Right: Madonna arrives at Heathrow airport on her way to Malawi. Her other three children, Lourdes (centre), Rocco (right) and David accompany her (detail from a Daily Telegraph photo.).
Arguments in favour of celebrities adopting children from under-developed nations
1. Celebrity adoptive parents follow the same regulations as everyone elseCelebrities 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."'