SAVE THE DATES: October 10 – October 13, 2008

We are excited to announce that Korean Adoptees of Hawai’i (KAHI) will be hosting an international gathering for Asian adult adoptees in Honolulu, from October 10 to 13, 2008!

O’ahu, known among the Hawaiian islands as the “Gathering Place,” will serve as the site for Hawai’i’s first Asian international adoptee gathering. KAHI invites all Asian-born adoptees, age 18+, as well as their significant others and children, to come to Honolulu for four days of fun and friendship, films and food, local culture and sightseeing, and of course, sand, surf, sun and aloha!

Negotiations for a specially discounted hotel rate are under way.

Asian adult adoptee film directors are also invited to contact KAHI regarding their films that explore themes of adoption or adoptee experiences. Selected films will be presented at a special Film Festival during the Gathering, along with a Q&A panel or discussion session. Festival entry guidelines will be available soon from KAHI.

For more information, please stay tuned to the KAHI website at  www.KAHawaii.org, or e-mail info@KAHawaii.org.

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!

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!

meeting2008-1.pdf

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.

Please see message below from Susan Soon-keum Cox, Vice Presient Public Policy & External Affairs for Holt International Children’s Services.

November is National Adoption Awareness Month and we have been contacted
by the U.S. Embassy in Korea for a Photo Essay Exhibit they are putting
together to celebrate National Adoption Month. They are requesting photos
depicting adoption from Korea. If you would like to participate, please
send a childhood photo and a current photo. Please include your name and
contact information. You can send your submission to Holt to
tawnyas@holtinternational.org Deadline is 12th
Thank you in advance for your participation!

SEOUL, Korea - October 29, 2007 - Beginning November 1st, Global
Overseas Adoptees’ Link (G.O.A.’L) will set-up informational booths
at major train stations around the Korean peninsula to promote
awareness of international adoption and efforts to connect overseas
adopted Koreans with their Korean birth families.

In support of this campaign, through funding provided by the Ministry
of Health and Welfare, G.O.A.’L published, Now, We’re one Family
Again (English translation of title), a 3-color search directory book
featuring 160 overseas adopted Koreans who are searching for their
Korean families. This directory was first made public through YTN
International news channel in February 2007, and was distributed to
members of the Korean National Assembly and public offices nationwide
in April and May 2007.

November 1st, Seoul Station will be the official first site of the
campaign with staff and volunteers handing out informational
materials about birth family search, process and ways to contact the
adoptees featured in the search directory and on the G.O.A.’L website
database. November 8th, the campaign will move to Busan Train
Station, Gyeongsan Province, and November 15th will culminate at
Gwangju Train Station in Jeolla Province.

G.O.A.’L is a registered non-profit, NGO adoptee organization based
in Seoul, Korea founded by overseas adopted Koreans in 1998.
Beginning as a network to assist overseas Korean adoptees returning
to Korea to access Korean society by bridging barriers of language
and culture, G.O.A.’L has worked tirelessly to educate, create a
voice for and increase recognition of overseas adopted Koreans in
their homeland through lobbying the Korean government, organizing an
annual conference addressing adoption-related issues, publishing a
regular bi-lingual newsletter and coordinating public education,
networking & social events.

G.O.A.’L has grown into an organization that provides post-adoption
services including: birth family search assistance, translation/
interpretation

, 1-on-1 Korean language tutoring, scholarships for Korean language
study at well-known Korean universities, referrals to partner
organizations, advice on visiting or living in Korea and assistance
with accessing basic services in Korea such as opening a bank
account, setting-up mobile phone service or obtaining the F-4 visa, etc.

For more information: www.goal.or.kr
Contact: ia_goal@yahoo.com

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 Seoul, Republic of Korea ( Zip Code : 120-809)  * Call to the office during business hour if you have any question Tel : 82-2-3148-0258 

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

***Call for papers is now on for the 9th Annual Adoption Conference, Australia***

Abstracts due by Monday 17 December 2007.
Successful applicants will be notified of their acceptance by Monday 10 March 2008. Final abstracts are required for printing, by 30 April 2008.
Each session is 40 minutes in duration, which consists of a 30-minute presentation of your paper, with 10 minutes allowed per session, for question time.

Dr Kim, Do Young will be retiring as of 31/10/07.

The new President and CEO of Eastern Social Welfare Services will be Dr Kim, Jin Sook

Beginning September 2007, the Birth Family Search Department at G.O.A.’L will offer classes to birth family members who would like to learn the English language. The main purpose of this class is to assist with the often difficult communication process between Korean birth families and their relatives that were sent overseas for adoption. The class will also facilitate building a supportive network for birth families to meet with other birth families.
For more information, please visit:

http://goal.or.kr/eng/?slms=fam&lsms=1&sl=2&ls=11