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Archive NEWS
Note that the AVI web manager is currently postponing updates to this
page unless you have a special announcement.
If you would like to post your news
here please email
adoptedvietnamese@hotmail.com
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Majority of Global
"Orphans" Have Families
August 2008
Ethica welcomes UNICEF's recent clarification on the number of global
orphans and that the majority of these children, in fact, have one
living parent or extended family to care for them. Over the
years, the inclusive UNICEF definition of "orphan" has been cited by
various sources as the basis for decisions on where to expend funds and
create programs. For many people, the word "orphan" brings to mind
children who have no parents. Therefore, we applaud UNICEF's
clarification that of the estimated 132 million orphans, about 10% or
13 million orphans have lost both parents. This distinction lends
some clarity into issues impacting international adoption. Over the
years, the oft quoted figure of 143 million orphans has been used to
justify a lack of regulation, rebut contentions of adoption fraud, and
question the significant numbers of children placed in some small
countries because the prevailing myth is that all "orphans" from
developing countries have no families or communities to care for them
_______________________
2008 - NEW
NATIONAL PEAK GROUP ON INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION
*Huge congratulations to all members but especially to Vietnamese
adoptee Lynelle Beveridge.
Bios of all members are below at bottom of article - Eun Bryan
joins
as a State elected rep, which fortunately adds to the numbers of
adopted people. Read more at:
http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/www/ministers/robertmc.nsf/Page/
MediaReleases_2008_FirstQuarter_30March2008-
NewNationalPeakGrouponIntercountryAdoption
_________________________
2020 Summit Australia in
April 2008
There is a story on the 2020 Summit including a short brief on
overseas adoption that I have contributed as one of the 'summiteer'
participants.
I hope you can add your thoughts, this is Australia's national
online
news forum.
People are welcome to say whatever they feel, and particularly in
response to my own post. It's got more questions than answers. I
look
forward to reading your thoughts.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/15/2216958.htm
________________________
Operation Identity
Linh Song, the Executive Director of
Ethica, has informed the larger
adoption community of a very important initiative started by Ethica
to protect the identities of Vietnamese children being adopted
abroad, Operation Identity: Cooperating to Protect the Identity of
Vietnamese Orphans.
http://www.ethicanet.org/item.php?
recordid=Identity1&pagestyle=default
__________________
FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES:
A list of documentary
projects about adoption
from Vietnam are listed on the AVI documentary
webpage.
__________________
PHOTOGRAPHY/ARTS:
Anh Dao Kolbe, Boston
VN adoptee and professional
photographer, website http://www.adkfoto.com
Jessic Emmet, UK VN
adoptee and visual artist
www.jessica-emmett.com
Dominic Golding, Australiani VN adoptee
and theatre/visual artist
www.dmztour.blogspot.com and http://www.slot.net.au/current.htm
__________________
MUSIC:
Check out the follow up to the Operation
Babylift themed CD and
new songs by VN adoptee Jared Rehberg at www.jaredrehberg.com
__________________
See AVI Blogs page for more updates on
what adoptees are up too
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April 2004: AVI
founder and
director Indigo is now legally known by the name Indigo Willing and is
living in
Brisbane, QLD
Feb 2006: Things
have been busy after being joined by a new family member!

Queen's
Birthday Honours List 2006 recognises Adopted Vietnamese
community!
On the Queen's birthday Indigo Williams
Willing became the recipient of a Medal of the Order of Australia
in the General Division: 'For service to the community through
the establishment
and administration of Adopted Vietnamese International', Awarded
by
the Council for the Order of Australia and Approved by His Excellency
Major General Michael Jeffery, Governor-General of the
Commonwealth of Australia AC CVO MC (Ret'd), June 2006.
Nominators are kept confidential and the process typically takes up to
two years for the
council to research nominees before a decision is made.
Adopted Vietnamese International (AVI) was officially launched in
Australia on April 2000 on the 25th Anniversary of the end of the
Viet Nam War. AVI grew in heart and nature from the input and
inspiration of groups such as ICASN in Australia, and both Mam
Non
and The Vietnamese Adoptee Network in the USA. AVI's mission is to
learn from and offer support to adopted Vietnamese as they
explore
their sense of identity/ies, heritage and diversity. AVI
also
encourages the adopted Vietnamese community to share their
experiences and nurture stronger relationships with their
families,
the wider trans-racial adoption community, the Vietnamese
Diaspora
and other cultural communities through community projects,
research
and online activities. Projects included a group return trip
to
Vietnam in 2001, a growing e-resource library on all things
related
to adoption from Vietnam, an e-group, a national list for
Vietnamese war adoptees to register on, and a searching for birth
parents guide and register.
Indigo writes: This acknowledgment does not belong to myself as an
individual but more to the many amazing Vietnamese adoptees who show
courage and insight to reach out and explore their history and support
one another using new technologies such as Internet networks and follow
on things such as events and reunions. There are also many people out
there in the wider adoption community combined who well and truly
deserve recognition. This real honour is a reflection of the hard
work the whole adoption community has done to come together, to
create positive bridges between the old and the new lives and
communities they have, and to making new ways for future
transnationally adoptive families to thrive in their diversity.
Within the Australian adopted Vietnamese community there are, of
course, some very amazing people who really set out to make a
difference. For example, Lynelle Beveridge, who began ICASN and Analee
Matthews who acts as AVI's national communications manager.
Also, contacts like Tran Van Heeswyk and
Saran Portolesi from South Australia and Sue-Yen Luiten from
Western Australia, who do the wonderful work of helping us keep
us
all in touch with there local activities.
There is also the exciting art,
screen writing, acting and directing of Dominic Golding who did
the well reviewed play "Shrimp" recently and who is
now travelling in Vietnam. Such people and their tireless work
are
inspirational to adoptees and general public alike.
Then, we are all so lucky to learn from so many brave individuals
who, in emails, writing or through media interviews, have shared
how adoption from Vietnam has shapes their lives. Some of these
people include Cath Turner, Veronica Stanley, Hoa Stone, Kim Paige,
Jamie Fry, Michael Purling,
Faith Elzon, Jen Fitzpatrick, Jen Szetho, Suanne Prager, the
Wunderles, Kim Edgar, Emma Pham, Emma Brockett, Zion Mitchell and
Christina Tinker-Casson. Plus there
are those like Kym Blackwell, Glen Kelly, Jaye B., Kim Catford,
Simon Keogh, as well as many others on
the AVI national listing of adopted Vietnamese war orphans in
Australia who have also come into contact with the community to
offer things like advice, friendship and support. Many of these
people also regularly provide their time for mentor programs or
for
groups that help educate adoptive parents whose children come from many
other parts of the world. They are really giving back to
these new
Australian families and I am so very lucky to know them.
In addition, there are the people who are not adoptees but do
much
by contributing to the community's ongoing pursuit of well being,
freedom of identity and self-discovery - from former volunteers
of
the Babylift and pilots such as John Douglas, plus the VIetnamese
community includng Cuong Phu Le and Trung Nguyen and Mai Nguyen.
It is important to
acknowledge how we as adopted Vietnamese are part of this great
community of people who help, care and truly value one another.
It's an honour to be a part, however large or small, of these
special peoples lives.
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