PHILOMENA LEE TO VISIT WASHINGTON, DC, DISCUSS EFFORT TO REUNITE FAMILIES SEPARATED BY FORCED ADOPTION The Philomena Project will harness recent attention to push for open adoption records, achieve greater transparency and reunite families January 27, 2014 – After a successful launch of The Philomena Project in Dublin last week, Philomena Lee will visit Washington, DC, to discuss her new initiative to reunite Irish mothers and American children separated by forced adoption. On January 29 and 30, Lee will visit elected officials in Washington—including Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and others—to educate them about the need for open adoption records, and what steps need to be taken to reunite children adopted by American families, like her son Anthony, with their families in Ireland. This Philomena Project was created by Philomena Lee and her daughter Jane Libberton, in association with the Adoption Rights Alliance. Philomena and Jane were inspired to take action by the recent outpouring of support surrounding the true story (which was recently the subject of a book and Oscar-nominated film) of Philomena’s decades-long search for the son who was taken from her while living at the Sean Ross Abbey in Rosecrea, Ireland. Sadly, Philomena Lee and her son Anthony, who was raised by a family in St. Louis, Mo., were deliberately kept apart and never reunited, despite the fact each was actively looking for the other. The Philomena Project aims to prevent similar tragedies and reconcile families that were separated under similar circumstances in honor of Anthony’s memory. “Philomena’s story is an experience shared by thousands of other women and children throughout Ireland and the United States, who feel the same undying love for their lost families,” said Mari Steed of the Adoption Rights Alliance. “As a child, like Anthony, I was taken from my mother and I understand firsthand how difficult it is to track down and reunite these families. After a successful launch in Ireland, our goal now is to educate American families and elected officials about what steps must be taken to reunite these families. The Irish government has admitted wrong-doing; now we need them to act swiftly to open up these adoption records and allow American children to find their mothers without further delay.” “I’ve been so moved by the support we’ve gotten, both for telling our story and for bringing attention to this horrible experience that so may of us had,” said Lee. “In recent weeks and months, we’ve received an outpouring of support from across the globe, and now we’re harnessing that support to create positive change for families in Ireland and the United States. I’m proud and honored to be a part of this, because it is my hope that every mother and child who want to be reunited are able to come together once again.” Maeve O’Rourke, who won Pro-Bono Lawyer of the Year award in 2013 for her work on the Justice for Magdalenes Campaign, welcomed the launch of the Philomena Project, saying: “The right of a child to preserve her identity and family relations without unlawful interference is today recognised internationally, and without hesitation, as a basic human right. To afford these rights to children who are born in Ireland today, but not to all those who are still alive and whose rights were denied in the past, amounts to repeated discrimination and injustice. Ireland is proud of its commitment to human rights standards. It needs to apply that commitment at home”. On Saturday, Philomena Lee visited her son’s gravesite for a memorial service, and to discuss the need for immediate action to open the records that will allow other families to be reunited. To learn more about The Philomena Project, visit ThePhilomenaProject.org BACKGROUND From the 18th century up until the late 1990s, Catholic, Protestant and non-denominational lay committees in Ireland operated mother-and-baby homes and Magdalene Laundries, both of which were harsh, punitive institutions. These facilities housed “fallen” girls – often times those who had become pregnant out of wedlock – and their children. During this time, countless women were separated from their sons and daughters, who were often given up for adoption against their will. On February 19, 2013, the Taoiseach of Ireland, Enda Kenny, issued an official state apology to such individuals based on the findings of a report prepared by Senator Martin McAleese. Declaring the Laundries “the nation’s shame,” Kenny outlined a plan to compensate those who had been wronged by the institutions and begin a process to make adoption records public, so that mothers and children could be reunited. Philomena Lee was unable to find her son before he passed. The Philomena Project and Adoption Rights Alliance call on the Irish government to implement this adoption information and tracing legislation. Services similar to those in Northern Ireland and the UK should be enacted without delay, ensuring that the legislation covers ALL historic cases of adoption.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 04:49:51 +0000
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