Well I guess it is time for an update. It has taken me a couple weeks to get my breath back. First I would like to say Thanks to everyone who called and emailed Representatives and Senators last month, asking them to sign the Congressional cover letter to President Bakiev. We obtained 50 signatures! That's a record I think. The letters were hand-delivered during the advocacy trip at the beginning of February.
Next onto the advocacy trip itself. Three representatives to the waiting families; Suzanne, Teresa and Lisa accompanied by Tom from Joint Council for International Children's Services spent Feb 7th - 21st in Kyrgyzstan. They met with as many high ranking officials as would give them an audience. Monday and Tuesday, they met with 6 members of the Kyrgyz Parliament, the Department of Child Protection, the Ministry of Education and Mr. Azinidin Kurmanov, Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament. On Wednesday and Thursday, they met with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, the Director of Child Protection and visited the Bishkek and Tokmok orphanages along with the Tokmok hospital. Friday they met with a Youth Human Rights Group, the Kyrgyz Ombudsman on Human Rights and the U.S. Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan. During all meetings, they asked for clarification on the process by which the Kyrgyz government is revising their child protection system and international adoption. They very strongly advocated for the resolution of the current review of international adoption, the lifting of the suspension on all adoptions and the immediate finalization of the 65 pending adoptions.
Every meeting seemed to be quite positive. It appears that everyone wants to see adoption continue and the 65 pending cases finalized as quickly as possible. However, everyone also seems to be powerless to make a change.
So... we were left waiting (until Feb. 15th) in anticipation of the results of the meeting of Parliament members during which they were to reveal their decision of the future of IA. However, the 15th came and went. NO NEWS! It should not be a surprise but as detached as I try to make myself it was a grand letdown!!!!!!!!! We are still waiting today with no word as to whether or not the meeting even happened and if it did, what the result were. Many requests for updates have been made, to all those that were present at the meetings, but no replies. Why the silence.................. Not very encouraging! Once again I just have to say, I just do not understand the thinking, the actions, the interactions.
As soon as our small but mighty group can regroup from another HUGE letdown after a big and hopeful push, we will on to the next step, getting the attention of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Not sure what else is left.
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