[baby_abroad]

Can someone fill me in on what UNICEF is trying to accomplish. Thanks!

[Tiggysgirl]

Accomplish? From what I understand, their goal is to end international adoption. Guatemala is not the first country they have "worked" with. I get so completely angry about it because they SEEM to be a good organization until you find out what is they're actually doing. Leaving the children in a country where, unfortunately, no one can take them in is NOT helping, in my opinion.

Anyway, maybe someone else has some more specific actions as well as places to find information. In fact, I'd be happy to have that as well ... something that I could email out to friends and family.

[rapf777]

Can someone please pm me with the companies that support unicef....I want to write a letter telling them I will no longer support them

Thanks,
Rose

[busterleroy]

I actually work with international organizations, and heard an interesting speech last year that best sums up what the problem is with UNICEF and many other UN organzations.

The international community actually refers to something called 'shrinkage" ( for any Seinfeld fans, I had a hard time keep a straight face for this one) Shrinkage is also called the 90/10 or 10/90 rule. Basically it means that you have to accept upfront that corruption is a way of life for many third world governments, so you try and modify your own policies so that 90 percent of aid dollars reach intended recipients, while only 10 percent is skimmed by government officials. If you are not careful, 90 percent is likely skimmed and 10 percent might make its way to whoever is in need.

It is my opinion that the UN discourages personal involvement; instead encouraging contributions from governments and inviduals to its own organizations, so they can control and appropriate dollars where they see fit. International adoption is threatening primarily because it serves the short term financial interests of UN organizations to have legions of children waiting for adoption, then UNICEF or associated organizations can control funds, and keep the children in their native countries to preserve 'cultural heritage'.

It does NOT serve the financial interests of the UN to have third world children successfully placed in loving homes in developed nations.

You will notice that some of the celebrities, cultural or religious leaders who have Africa as favorite cause set up their own charities and fundraise primarily for them. They do this as a means of controlling how dollars are spent, rather than fundraising for the UN or governments of troubled nations. Many leaders and activist celebrities are reluctant to acknowledge the corruption of certain governments, fearing that fundraising efforts will be hurt.

I was so furious when I began to understand the scope of this problem. I remember being at a dinner in Europe, seated next to someone who once worked with one of the international organizations fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS. I asked why there wasn't more outrage over this corruption, and why it was so widespread. She explained that if corrupt practices were all government officials had ever known, and that people grew up thinking and accepting that that is how government is supposed to operate, it was very hard to implement change. Also, it helps the people in power remain in power if they have control over money, information and the ability to direct access to aid resources.

One more point to help drive home what we are up against: Many people will find this hard to believe, but there are leaders of some nations of Africa who refuse to even acknowledge at this very moment that there is a disease called HIV/AIDS. They do not allow information regarding prevention and treatment to be distributed, nor do they allow treatment including lifesaving antiretrovirals to be administered.

I hope this helps.

PS Forgot to mention the reason I talk so much about Africa is that is where the UN focus and control is - for instance last time I checked, UNICEF board had 8 representatives from Africa, 7 or so from Asia, 5 from Latin America/Carribean - though can't recall seeing a Guatemala rep, can't be sure, I remember Peru and El Salvador - and only one representative from the US.

[Tiggysgirl]

I'll take that PM as well if someone knows.

Pier 1 does for sure. I don't know of any others though.

[monksmom]

I am a grandma in the adoption process, and have only posted once before. But this is a subject that needs to be explored. UNICEF began as an agency to address the needs of children, but in recent years has been radicalized. They are pushing women's rights, to the point of forgetting their original purpose. Recently they have been pouring money and time into Columbia and Nicaragua to influence legislation to legalize abortion. Guatemala is another pro-life country, so a logical target for their agenda. What a perverse way to help children, abort them before they need help! I have a page of links that I will give you if you PM me. Thanks be to God that these dear ones we are adopting were not aborted!

[monksmom]

How can I send the page rather than the link???Help!

[Excelmom]

Monksmom, I just sent you a PM, I would love that list.

UNICEF makes me sick! To even think that they advertise on the Cartoon Network for their fundraising at Halloween....I truly hope someone with media connections would do a story on this. Like Dateline or something.

I am planning on emailing all friends and family over the weekend with the boycott and to email, call, fax their reps in DC about pressure on the DOS. We need to make our voices heard!

Jill

Mom to Sam Mia and waiting for Rafael

[jjcallens]

Can you please send me the link you were talking about. My husband and myself have been talking about the abortion way to stop adoptions. UNICEF is saying they want to preserve the culture....how can they do that if they want to stop children being born to pass it on.

[KY_Roni]

Can someone send me that list too? I think hurting the sponsors bottom line will send a very loud message.

[Synesthesia]

I do not understand being completely anti-international adoption.
I am anti-corruption and anti-the conditions that cause international adoption to be one of the few resources available (thinks of China and how as much as I want to adopt from there, I want it to be unnessasary by the time I'm ready and mature enough) but I cannot see wanting to outright ban it.
If there are children all around the world who need homes, they why make it difficult for the people who want to give them homes? Surely it's better for a child to be adopted by a family then to spend their life in an orphanage? Or I am just over simplifying the issues?

[SkippyRCIS]

Please PM the list to me as well. When I hear people talking about donating to UNICEF I get sick and voice me opinion. None of people that I have talked to had any idea who they were giving to. There has to be a way to unveil who this organization really is.

[RyannB]

Could someone send me he list as well?

[CashCrew]

It would be nearly impossible to boycott all of the UNICEF sponsors and supporters because that's almost everyone. We can try though and we can certainly write letters to the companies saying why we disagree with their alliance with them. Here are just a small FEW of the companies that are supporters or bigtime sponsors (these are just the most popular ones I noticed).

American Airlines
Avon
Bank of America
Best Western
Cartoon Network
Century 21
Coach, Inc.
Coca-Cola
Delta Airlines
Dollar General
ExxonMobil
GE
General Mills
GlaxoSmithKline
Honda
IKEA
InterContinental Hotels
Johnson & Johnson
JP Morgan Chase
Kimberly-Clark
Kodak
Marathon Oil
Mastercard
MCI
Merck
Microsoft
Newman's Own
Nokia
Pacific Life Insurance
Pfizer
Procter & Gamble
Reader's Digest
Sanrio (Hello Kitty)
Siemans
Starwood Hotels (Westin Hotels)
Turner Broadcasting
Verizon
Visa

What really bothers me is a lot of these companies are routinely used for adoption purposes without us parents even knowing we're doing it. I have used Bank of America and Mastercard for a lot of our adoption. People fly on Delta and American Airlines to get there. People stay in InterContinental, Best Western, and Westin when they're in Guatemala. Not to mention all of these companies we support on a day to day basis that we just cannot cut out of our lives, ya know?

[RyannB]

I can't possibly boycott them all, but I will as much as I can.