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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
- - - - - -
- - - -
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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