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- CHARTER OF ADOPTEE RIGHTS -
Whereas ARTICLE 1 of the
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS states, "All human beings are born
free and equal in dignity and rights."
Whereas ARTICLE 2 of the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION
OF HUMAN RIGHTS states, "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms
set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as
race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national
or social origin, property, birth or other status."
Whereas ARTICLE 3 of the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION
OF HUMAN RIGHTS states, "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and the
security of person."
Whereas ARTICLE 4 of the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION
OF HUMAN RIGHTS states, "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude;
slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms."
Whereas ARTICLE 6 of the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION
OF HUMAN RIGHTS states, "Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere
as a person before the law."
Whereas ARTICLE 7 of the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION
OF HUMAN RIGHTS states, "All are equal before the law and are entitled
without any discrimination to equal protection against any discrimination
in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination."
Whereas all Citizens - both adopted and
non-adopted - are equal before the Law,
WE THE UNDERSIGNED, recognize that,
(1) All persons have the right to
know whether or not they have been adopted. Furthermore, no-one has
the right to withhold such information from another person.
(2) All persons have the right to
an identity, and to know what their identities were at all stages of
their lives. Persuant to this, all adults have the right to obtain and
possess all government documents that pertain to their historical, genetic,
and legal identities, including:
a) Their legal names at all times
during their lives, both before and after any adoptions have taken
place;
b) Their place and date of birth;
c) The identities of their natural parents;
d) The identities of natural siblings, grandparents, and other family
members;
e) All birth records pertaining to them;
that pertain to times in their lives
both before and after any adoptions take place.
(3) As all persons have the right
to freedom of association, adults who have been separated from their
families through adoption have a right to establish communication with
their original families, respecting any contact preference requests
made by individual members.
(4) As all persons have the right
to liberty and freedom from slavery, all adults have the right to build
loving family relationships with any other adult, without being limited
by feelings of obligation, guilt, or loyalty.
(5) Just as two consenting adults
have the right to form a legally-recognized marital relationship through
marriage, thus two consenting adults have the same right to establish
a legally-recognized parent/child (filial) relationship with each other
through adult adoption.
(6) Just as two consenting adults
have the right to dissolve a marital relationship through divorce or
annulment, thus adults have the same right to annul any legally-recognized
parent/child (filial) relationship they have with a parent, either by
birth or adoption.
CHARTER SIGNATORIES:
Origins Canada, 3906 Cadboro Bay Road, Victoria BC
V8N 4G6, (250) 477-8488, http://www.originscanada.org/
OriginsUSA 2711 Buford Road, #199, Richmond,
VA 23235. http://www.originsusa.org/
Adoption Crossroads. www.adoptioncrossroads.org
New York Statewide Adoption Reform (NYSAR)
P.O. Box 9025, Schenectady, New York 12309, http://www.unsealedinitiative.org
Any government agency, or non-governmental organization that subscribes
to these principles is invited to be a signatory. Please email Origins
Canada at origins@originscanada.org
if your organization supports this Charter and wishes to sponsor it
by becoming a signatory. Include your organization's name and contact
information
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First Edition CHARTER OF ADOPTEE RIGHTS, by B. Lake, May 2003. Comments
and suggestions welcome - the author can be contacted c/o "Origins Canada:
Supporting People Separated By Adoption" at origins@originscanada.org, (250)
477-8488. The author gives permission for this document to be freely reproduced
and republished for open records activism and legislation purposes, providing
that author and contact information is included.
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