2009/12: Should celebrities adopt children from under-developed nations?<BR>

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2009/12: Should celebrities adopt children from under-developed nations?<BR>

2009/12: Should celebrities adopt children from under-developed nations?

What they said...
'Consider Madonna's adoptions. In both instances the so-called orphans have immediate and extended families who would have raised the children at home if they had just a few hundred dollars more per year'
David Smolin, a professor of law at Cumberland Law School, Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama

'Madonna is, by all accounts, an excellent mother who is devoted to her children, including, David, her Malawi-born adopted son. Her foundation, Raising Malawi, has brought much-needed international to Malawi and provided significant assistance to its people'
Diane B. Kunz, executive director of the Center for Adoption Policy, a nonprofit group that provides research, analysis, advice and education on domestic and international adoption

The issue at a glance
On June 11, 2009, Malawi's highest court ruled that the pop star madonna can adopt a second child from the African nation.
In granting Madonna custody of 3-year-old Chifundo "Mercy" James, the court extended the definition of residency and discounted concerns by human rights groups that the nation is bending laws meant to protect children in a country where half a million have lost a parent to AIDS.
The ruling overturns a previous Malawi High Court decision which had rejected Madonna's adoption bid on the grounds that she had not met the residency requirements.
The decision has met with a mixed reaction. There are those who consider that it opens the door to unscrupulous child traffickers to exploit Malawi's poverty in a bid to secure children for the international adoption market. There are others who focus on the dire situation of orphans in many under-developed countries and who stress the better lives they can be offered in other more developed nations.

Background
Madonna's adoptions
(The following information is abbreviated from Wikipedia's Madonna entry. The full text can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_(entertainer))
In October 2006, Madonna traveled to Malawi to help build an orphanage, which she also funded as part of the Raising Malawi initiative.
On October 10, 2006, Madonna filed adoption papers for a boy named David Banda Mwale, born on September 24, 2005 and renamed David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie.
Banda was flown out of Malawi on October 16. The adoption raised strong public reaction because Malawian law requires would-be parents to reside in Malawi for one year before adopting. The effort was highly publicised and culminated in legal disputes.
Madonna refuted the allegations on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She said that there are no written adoption laws in Malawi that regulate foreign adoption and that Banda had been suffering from pneumonia after surviving malaria and tuberculosis when she met him.
Singer and humanitarian activist, Bono, defended her by saying, "Madonna should be applauded for helping to take a child out of the worst poverty imaginable.
Some said that Banda's biological father Yohane did not understand what adoption meant and had assumed that the arrangement was fostering.
Yohane said, "These so-called human rights activists are harassing me every day, threatening me that I am not aware of what I am doing." He also said, "They want me to support their court case, a thing I cannot do for I know what I agreed with Madonna and her husband." Madonna responded that Banda had rejected her offer of financial support and preferred adoption.
The adoption was finalised on May 28, 2008.

Madonna decided to adopt again from Malawi in 2009.
The country's High Court initially approved the adoption of the four year old girl Chifundo "Mercy" James. However the adoption was later ruled out with court registrar Ken Manda stating that the adoption was rejected since Madonna is not a resident of Malawi.
This ruling was overturned by the country's highest court in June 2009.
On Friday, June 12, 2009, the Supreme Court of Malawi granted Madonna the rights to adopt Mercy James.

Angelina Jolie's adoptions
(The following information is abbreviated from wikipedia's entry fro Angelina Jolie. The full text can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelina_Jolie)
On March 10, 2002, Jolie adopted her first child, seven-month-old Maddox Chivan.[14] He was born on August 5, 2001 as Rath Vibol in Cambodia, and he initially lived in a local orphanage in Battambang. Jolie decided to apply for adoption after she had visited Cambodia twice, while filming Tomb Raider and on a UNHCR field trip in 2001. After her divorce from her second husband, Billy Bob Thornton, Jolie received sole custody of Maddox. Like Jolie's other children, Maddox has gained considerable celebrity and appears regularly in the tabloid media.

Jolie adopted a six-month-old girl from Ethiopia, Zahara Marley, on July 6, 2005. Zahara was born on January 8, 2005. She was originally named Yemsrach by her mother, and was later given the legal name Tena Adam at an orphanage. Jolie adopted her from Wide Horizons For Children orphanage in Addis Ababa. Shortly after they returned to the United States, Zahara was hospitalized for dehydration and malnutrition. In 2007, media outlets reported Zahara's biological mother, Mentewabe Dawit, was still alive and wanted her daughter back, but she later denied these reports, saying she thought Zahara was "very fortunate" to be adopted by Jolie.

On March 15, 2007, Jolie adopted a three-year-old boy from Vietnam, Pax Thien, who was born on November 29, 2003 and abandoned at birth at a local hospital, where he was initially named Pham Quang Sang. Jolie adopted the boy from the Tam Binh orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City. She revealed that his first name, Pax, was suggested by her mother before her death.

Internet information
Wikipedia's entry on International Adoption gives details on the general procedures that need to be followed. The international adoption laws outlined by the Hague Conference. It also outlines some of the major problems associated with international adoption.
The full entry can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_adoption

Raising Malawi is a charitable organisation that raises money primarily for Malawian orphans. It was co-founded by Madonna and Michael Berg in 2006 in conjunction with the Kabbalah Centre Charitable.
Details of the organization's work can be found at http://wapedia.mobi/en/Raising_Malawi

On March 28, 2009, the Internet comment and analysis site The Huffington Post, published an article titled, 'UK Charity Urges Madonna To Reconsider Adoption'. The full text of this article can be found at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/28/uk-charity-urges-madonna-_n_180331.html

On March 31, 2009, The International Business Times published an article on Raising Malawi which suggests there have been some irregularities in the management of funds raised for Malawi. The full text of the article can be found at http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/3040/20090331/problems-with-the-money-in-madonnas-raising-malawi-association.htm

In April 2009, the Internet opinion site, Helium, published thirteen detailed comments under the general heading, 'Assessing Madonna's Right to Adopt a Child'. The first of these (together with a clickable index to the other twelve) can be found at http://www.helium.com/items/1403274-madonnas-adoption-attempt
(Please note, the clickable index to all the opinion pieces on this issue is to be found at the end of the first published comment. Readers will need to scroll to the end of this comment to access the others.)

On April 1, 2009, the Internet comment and analysis site The Huffington Post published an analysis of the current international adoption trend titled, 'Madonna's African Adoptions Part Of Growing Trend'. The full text of the analysis can be found at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/01/madonnas-african-adoption_n_181902.html

On April 2, 2009, US television ABC's internet site published an opinion piece on international adoption, particularly as practised by Madonna, titled, 'Is Madonna's Malawi Adoption Crusade Setting a Good Example?' The article is essentially supportive of Madonna's action. The full text can be found at http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/WinterConcert/story?id=7236730&page=1

On April 4, 2009, The Mail Online published a news report titled, 'Judge slaps down Madonna adoption bid: "I won't let you just jet in and take one of Malawi's children"'. Though purporting to be a news report, this article focuses on the negative comments of the Malawi High Court judge who refused madonna's adoption bid. The full text of this article can be found at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1166850/Judge-slaps-Madonna-adoption-bid-I-wont-let-just-jet-Malawis-children.html

Arguments against celebrities adopting children from under-developed nations
1. Celebrity adoptive parents sometimes use their fame and wealth to bypass regulations
A number of celebrities who have adopted children from under-developed nations have been accused of using their wealth and position to circumvent adoption laws in the countries from which their children originated. These claims have been made about Madonna, in relation to the two Malawian children whom she has adopted.
The Human Rights Consultative Committee is a non-government organisation in Malawi. It is 'committed to the promotion and protection of human rights for the Malawian society through advocacy, monitoring, information sharing, capacity building and resource mobilization for member institutions, government and key stakeholders.'
This Consultative Committee has accused Madonna of using her celebrity status to sidestep Malawian law to bring her adopted daughter, Mercy, home faster than traditional processes would allow. Madonna's adoption of her son, David, is also sometimes cited as an example of regulations being relaxed in favour of wealthy celebrities.
Malawian regulations now require prospective adoptive parents to be resident in the country for 18 to 24 months, during which time welfare officials assess their suitability. This rule was apparently bent when Madonna was allowed to take David to London in 2006 before his adoption was finalised.
It has further been claimed that neither of the children whom Madonna has adopted were actually orphans, as each had one parent living and other relatives who would have been prepared to look after them.
The Internet advocacy site Adoption Integrity has stated in relation to the child Mercy, 'This child had a family. In fact, in addition to her birth father, she also had a maternal grandmother who lovingly raised her for the first three years of her life.
The story locally is that Lucy, the grandmother ... refused to let Mercy be adopted by Madonna. And for three years - from that day in 2006 until about four weeks ago - Lucy remained implacable, resisting approaches from priests, people from the orphanage and other people she had never seen before, to persuade her to let Mercy go.
However tough Lucy has been in resisting Madonna, Madonna has been tougher. She never gave up on adopting Mercy - not least because no one tells Madonna she cannot have what she wants. And now, after years of being told that adoption was the right thing for Mercy, Lucy caved in. In Malawi, she is an old woman and she had had enough.'

2. Celebrity adoptions may promote the illegal trafficking of children from under-developed countries
It has been argued that if celebrities are able to sidestep adoption procedures then these procedures are likely to be more generally weakened and the underdeveloped nations which allow these less orthodox adoptions to take place could then be targeted by unscrupulous operators looking to supply the demand for children coming from the developed world.
The Internet advocacy site Adoption Integrity argued, 'Madonna's victory in the Malawian court may further endanger the vulnerable children she purports, so vociferously, to want to help.
Consider the legal system that has endorsed the U-turn in the country's adoption policy. And I have no doubt that corrupt adoption agencies and child traffickers, newly alerted to the ease with which Malawian laws can be circumvented, are even now planning to target the country.'
It has further been argued that the publicity given to Madonna's supposed rescue of these children may actually encourage Malawian parents to surrender their children.
Adoption Integrity argues, 'We are also witnessing the rise of a distressing new phenomenon dubbed the Madonna Effect, in which destitute mothers abandon their babies in the hope that they will be adopted by wealthy foreign mothers.
It is a tragic corollary of Madonna's personal triumph that such abuses are now flourishing.'
Save the Children UK has criticised Madonna's plans to adopt another Malawian child, claiming that the recently divorced star risked sending the wrong message by going through with the adoption.
A spokesperson for Save the Children, Dominic Nutt, said many international adoptions are unnecessary and some even feed into a criminal 'adoption industry'. Mr Nutt said he was not suggesting that Madonna was doing anything wrong but that the whole process of international adoptions is often flawed.
A Malawian High Court judge, Esmie Chombo, who ruled against Madonna being able to take Mercy out of the country stated, 'Ms Madonna may not be the only international person interested in adopting the so-called poor children of Malawi.
By removing the very safeguard that is supposed to protect our children, the courts by their pronouncements could actually facilitate trafficking of children by some unscrupulous individuals who would take advantage of the weakness of the law of the land.
Anyone could come to Malawi and quickly arrange for an adoption that might have grave consequences on the very children the law seeks to protect.'

3. The children lose contact with family and culture
Some social workers and psychologists have argued that the psychological impact of these international celebrity adoptions is not good
Leslie D. Hollingsworth is an associate professor of social work at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, who has done extensive research on international adoption. Professor Hollingsworth has acknowledged David Banda's opportunities would improve with Madonna and her husband, British filmmaker Guy Ritchie; however, he has expressed concerns about the effect that the loss of contact with his culture and original family might have upon him.
Professor Hollingsworth has claimed, 'The biggest concern is that he is being removed from his people and his country and culture. As he grows older, he will be confronted with his own cultural differentness and have trouble fitting in.'
BJ Gallagher Hateley, a Los Angeles sociologist and co-author of "What Would Buddha Do at Work?," which talks about ethical issues has indicated that he is concerned that the lack of cultural identity could lead to behavioral problems for international adoptees a little later in life.
Gallagher Hateley has stated, 'The kid could possibly get into drugs and other types of trouble. He won't be African; he won't be British or American. He will just be this little weird kid in the No Man's Land of mixed race adoption.'

4. Celebrity adoptive parents may not be fully committed to the children they adopt
There are those who oppose celebrity adoptions because they believe that some celebrity are unlikely to make good adoptive parents. It is claimed that some celebrities have dysfunctional initial families damaged by divorce. It has also been suggested that their adoptive children are likely to be raised by paid carers rather than the celebrities themselves.
On April 4, 2009, Diane Francis wrote an article titled, 'Madonna and the Cult of celebrity Adoption' printed in The Huffington Post.
In this opinion piece Francis argued, 'It's hard not to be cynical about Madonna's desire to adopt after seeing her walk-through photo op in an outfit worth more than what a Malawi family of six earns annually...
To Madonna, Angelina Jolie and the others I say if you really want to do good in the world, then do it properly...
Their behavior smacks of narcissism, collecting kids from various cultures like so many global accessories to adorn their own dysfunctional families and, to boot, to be raised by servants.'
Similarly, a commentator on the online magazine Shine noted on July 8, 2009, of Madonna's second adoption, 'The child is an accessory for her.. plain and simple. The girl is 3 years old.. old enough to suffer being taken away from the life she knows. She'll be placed in the care of strangers, and yes, she may have many material things, but is that enough? Who will really raise and love this child? Nannies?'
A second commentator made a related point on the same day, 'The first thing that caught me...was the question of stability in Madonna's home. I don't live with Madonna but I do imagine having her as a mother and the life that comes with having her as a mother would not necessarily be considered stable. Already, before the adoption has even been approved there is a lack of stability.'

5. If celebrities wish to help, they can assist children in under-developed countries remain with their families.
It has been claimed that wealthy celebrities would be far better to assist children to remain with their families. It is claimed that financial assistance to families and communities in under-developed nations allows children to remain within their own culture and in contact with their own families. Such financial assistance also benefits the whole community in a way that merely removing one child does not.
Commenting specifically on Madonna's two adoptions, David Smolin, a professor of law at Cumberland Law School, Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, has noted, 'Consider Madonna's adoptions. In both instances the so-called orphans have immediate and extended families who would have raised the children at home if they had just a few hundred dollars more per year. In both cases there have been efforts to persuade the family members to let the child go based on the hope that the child would return to assist them once they had grown, despite the legal reality that adoption means the permanent legal severing of all relationship between children and their original families.
In both cases, the child's removal from Malawi would mean the loss of the child's original language and culture, making the children's promised return in later life a difficult event. In both cases, there has been an effort to circumvent the residency requirements of Malawi law. In both cases, Madonna's wealth has been critical to her efforts to circumvent the law. In both cases, Madonna has chosen NOT to assist the families of these children in reclaiming their children, but instead has claimed their children for herself.'
E.J. Graff, an associate director and senior researcher at Brandeis University's Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism, has stated, 'In places like Malawi, what stressed families and communities need more than adoption are basics like clean water, vaccinations, school funding and other social services that would help keep many families together. Some children do need homes. But Madonna is showing exactly what shouldn't be done: airlifting one or two pretty children into the comparative wealth of the West, leaving behind bereft families who want - but can't afford - to bring that child home.'

Arguments in favour of celebrities adopting children from under-developed nations
1. Celebrity adoptive parents follow the same regulations as everyone else
Celebrities such as Madonna and Angelina Jolie claim that they abide by the regulations when they have adopted. Referring to Madonna's most recent adoption of three-year-old Mercy, Madonna's supporters note that Madonna she first met Mercy two years ago, a time-frame that appears to fit in with the requirement under Malawian law for an assessment period of 18 to 24 months before an adoption can go ahead. (Whether residency is required seems to be a moot point.)
Writing for the online newspaper, Helium, David Braybrooke has argued, '... media articles have claimed that Madonna used her position as a celebrity and her wealth in order to gain an advantage in the Malawian adoption process. This seems unlikely as all candidates have to go through a lengthy screening process before a child is given to them. All cases would be judged on personal merit and by this standard Madonna and her husband, Guy Ritchie, were deemed to be appropriate custodians.'
The court ruling which allowed Madonna's adoption of Mercy, despite the fact that madonna had not actually lived in Malawi for eighteen months stated, ' technical "residence" requirements for adoption must be read in light of the new international order characterized by "globalization and the global village."'
Madonna's adoption of Mercy was later challenged and this challenge has since been overcome. Supporters of such adoptions argue that if Madonna were being given special treatment her adoption of Mercy would have been fast-tracked, not challenged.
Further, there are those who argue that if the laws of countries such as Malawi make it difficult for adoptive parents such as Madonna to secure a child, then it is the laws that need to change.

2. Celebrity parents often make substantial financial contributions to the countries from which they adopt
Many of the celebrities who have adopted internationally continue to make financial contributions to the countries from which their children come. Madonna is the co-founder of a group titled, Raising Malawi, which was established to support the country's over two million orphans and severely impoverished children.
As a part of its activities, Raising Malawi works to distribute financial support that will help community-based organizations provide vulnerable children with nutritious food, clothing, secure shelter, formal education, targeted medical care, and emotional support.
On February 6th, 2008, Gucci and Madonna hosted a fundraising event: A Night to Benefit 'Raising Malawi' and UNICEF. Co-chaired by Gucci's Creative Director, Frida Giannini, the evening was dedicated to raising funds and awareness for orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa where over 11 million of the 48 million orphans have lost one or both parents to AIDS. The event successfully raised a total of approximately $5.5 million from ticket sales and a live auction. Gucci has completely underwritten the event and the proceeds were to be split equally between the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and Raising Malawi.
In addition Madonna supports the following causes Afghanistan Relief Organization; American Foundation for AIDS Research; BID 2 BEAT AIDS; Bony Pony Ranch; Charity Projects Entertainment Fund; Children in Need; H.E.L.P. Malawi; Live Earth; Make-A-Wish Foundation; Millennium Promise Alliance; Millennium Villages; Raisa Gorbachev Foundation; Treatment Action Campaign and the UN Millennium Project.
Another famous celebrity adoptive parent who has supported under-developed nations is Angelina Jolie. Jolie has travelled to refugee camps around the world. During her missions she has visited Sudan's war-torn Darfur, Sierra Leone, Cambodia and Tanzania. She also visited Afghan refugees in Pakistan and donated $1 million to help. According to tax records, Angelina Jolie and her partner, Brad Pitt, donated more than $8 million to charity in 2006. Angelina Jolie has supported the following charities: Afghanistan Relief Organization; Alliance For The Lost Boys; Cancer Schmancer Movement; Clinton Global Initiative; Daniel Pearl Foundation; Direct Change; Doctors Without Borders; Global Action for Children; Human Rights Watch; Jolie-Pitt Foundation; Kids in Need of Defense; Millennium Promise Alliance; Millennium Villages and ONE Campaign

3. The example of celebrity parents can encourage others to pursue an international adoption
It has been claimed that celebrity adoptions help to publicise poor living conditions in under-developed countries.
Thomas DiFilipo, president of the Joint Council on International Children's Services has stated,'One of the good things about the Madonna adoption or Angelina Jolie, those adoptions brought the need to the attention of Europeans or Americans. And it brought the possibility (of adopting in Africa) to people's attention.'
Wes Stout, 41, an American who, with his wife, Kristin, 37, has adopted two children from Ethiopia, has also acknowledged the influence of celebrities like Madonna and Angelina Jolie. Stout has stated,'I give some of the popularity of Ethiopia to [Jolie's] celebrity influence.'

4. The adopted children often have nowhere secure to go
It is argued that many of those adopted by foreign nationals would have no where to go if they were not taken in by adoptive parents from other countries.
In Africa, orphans usually are taken in by their extended families, but AIDS and other diseases have taken a toll on those who might have traditionally provided support. In villages across the continent, frail elderly grandmothers try to care for children, but many end up in orphanages or on the streets.
The United Nations has estimated that some 18 million African children have lost at least one parent to AIDS by 2010. Simon Chisale, the Malawian official handling Madonna's adoptions, has said outsiders were being considered as adoptive parents because traditional family structures have broken down.
Mr Chisale has stated, 'Times have changed. It used to be simpler but now it is more difficult. People have the heart (to look after their extended families) but the means are not there.'
Malawi, with a population of 12 million, is among the poorest countries in the world, with rampant disease and hunger, aggravated by periodic droughts and crop failure. The U.N. says 1 million Malawian children have lost one or both parents, about half of them to AIDS.
Zoe Cohen, a private adoption consultant in South Africa, has stated, 'Ideally more local adoptions would be best, but people aren't coming forward and if life is better out there then they should take it.'
Referring specifically to Madonna's adoption, critics have argued that Madonna should have left David and Mercy with contact with their relatives and culture. Liz Hunt, in an opinion piece originally published in the British newspaper The Telegraph and later reprinted in The Age on April 3, 2009, disputes this. Ms Hunt states,'[The] biggest gripe seems to be that by adopting Mercy, Madonna is denying the little girl's extended family the opportunity to bring her up. But if that family, desperately poor as they are, were so keen to look after Mercy, what was she doing in an orphanage?
Anyone who has ever spent time in the orphanages of developing countries will know that while some are good, many are appalling. They are overcrowded and under-funded, with staff barely able to cope.'
It has further been claimed that Madonna's first adopted child, David, was likely to have died of a chest infection had Madonna not got medical assistance for him.

5. Most celebrity adoptive parents appear to parent well and in good faith
It has been claimed that most of those who adopt internationally do so in good faith and are good adoptive parents. With regard to celebrity adoptive parents, it has been claimed their wealth puts them in a particularly good position to support the children they adopt.
Writing in the online newspaper, Helium, Jessie Bahrey argued, 'The fact of the matter is, while money may not buy happiness, it certainly enables children to have the best possible care, health, education and life experiences, and there is no indication that Madonna has been anything but a wonderful mother.'
Diane B. Kunz, a lawyer, is the executive director of the Center for Adoption Policy, a nonprofit group that provides research, analysis, advice and education on domestic and international adoption. Diane B. Kunz has stated, 'Madonna is, by all accounts, an excellent mother who is devoted to her children, including, David, her Malawi-born adopted son. Her foundation, Raising Malawi, has brought much-needed international to Malawi and provided significant assistance to its people. In Madonna's care, Mercy will have the love of a mother, brothers and a sister while at the same time retaining a connection to her birth family and her birth country. She will receive the education and nurture that will allow her to fulfill her potential, be it in Malawi or wherever her dreams take her. Instead of assailing Madonna, we should be saluting her.'
Marguerite A. Wright, the senior clinical and research psychologist for the Center for the Vulnerable Child at Children's Hospital and Research Center Oakland, has further stated, 'As a psychologist working with foster and adopted children and their families, I find puzzling some of the negative public reactions to Madonna's efforts to adopt Mercy. Madonna seems to be trying to improve this child's life...Research shows that children do best when raised in a supportive, caring family. Mercy has a much better chance of thriving in a family environment with personal attention, educational opportunities and medical care than in an orphanage...
While it is best for parents and adopted children to be of similar race and ethnicity, studies show that black children languish, unplaced, in the foster care system for much longer than other children do. It is important to get them out of the system and place them with loving families...
Madonna seems willing to do much for this child. Her critics should pause from composing online screeds about her motives and give her the benefit of the doubt. Instead, they should ask themselves: "What am I doing to relieve the suffering of countless destitute children."'

Further implications
The rules governing international adoption seem to vary significantly from one nation to another. In such a situation there will always be the possibility of abuse. The country with the most lenient regulations is likely to attract the attention of those who are seeking to supply adoptive children to would-be parents in other countries for money. There is the concern that children who are not genuinely orphans may be taken from their parents, with or without their parents' consent. There is also concern that such 'adoptions' may not be in the best interests of the children concerned.
However, when dealing with nations facing the problems that confront Malawi, some commentators suggest that the problem is so dire that the country cannot afford to adhere too rigorously to its adoption laws. Widespread AIDS, poverty and malnutrition have created such a problem with children either without parents or with parents unable to care for them that these children's life expectancy and quality of life is dramatically diminished. Under these circumstances, international adoption appears a desirable option.
There are those who have noted that the response to Madonna's two adoption bids seems to represent a certain prejudice against the singer. This has been proposed because the adoptions of another celebrity, Angelina Jolie, have not met with the same negative response.
Whatever the truth of any supposed prejudice against madonna, it has been claimed that international adoption is no real solution to the problems of children living in countries like Malawi. No level of international adoption can possibly address the issues of disease, malnutrition and poverty which threaten the lives of children and their parents. Disease eradication, sanitation, clean water and reliable food supplies are the only means by which a majority of lives can be extended. This is an issue that can be partially addressed by the generosity of individuals such as Madonna and Angelina Jolie, both of whom have made very generous donations to under-developed nations. However, real solutions rely on dramatically increased international aid and more favourable conditions of trade. The problem is a world problem, rather than one which can be solved by wealthy individuals, celebrities or otherwise.

Newspaper items used in the compilation of this issue outline
The Australian: April 1, page 9, news item, `Madonna adoption under fire'.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25271589-32682,00.html

The Australian: March 28, page 13, news item (photo) by Jonathan Clayton, `Madonna back to Africa for a second adoption'.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,25251701-2703,00.html

The Age: March 28, page 17, news item, `Malawi hosts Madonna as she plans to extend her family'.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/malawi-hosts-madonna-as-she-plans-to-extend-her-family/2009/03/27/1237657148788.html

Herald-Sun: April 4, page 14, analysis (photo) by Alex Duval Smith, `Malawi divided as Madonna loses bid for orphan "mercy"'. (link leads to identical item in the Brisbane Times)
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/malawi-divided-as-madonna-loses-bid-for-orphan-20090404-9sgj.html

The Age: April 3, page 17, comment by Liz Hunt, `Back off everyone - Madonna deserves applause, here'.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/back-off-everyone-x2014-madonna-deserves-applause-here-20090402-9l22.html

The Age: June 14, page 18, analysis (photo) by Jacques Peretti, `Madonna gives and takes on a mission to Malawi'.
http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/people/madonna-gives-and-takes-on-a-mission-to-malawi-20090613-c6r8.html