December Update 1
War Kids Relief has received a wonderful welcome as the response from both the NBC Nightly News feature as well as CNN Sunday Morning has been fantastic. It was slightly overwhelming and took weeks to respond to the numerous emails, but we are finally back on track.
It amazes me how many people are interested in adopting an Iraqi orphan and trying to bring joy to a child in need. Unfortunately War Kids Relief is not handling international adoption as we are working to reintegrated the children into local families in Iraq. The current Iraqi Government's policy does not allow for international adoption, and War Kids Relief will work in those parameters. There are many organizations who do work toward international adoption from countries like Ukraine, China, and more for those who are interested.
The last few weeks in Iraq have been both violent difficult as the country moves closer to the December 15th election and as insurgents have kidnapped numerous "westerners." It is important to acknowledge that the Sunni minority is trying desperately to become part of the political process as they know that is the future of the country. As noted in a recent NY Times Article, these Sunni politicians are caught in a desperate situation and they work towards becoming part of the new government, while under constant threat by the insurgents. Many are being attacked, kidnapped, or even killed for "crossing the line" and entering into the political process. Hopefully, next weeks elections will show that they are doing the right thing as Sunnis turn out in great numbers to vote.
War Kids Relief is attempting to move forward through the chaos as we have recently introduced our efforts to the United Nations as well as the highest levels of the Department of Defense. I met with the UN in New York last week and hope to open new doors that will gain us the support necessary to move forward with our model. The meeting was successful and I hope it leads to more in the near future.
A few weeks ago, while sitting in the Green Room at CNN, I was able to meet Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and General Pace and introduce them to War Kids Relief. They were quite responsive to our efforts and I hope it will lead to another meeting within the Department of Defense. As an military veteran, it is increasingly important that the military both knows and assists in our efforts. More importantly, we hope in the future to change policy so that engaging the youth becomes an critical aspect to nation building and battling extremists. Of the BILLIONS of dollars Americans are currently spending in Iraq ZERO has been allocated for youth development.
Children are the future, and War Kids Relief is working towards making their future a brighter one. Please stay tuned as we will be increasing our blogging in an effort to raise both the interest and attention needed to make these changes.
For more information on War Kids Relief, please visit the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) homepage, (http://vvaf.org).
It amazes me how many people are interested in adopting an Iraqi orphan and trying to bring joy to a child in need. Unfortunately War Kids Relief is not handling international adoption as we are working to reintegrated the children into local families in Iraq. The current Iraqi Government's policy does not allow for international adoption, and War Kids Relief will work in those parameters. There are many organizations who do work toward international adoption from countries like Ukraine, China, and more for those who are interested.
The last few weeks in Iraq have been both violent difficult as the country moves closer to the December 15th election and as insurgents have kidnapped numerous "westerners." It is important to acknowledge that the Sunni minority is trying desperately to become part of the political process as they know that is the future of the country. As noted in a recent NY Times Article, these Sunni politicians are caught in a desperate situation and they work towards becoming part of the new government, while under constant threat by the insurgents. Many are being attacked, kidnapped, or even killed for "crossing the line" and entering into the political process. Hopefully, next weeks elections will show that they are doing the right thing as Sunnis turn out in great numbers to vote.
War Kids Relief is attempting to move forward through the chaos as we have recently introduced our efforts to the United Nations as well as the highest levels of the Department of Defense. I met with the UN in New York last week and hope to open new doors that will gain us the support necessary to move forward with our model. The meeting was successful and I hope it leads to more in the near future.
A few weeks ago, while sitting in the Green Room at CNN, I was able to meet Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and General Pace and introduce them to War Kids Relief. They were quite responsive to our efforts and I hope it will lead to another meeting within the Department of Defense. As an military veteran, it is increasingly important that the military both knows and assists in our efforts. More importantly, we hope in the future to change policy so that engaging the youth becomes an critical aspect to nation building and battling extremists. Of the BILLIONS of dollars Americans are currently spending in Iraq ZERO has been allocated for youth development.Children are the future, and War Kids Relief is working towards making their future a brighter one. Please stay tuned as we will be increasing our blogging in an effort to raise both the interest and attention needed to make these changes.
For more information on War Kids Relief, please visit the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) homepage, (http://vvaf.org).
posted by jpowersvvaf | 7:51 AM
1 Comments:
Good to see an update here. Hoping to hear more, soon.
Adrian Eaton
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