Embracing the little ones of Romania
Lifting Romania's adoption ban
Across America this Mother's Day, sons and daughters will shower their mothers with gifts. But of course the most precious gift a mother can receive is the gift of life itself - a child from the hand of God.
One mother I know - a Christian woman
and a personal friend - so treasures the gift of life that she has begun the process of adopting an orphaned little girl from Romania, a child with cerebral palsy many others would have chosen to ignore. After major surgery and countless physical therapy sessions in the United States, this little girl now walks with a walker. But equally as stunning as the physical strides she has taken are the emotional strides. It is no small miracle for her to begin to trust and rest in the love of a Christian home she now enjoys here.
But sadly this little girl is caught in a complicated web of international politics, one that, barring some kind of miracle, will mean that she will be returned in just over a year to a Romanian orphanage, despite the longing heart of her would-be adoptive parents. You see, in 2004, Romania issued a ban on all international adoptions. When that ban took effect, more than one thousand children were already in the process of being
adopted by foreign families, including two hundred in the United States. Some of these children have already met and bonded with their would-be adoptive parents.
Today there are an estimated 80,000 children in Romania who lack parental care. Through heroes like Prison Fellowship Romania's Constantin Asavoaie and Romania Christian Enterprises, some of these children are being cared for and adopted by loving Romanian Christians.
But despite these noble efforts, as U.S. Congressman Jeb Bradley (R-N.H.) states, "It is statistically impossible for all these children to be placed" in Romania.
At the root of the foreign adoption debacle lies the dangerous counsel of Baroness Emma Nicholson, a member of the European Parliament from England, who was appointed Romania's rapporteur or "coach" to put Romania on track to become a member of the European Union. The baroness pressured
the Romanian government to declare the adoption ban, making baseless accusations that international adoptions spawned corruption and child-trafficking and insisting that anything short of a total ban would prevent Romania's entrance into the European Union.
According to Congressmen Chris Smith (R-N.J.), "Lady Nicholson has no facts to support her allegations . . . and indeed her allegations have been refuted by UNICEF."
Here's where you come in. I want to ask you to do two things. On May 16 the European Union will issue a report regarding Romania's future entrance into the EU. Pray that God will grant Romanian authorities the courage and wisdom to lift the ban on adoptions despite pressure from Lady Nicholson and the EU.
Secondly, I want to ask you to contact Romanian President Traian Basescu, email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
through the Romanian Embassy in Washington and urge Romanian authorities to immediately resume consideration of all the pending adoption cases, especially children with medical needs.
You can call us here at BreakPoint (1-877-322-5527) for the embassy's address or e-mail.
Your prayers and action today could make this Mother's Day a true celebration of life - not just for the would-be adoptive mothers, but also for the little ones, these precious gifts from God now in limbo.
Chuck Colson is founder and chairman of BreakPoint Online, a Townhall.com
partner.
SUA intervin intr-un scandal sexual cu minori abuzati intr-un Centru de Plasament al DGASPC Ludus, Mures
19 Mai 2006 - Raul Matis - EVENIMENTUL ZILEI
Abuzuri reclamate intr-un orfelinat (al statului) din Ludus au fost luate in serios abia dupa interventia atasatului politic al SUA in Romania.
| |
| Bruce Thomas (stanga) il are de parte sa pe atasatul politic al SUA la Bucuresti, Robert Gilchrist (dreapta) |
Autoritatile muresene au fost nevoite sa-si ceara scuze ambasadei americane pentru suspendarea nefondata a activitatii unei fundatii coordonate de un (baptist) american la Ludus.
Atasatul
politic al Ambasadei SUA la Bucuresti, Robert Gilchrist, s-a aflat ieri la Targu-Mures, in urma unei sesizari depuse de Bruce Thomas, directorul Fundatiei "LOC - A Place to Belong".
Acesta a sesizat in urma cu doua saptamani Directia Generala de Asistenta Sociala si Protectia Copilului a Jud. Mures in legatura cu abuzarea a 20 de copii la Centrul de Plasament Ludus - al DGASPC Mures, de colegii mai mari. Conducerea centrului DGASPC a negat categoric reclamatiile, iar DGASPC Mures i-a retras - ca razbunare si in replica -autorizatia Fundatiei "LOC - A Place to Belong".
Bruce Thomas sustine ca detine dovezi despre abuzurile din Centrul de Plasament al DGASPC Ludus reclamate.
"Am prezentat dovezi si apoi ne-am adresat presei. Dar DGASPC Mures ne-a suspendat activitatea, printr-un fax, probabil de ciuda", a afirmat directorul Fundatiei "LOC - A place to Belong". Acesta a precizat ca s-a adresat autoritatilor romane, dar intrucat nu a gasit deschidere, a cerut sprijinul Ambasadei SUA la Bucuresti.
Colaborarea continua
In cadrul intrevederii cu autoritatile muresene, atasatul politic al Ambasadei SUA la Bucuresti a discutat despre divergentele Fundatiei (americane baptiste) "LOC - A Place to Belong", dar a precizat ca acestea sunt, de fapt, minore.
"Domnul Thomas a avut grija de 48
de copii. Am discutat, pe scurt, despre cateva dintre diferendele pe care domnul Thomas le-a avut in ultimele luni, privind protectia si bunastarea copilului", a spus Robert Gilchrist.
Potrivit afirmatiilor sale, organizatia lui Bruce Thomas va continua sa aiba o relatie foarte buna, in continuare cu autoritatile (locale muresene) "lucrand la nivel judetean, pentru copiii abandonati si in sprijinul lor".
"Va invit sa mergeti sa vedeti ce face (Fundatia LOC) cu copiii si cu orfanii. Actiunea sa face parte din programul national la nivelul Romaniei, de a lua copiii din centrele de plasament si a-i pune in centre familiale", a accentuat diplomatul american.
Se asteapta raportul legistului
Scuzele fata de suspendarea abuziva a activitatii Fundatiei LOC i-au fost prezentate, ieri, diplomatului american de catre vicepresedintele Consiliului Judetean Mures, Alexandru Petru Fratean, care a promis ca va remedia situatia.
Directorul de cabinet al prefectului de Mures, Marius Ichim, a precizat ca, in urma discutiilor cu diplomatul american, s-a stabilit sa fie sesizata politia in acest caz (privind abuzarea mai multor minori in Centrul de Plasament al DGASPC Ludus).
"In prezent se fac
cercetari daca faptele sesizate sunt sau nu reale, dar asteptam raportul medicului legist in ceea ce priveste confirmarea sau infirmarea abuzurilor", a declarat purtatorul de cuvant al IPJ Mures, inspector principal Livia Popa.
Ulterior intalnirii cu diplomatul american, Alexandru Petru Fratean si directorul DGASPC Mures, Horatiu Dumbrava, nu au mai putut fi contactati.
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