What do you think of when you see 'Ethiopia' in a blog headline? Adoption, of course, since this is Adoption.com and many families are falling in love with Ethiopian kids. AIDS, poverty, beautiful children, great food, tremendous history, ancient culture, diversity, dust, mountains ... those of us who have not adopted from the country have taken bits and pieces from the writings of those who have and developed an image of a far-away, exotic land with amazing people facing desperate challenges.

Mary... more

A 'major human trafficking ring' has been busted by Cambodian police, according to reports.

Run by Sri Lankan and Pakistani ex-pats working in Cambodia ... ringleaders Mariam Pillai Lerins Ranni, the Sri Lankan owner of the Raani Curry Leaf Restaurant in Phnom Penh, Lipton Lerins, the husband of Ranni, and Mohammed Nadim, the Pakistani owner of the Taj Mahal Restaurant in Siem Reap ... the ring planned to shuffle over 200 people through the country to various destinations... more

Elizabeth Mallory of NCLO has announced via e-mail to web groups and individuals that her organization is stopping all operations in Cambodia as of the 26th of this month.

According to the message I've seen posted, one main reason for the shutdown has to do with the children in the NCLO Children's Home being invited into "one of the best facilities in all of Cambodia".

Here, they will attend a top rate school that offers them far more than we could ever imagine offering them.... more

A baby-trafficking ring was reportedly busted in China last week, with ten people arrested for collecting some 40 month-old babies for sale. (That's 40 babies of the age of one-month-ish, not some three-year olds, just in case that's not clear. )

Like the 2004 case that netted 54 traffickers and 100 buyers and found 28 drugged and bound babies stuffed into bags on a bus headed north from Guangxi, the one-child policy that does girls no favors is mentioned as a source of infants.

Do I need to mention that none of this has anything to do with international adoption, that trafficking... more

The Organization of American States (OAS) is reportedly pretty happy about the balloting process in Guatemala on Sunday, and is recognizing and congratulating the citizens of the country for, "their great democratic civic spirit, as well as for their orderly, enthusiastic and peaceful participation."

In light of the evaluations and reports received from the observers deployed in the 22 departments throughout the country, the OAS Mission reiterates that the elections were carried out in a satisfactory manner, permitting the will of a great majority of citizens to be expressed in a free, orderly,... more

Grandmothers and orphans often go together, so it makes sense that hundreds of Canadian grandmas would join up in a march urging Canada to step up as a leader in support of AIDS orphans in Africa.

Working with the Stephen Lewis Foundation, the Canadian Grandmothers of Africa organized the march in Ottawa which included some grandmothers who had made the trip from Africa.... more

Mental health is an ongoing issue in modern Cambodia, as the ghosts of the past still walk beside a huge percentage of the people and life is hard.

With only 26 private psychiatrists caring for the ever-increasing numbers of people losing their ability to cope with the horrors of their pasts, there are reasonable fears of what the future holds, especially if the Khmer Rouge trials begin and more ghosts arise. Government health professionals are overwhelmed, and there is a... more

An indicator of optimism, an arrogant ploy or a greedy stretch, Cambodia's plan to start up a national airline is making news.

The costly failure of Royal Air Cambodge in 2001 may have indicated simple bad timing, and now that close to 2 million tourists are pouring in the venture could make sense.

In advance of next year's general election scheduled for July, election watchdog NGOs have determined that 11.2 percent of eligible Cambodian voters aren't... more

Anyone doubting the impact of anti-adoption rhetoric on public perceptions need look no further than the comment section on the YouTube page airing an Al Jazeera piece on international adoption, titled with no little bias, "Guatemala Adoption Scandal".

An "Inside Story" segment that consisted partly of a discussion between Tom DiFilipo, President and CEO of the... more

In the ongoing mess that is the Casa Quivira orphanage grab fiasco in Guatemala, it's easy for some to forget about the impact on the adoptive parents caught in the tangled tango.

This story from Denver looks at one dad and his sad and scary sojourn in limbo.

Chinese orphans have reportedly ... more