INITIAL PROPOSAL* **
2011 - International Year of Mother and Child Rights
A call for all individuals, organizations, religions, and world leaders concerned with the rights of mothers and their children to join together and work toward encating and ensuring the following goals:
** Last updated June 14, 2007
- - Recognition of the indisputable, uniquely unparalleled, sacred natural bond of a mother and the child she conceives of her own ovum, carries and bears.
- - The right of every mother and father, regardless of marital status, finances, or physical disadvantage has the right to parent their child above any others.
- - This parent/child connection and the placing of a child with non-related persons should not occur without due cause for the protection and safety of the child, and only after all means of addressing the problems of the family unit have been reasonably tried and failed.
- - The right of every mother or expectant mother to know the consequences to herself and her child of their separation and to be provided resources necessary to prevent unwarranted separations.
- - The right of a mother to reclaim a child taken from her without her full knowledge and informed, unpressured consent upon being proven to be hers.
- - An end to profiteering in child redistribution and stiff penalties enforced for those obtain children via coercion, lies, or theft and who traffic children for adoption, slave trade, soldiering or any other purpose.
- - The outlawing of all advertisements, promotions, incentives by private individuals, agencies, businesses or governmental agencies that promote or encourage the separation or abandonment of parent a child.
- - To abolish programs that pay states and individuals to care for children, rather than applying the funds toward family preservation programs and resources.
- - The outlawing of allowing women to be used as brood stock via so-called surrogacy.
- - The outlawing of all anonymous sales (called donations) of sperm and ova.
- - An end to the legalization and thus encouragement of anonymous baby abandonment.
- - The right of every expectant mother and child to preventative and necessary medical care and nourishment.
- - The right of every child to remain within his family of origins, extended kinship group or nation of birth.
- - The right of every child to be named by the mother who births him and for that name to be recorded permanently, never to be altered except by the wish of the individual himself.
- - The right of every child to maintain his original name and the names of his progenitors, even if he needs to be provided legal care by alternate guardians.
- - The right to equal access to original birth certificates for all adoption separated persons; for mothers who lost children to adoption the right to any and all papers they signed.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!
Let's Make This Happen!
*Additions, thoughts, input, suggestions and ideas welcomed! Let's work together to tweak this and then get worldwide supporters.Let's Make This Happen!
** Last updated June 14, 2007
20 comments:
They should also include the right of every child to not be stolen from their mother by our government just so they can make money off of them.
Anon,
Not sure what you mean by "stolen by our government." Do you mean unfounded CPS cases?
I think it is important to add that there needs to be an end to unconstitutional laws in most states that discriminate against mother, child and adoptive family. It is unnacceptable that state laws based on the outdated stigmas of shame placed on adoption and out-of-wedlock pregnancy, forever seal behind stone the original identities of adoptees. It us unnacceptable that the identity of an adoptee is a government secret and that any birth records we are permitted to have are heavily CENSORED by the state. Unconditional, uncensored, undeniable access to original birth records is denied of no other American citizen EXCEPT the adoptee. It is unacceptable that the law places shame on the biological parents by assuming the origins of their relinquished progeny must be sealed and hidden. It is unacceptable that lobbyists are closer to the ear of lawmakers than adoptees are and that lobbyists would have you think that the average adoptee is a horrible monster and would only use their birth records to stalk their biological families.
Nice thought, but how does one get something like this to happen? Who declares "Year of...."? Who notices? I remember reading about an International Geophysical Year in National Geographic when I was a kid, and that involved research about the earth and natural sciences, but that is really the only one I recall. And Black history and Women's history months are always featured on PBS so I know those.
No doubt every year and every month, week and day have a cause assigned somewhere, like "national gorilla suit day" or the infamous "national adoption month" but do any of these things really mean anything? I don't know, just asking......
MaryAnne,
As far as how to accomplish getting it to be actually and officially recognized, I don't yet know. But that is why i set the realistic goal for 2011 so that I have time to research it and then present it to the powers that be. My *guess* is we would need a political type person - like a local congressperson, perhaps, to introduce it. ??
Even if we do not get "official" recognition...and just put it put on our own (kinda like self-publishing)...
Either way, if we get the press to notice and to print the content of what we wish this year to recognize - the rights of human beings that are currently being abused ...and begin a discussion about these issues that many (most?) people are totally ignorant to, then I think we would have accomplished a GREAT DEAL! I have read blogs about adoption that are ASTOUNDING in their ignorance of the laws.
BTW, 1979 was International Year of the Mother, unbeknownst to you and I who at the very moment were forming the original Origins ( a name so good its been copies ad nuseum, like my Dark Side of Adoption.) We have always been visionaries and I continue to be. Reach for the moon and stars! You never know what you can accomplish if you never try!
That is it exactly the Federal Government pays DHS/CPS to steal these children and put them up for adoption. There is a lot of money involved here. Oklahoma made 28 million dollars off the Feds last year for doing just what I am talking about. I have documents to prove everything I am saying.
Anon,
I want very much to include that aspect and want the support of individuals and organizations that are fighting these injustices, such as Richard Wexler. Please pass this link on to any nd all in that area of advocacy.
Do you think the following bullet point is sufficient? Or perhaps it should speofically state state incentives:
*** "The outlawing of all advertisements, promotions, incentives by private individuals, agencies, businesses or governmental agencies that promote or encourage the separation or abandonment of parent a child."
Added:
"To abolish programs that pay states and individuals to care for children, rather than applying the funds toward family preservation programs and resources."
MaryAnne,
And when you are feeling hopeless and discouraged, remember that NJ is perhaps the only state in which surrogacy is illegal - due at least in part to *our* little grassroots work with Harold Cassidy, holding press conferences and and summoning the support of religious leaders, ethicists etc.! All that evil needs to succeed is for good men - and women - to do nothing.
Harold Cassidy - now there's a name I haven't heard of in years! WOW! Had anice chat with him at an AAC conference, dare I say, 20 years ago. Thank you, MaryAnne and Mirah for your work making surrogacy illegal in New Jersey.
This is a super idea!
May I add to this ... father's rights to his child(ren)? There are so many abuses, but the obvious rights should prevail.
Another addition: the right of every person to know who their father is, and to have their birth certificate corrected to reflect the truth. I realize that fathers who have been abusive to mother and baby may not be a favorite topic here, yet, the offspring of such a man stil deserves to know who her/his father is. Also, a person who discovers late in life that the "father who raised you is not your father" also deserves to know the truth. How does one advocate for those who know their mothers and thought they knew their fathers, but a lifetime goes by and then they are told? Kinda like Late Disciver Adotpees without the adoption --- every here Cher's song, "He'll Never Know"? That song was the flip side of a 45 single, don't know which one.
Fathers are mentioned in the second bullet point and the third speaks of parents rights. Anonymous sperm "donation" is also denounced.
I do believe in a child's right to know their parents regardless of charges of abuse or any other crimes or mental illness. The truth is the truth.
However, there is not way of making women name fathers when they refuse...or making married woman admit a child is not their husbands. But, I believe any man who can prove via DNA that he is a child's father has rights that should not be disregarded. If there are charges of abuse, they will have to be presented and weighed in terms of his having actual physical custody. But his name should be on the OBC.
Alison Ward was the one who really got involved in the Baby M case and fight against surrogacy in NJ, although we were all against it. I've never thought of myself as a visionary and still don't.
Whatever happened to "Baby M" anyhow?
Last I heard she stayed with the Sterns who created her and had visitation with her mom and sibs.
Visions and goals are good things. They give us reason to get up each day and LIVE! Without the hope that things can change and the knowledge that they do - albeit very slowly - I'd just give up and die. I'll die either way, but I'd like to go my grave knowing I did everything in my power to help things change in a positive direction for mothers and their babies. It's actually all quite selfish! :-)
Goals, yes, but mine are very modest. Visions, no. I feel I did some good, helped many mothers reunite with their kids, adoptees with their original families. I guess that was a goal and I did do that. Also have some relationship with my son, another goal.
I hope to be remembered with fondness by family and a few friends, do not expect to have any significant impact on the world but then most people don't. In a hundred years nobody will remember who any of us were. Oblivion is the fate of most once all memory is gone.
I seek no personal glory or recognition. What I said is that "I" need to know that I did everything within my power to leave the world a better place for having been here.
John Lennon said: "When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream."
That's how I feel when I see injustice. I just scream and rant and write blogs...and try to initiate an International Day to bring attention to this issue. For me, it's about what I feel compelled to do and cannot NOT do.
Yes, you have always been there to offer solace to mothers and still are and that is sorely needed as well. But wouldn't it be great if someday there were no mothers having to scream for and who need support and help because there would be no unnecessary and unwarranted losses of their children? That's my goal, my dream. And each and every tiny baby step taken in that direction is a stepping stone in the foundation for a better future.
John Lennon also said: "Songwriting is about getting the demon out of me."
And thus, I continue to scream.
I think my demons got bored to death with me and left:-) I don't blame them! I feel no need to scream about anything any more. It is what it is, lots of things would be nice but are unlikely to happen.Not worth getting upset about; there is sufficient sorrow and injustice no matter what anyone does.
We each do our own thing, I wish you the best with yours.
What about the right of a child to dual citizenship if he or she is an internationally adopted child? I don't think the child should have to abandon his or her original citizenship but dual is usually not offered.
I agree with you totally, But that would requite maintaining original identify and ties. US adoption is based on the preposterous pretense that the child - of whatever age -is "AS IF" BORN TO their adoptive parents!
I strongly encourage you to view and comment on a blog I recently came across:
What Does an Adopted Child’s Birth Certificate Look Like?
http://ouradopt.com/adoption-blog/aug-2008/
fostermommy/what-does-adopted-child%E2%80%99s-
birth-certificate-look#comment-3931
COPY and paste with NO SPACES!
Oh, Mirah--I went there already. Blech. I was going to post on it but it was too hideous. You and Natalie-something and someone else did a good job of countering the lies. I must say, though, I found the comments very out of step. For example, while "Julia" didn't approve of adoption secrecy, this stsatement -
"However, there are adoptive parents who have trouble 'sharing' their child, or feel that it divides the child's loyalty or somehow affects how the child will love the adoptive parents."
- was curious in how neutral it was, seeming to accept this as an acceptable parental "option" and not bad adoption practice. There hasn't been a single book published in the last 15 years to my knowledge that recommends secrecy. I thought we were waaaaaaay over that one. Guess not.
AND...what is really incredible is that they are talking about adoption of kids from foster care, so they are presumably older and likely have family they KBOW ABOUT!! It is totally outrageous and contrary, as you say, to all adoption, child advocacy and family relations practice. I have just been going BALLISTIC on that blog.
I really hope you will find the courage to write because coming from an adoptive parent would be important. I have been told that I am just interested in openness because it behooves mothers!
GRRRRHH!
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