Continuing on adoption reform hero Dr. Elizabeth Bartholet from here.

In discussing real reform in the adoption world, I chose "Educate Others" as the second step. Although I do what I can through this blog and others, it's people like Dr. Elizabeth Bartholet that lead the charge, making a huge difference for the positive.

In May of 2004, the Center for Adoption Policy Studies held its First Annual Adoption Conference at New York Law School. Papers were presented by some of the most respected people in and around the adoption world: Adam Pertman, Professor Robert D. Schulzinger, Professor Ethan Kapstein, Ann Reese, Professor Rita Simon, Dr. Jane Aronson, and amongst others, Dr. Elizabeth Bartholet.

It's more than worth your time to click for the pdf to read summaries from all these amazing people.

Dr. Bartholet's presentation was titled, "The Politics of International Adoption: Halting Process and Perennial Problems." In it, she attacked the "false romanticism" of critics of international adoption and urged a focus on the children.

As an illustration of how damage that is done, she talked about discussions she had had with wife of then Georgian President Edvard Schevardnadze.

Mrs. Schevardnadze was a vituperative opponent of ICA [Intercountry adoption] at a time when Georgian orphanages were filled with neglected children who would be left incarcerated for the rest of their lives.

Professor Bartholet bemoaned the anti-ICA approach taken by international NGOs such as UNICEF.

Professor Bartholet also recounted the background of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption (HCIA) and explained that a pro-ICA document had been watered down by anti- ICA forces. In this context Professor Bartholet suggested that it was very important to work to convince NGOs, human rights groups and those who support these endeavors that ICA is a force for good, rather than a neo-colonialist activity.

(Something I must add, although it is from a paper presented by Professor Paul Dubinsky, not Dr. Bartholet, but is worth quoting: "While those interested in ICA only focus on the HCIA, there are well over 30 Hague Conventions. These treaties are mainly commercial in nature, governing how nations will treat international commerce. Professor Dubinsky suggested that research should be done as to why the Hague was chosen as the vehicle for a treaty on ICA.")

In addition to her work as a Professor of Law at Harvard, participation in conferences and speaking engagements, and guest lecturing on adoption, Dr. Bartholet is also the head of the Child Advocacy Program (CAP) at Harvard Law School.

Talk about a conduit for reform!

The Child Advocacy Program (CAP) at Harvard Law School is committed to advancing children's interests through facilitating productive interaction between academia and the world of policy and practice, and through training generations of students to contribute in their future careers to law reform and social change.

Click on the link for a look at all this program does to improve, reform, create, and on and on and on. And here's a look at the program at it's launch.

So, hat's off to Dr. Bartholet, a true hero of adoption reform.