The Campaign
On January 1, 2008 adoptions in Guatemala abruptly changed from a privately run system to a government run entity. The 5000 adoptions that were “in process” at the time were “grandfathered” to finish under the laws in which they began. The childrens’ cases were promised to be expeditiously processed in a timely and reasonable manner, but now almost a year and a half later approximately 900 children are still waiting to join their families.
The Guatemala 900 Campaign is being launched to be an active voice for these 900 children and asks the governments of the United States and Guatemala to work together to ensure speedy due process for the remaining grandfathered cases.
The Guatemala 900 campaign will begin with the “Guatemala 900 March” on June 17, 2009 in Washington, DC. Later that day there will be a Candlelight Vigil in front of the Guatemalan Embassy in which we will light 900 candles as a voice for the waiting children. These events kick off a SERIES OF ACTIONS to call attention to the stagnation in the processes of the remaining 900 grandfathered adoptions, and to ask for steps by the US and Guatemalan governments to deliver timely due process and transparency. We can no longer let these cases languish while children wait in limbo.