428777f6aecadec3c/274) if you would be interested!
CALL FOR WORKSHOP/SESSION PROPOSALS:
All adult Korean adoptees (including individuals and groups who are not officially affiliated with IKAA) are welcome to submit proposals for workshops to take place at the IKAA Mini-Gathering in Las Vegas. Workshops are tentatively scheduled to take place 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM on both Monday, January 14 and Tuesday, January 15. Depending on the number of workshops, there may be space for concurrent sessions to take place.
Please visit the IKAA International Mini-Gathering Las Vegas website (http://ikaa.info/l/en/mailing/link/fde428777f6aecadec3c/275 ) to download the workshop proposal form.
**Join us on the “IKAA International Mini-Gathering Las Vegas” Facebook Group! IKAA is not responsible for the arrangement of roommates, but perhaps you can find an old friend or acquaintance on Facebook to stay with!**
Details have been updated on the IKAA website. Please visit http://ikaa.info/l/en/mailing/link/fde428777f6aecadec3c/276!
Hi all …
Analee and myself are working with Becker Entertainment who are in the
early stages of a possible documentary for SBS on the Search for Birth
Family by 3 inter-country adoptees. This is a terrific opportunity for
anyone who is wanting to search and who is open to sharing this emotional
experience with the media.
If you are one of the 3 successful applicants, you need to be comfortable
in opening up your life during this extraordinary journey to Becker and
handing over all rights to any footage filmed. In return, they will be
paying for your travel expenses during production and some pre and post
counselling. Further details below in the synopsis.
If you would like to have the opportunity to participate, please contact
Claire at clairea@beckers. com.au or myself at icasn@bigpond. net.au
Many thanks
Regards
Lynelle
www.icasn.org
THE MOTHER COUNTRY
A documentary series following the experiences of three Australian
adoptees as they search for their birth parents
(3 x 60 mins for SBS TV)
Inter-country adoption is the most common form of adoption in Australia.
Since the 1970s approximately 15,000 adopted children from overseas have
grown up as Australians. In the 1970s, Vietnamese orphans were airlifted
into the arms of ill-prepared Australians; in the 1980s, Colombian,
Bolivian and Korea made up the vast majority of adopted children; and in
the past two decades, it’s been predominantly Romanian, Ethiopian, and
Chinese adoptees. These children have all found new homes and new lives in
Australia.
Many, up to several hundred every year, decide at some point in their
lives to return to their home country and search for their birth parents
and families. ‘MOTHER COUNTRY’ is their story.
This is a series following three Australian adoptees who decide to look
for their birth parents and families. A multi-racial story set in three
overseas locations, ‘MOTHER COUNTRY’ is an emotional journey through
grief, loss, anger and racism. It is ultimately about love and loss and an
opportunity to open a unique window on the soul of multicultural
Australia.
The problems for inter-country adoptees are considerable. Like other
adoptees, overseas children experience a feeling of abandonment or
rejection; of being different. But to add to these problems, some overseas
adoptees also feel separate from the dominant culture. Returning to their
mother country is as much about being part of the cultural whole as it is
about finding their birth parents. As we reveal the adoptees’ stories we
will get an insight into the historical and political backdrop to the
adoptees’ early lives which led to their adoption.
THE DEVELOPMENT PERIOD
The six week development period will focus on finding the three subjects
for the series. This search period will be conducted by a dedicated TV
researcher. During this process, biographical dossiers of the adoptees
will be compiled and footage shot of each contributor.
It is hoped that the series will be directed by Belinda Mason who directed
‘Growing Up and Going Home’, a 1-hour documentary about three Ethiopian
adoptees in Australia who returned to visit their original home. This
documentary won the 2007 Ruben Mamoulian award at the Sydney Film
Festival.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR ADOPTEES
This series is aiming to find participants who want to undertake a search
for their birth parents and families and are willing to share their
experiences with a wide audience.
All adoptees participating in the series will have their travel expenses
paid for by the production and a counselling service will be provided
before and after their journey.
Adoptees of all ages are encouraged to apply and are welcome to bring
their adoptive families who may also want to undertake the journey,
however due to budgetary constraints the family’s trip will have to be at
their own expense.
Adoptees travelling individually are also welcome to bring a friend or
partner to accompany them however their friend or partner’s trip will have
to be at their own expense.
Filming of this series is currently planned to be completed by the end of
2008. Adoptees will therefore have to be able to undertake their journeys
after June 2008.
InKAS provides Korean language scholarships to overseas Korean adoptees with a grant from the Ministry of Health and Welfare at the below website:http://cyber.inkas.com Overseas Korean adoptees over the age of 14 are qualified to apply. The details of the scholarship and application are as follows:
1. ApplicationEach applicant needs to submit 4 separate documents to complete the application process. Please refer to the attached application form. Application details can also be found at www.inkas.org (InKAS homepage, first click on ‘News and Events’, and then click ‘scholarship on-line 2007’.) Only completed applications will be considered for scholarships.
2. Application Dates: During the year.
3. How to apply: Send the application form and the required documents (written in the form) to InKAS 1) E-mail: inkas21@yahoo.co.kr 2) Fax: 82-2-3148-02593) Visit : Come to InKAS office and submit your application in person4) Post : InKAS office : 101-12 4F, Daehyun-dong, Seodaemoon-gu
4. SelectionSelection will be made entirely on a first-come-first-served basis .
5. NotificationEach grantee will be notified by individual email.
6. Tuition Entirely free for scholarship grantees as the site sponsors 50% of total tuition while InKAS covers the other 50% with support from the Ministry of health and welfare.
7. Terms & Conditions: 1) Duration : 6months (One month / level * 6 levels = Full course lasts six months)Every level starts 1ST day of every months Ex) apply on 15th of August-> start from 1st of September -> study for 6months2) Class schedule : 5 days / week (repeatable) , 1 hour / day (anytime) is recommended. 3) Class process : study each levels and take the test at the end of every month ( level)4) Level : I ~ VI (beginner ~ advanced )
*You may visit the site and try the sample test at http://www.cylang.com/korean/default.htm
Venue: Stamford Plaza Double Bay, Sydney, Australia
Dates: Tuesday 2nd September 2008 - welcome drinks and registration
Wednesday 3rd to Friday 5th September 2008 - conference
The 9th Australian Adoption Conference “Connecting Past, Securing Future” will be held from 2 to 5 September 2008 at the Stamford Hotel, Double Bay, Sydney.
The theme for the conference was inspired by a quote from Hundertwasser who said: “If we do not honour our past, we lose our future. If we destroy our roots, we cannot grow.” It was felt that that for each adoption journey, by acknowledging the past, we are able to make sense of and secure the future.
The organising committee is very excited about this up and coming conference and we believe it will be dynamic, memorable and challenging for all participants. To date, we have received an enthusiastic response from around the globe, and from previous conferences we believe we will attract approximately 400 delegates across the three days.
The conference website, www.australianadoptionconference.com contains further information on the conference and speakers, as well as the Abstract Application form.