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Boomtown Rats -> The Boomtown Rats -> Band Aid/Live Aid/Live 8 -> Adopting an African Child - what do you think about it?
Post Info TOPIC: Adopting an African Child - what do you think about it?
Jules


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Adopting an African Child - what do you think about it?
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You'll all have heard in the news that Madonna has fast tracked an adoption of a young child from Malawi. I'm not going to discuss the ins and outs of that.

This is just months after someone I used to work with did the same thing with a child from Ethiopia. I think this boy was orphaned, but am not 100% certain.

My first reaction is that gives the child great opportunities that he/she would never have had, access to good health services, education and everything this country has to offer, as well as good loving family home, in a peaceful place. Then I heard that some human rights organisations are raising objections, but haven't gone deeper into what they might being objecting to. So I got to think about it and the child.

It is positive in terms of what opportunities it opens up to the child, that child will be brought up without wanting. But they will be deprived of their culture and family. It is very different from adopting within the same country, where society is similar. This is something else. How will the child feel when they are growing up? Will they feel that they just don't belong anywhere? What about the morals of the parents? Will they teach (be able to, not just from a moral point of view) the child about their roots and their culture. We all like to know where we come from and feel a sense of belonging, might this be confusing for a child? A child adopted in the UK from the UK can, under current law, at the age of 18 (I think this may be changing) look for their real parents and contact them. How easy could something like that be for a child from another country? How could they connect with their original family if they wished to when they are grown up? Of course, at the age of adoption there is no choice for the child in what they would wish and in which society they would wish to grow up in. It will be too late by the time they are 18 and legally an adult in the UK.

Is this what the human rights groups are objecting to? What do you think and what do you think about doing this kind of thing in general?

I'm not criticising anyone for wanting to open their heart and home to a child, just trying to see it from all angles.

-- Edited by Jules at 08:06, 2006-10-17

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musicmania


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From what I could understand from the news I think the objections are in relation to how quickly the adoption went through & that there may be Malawi laws that have been broken in order to do this..

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Jules


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Well Human Rights groups wouldn't necessarily get involved in just the speed of the adoption or the legal side of it.

I heard on the news yesterday one group talking about it being better to have support locally than taking the child out of the country and their own environment.

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motema2004


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I think it's a good idea. Not sure about Madonna, but overall, I think it's nice. If you leave the child in Africa, you can't be certain the child will get whatever you send him or her, unfortunately that is the reality. The important thing is giving the children a chance at life. Here in the US where I work we have several Korean co-workers who are adopted, university students. They don't want to go back to live, but they have kept up with their traditions in spite of their upbringing, because they have loving & supportive parents, and I think it would be fine to do the same with African children.

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rekamarkovics


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There were an article about it in Dunantuli Naplo our local paper.
The journalist wrote that "there is a fear about these children losing their culture, their roots", but I think it is better too live with out that than without food, money and education.

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Jules


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Yes, it is a good thing, but it isn't the answer in the long term. And it only helps a few We need a BIG answer.

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musicmania


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I'm not sure I agree with this adoption idea, especially if at least one of the parents is still alive. It would match Madonna & those like her to donate money to help the whole community. Ok I've heard that she have given a measly £3 million but to her that is peanuts. I heard an interview last night that supposedly stated that the father was mislead & was agreeing to let her foster the child but not adopt. One of my friends, a lifetime fan is that disgusted that she is now claiming to HATE Madonna. I think thats a bit extreme when I don't believe we have the full story..



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