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

Continued from the previous post.

As an example of how the situation at the Guatemalan orphanage, Casa Quiviria, has fueled anti-adoption fire like gas on a barbecue, we've been looking at a blog meant to burn international adoption... more

I doubt that I will ever cease to be amazed at the power of personal spin on topics as contentious as international adoption. One person's negative experience repeated often and widely enough becomes legend-like, and as bandwagons fill more and heavier investment is made by those who've become accustomed to the company on board and have no desire to see the blasted thing run out of gas.

The Casa Quivira mess in Guatemala, of course, goes down like jet fuel, and the bandwagon... 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

I am so hoping I wasn't in the minority of news watchers coming close to ralfing my waffles over the brand-new,shiny and spiffy UN Secretary General's visit to Sudan.

Hearing that Ban Ki-moon is "shocked" by the state of the country is about as terrifying ... and shocking ... as it gets in this mess of a world, and when the phrase, "Time is of the essence" popped out of his mouth, I snarfed hot tea up my nose and spent the next ten minutes choking.

Who... 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

With accusations of baby-snatching for international adoption abounding, this story out of India may give encourage a bit of perspective on the wider, and more accurate, picture of the reality.

It's the tale of a ten-day-old baby boy, snatched from his parents following a village panchayat order.

Unlike what is far too often assumed in the reflex reaction usually associated... more