Adopted Vietnamese International’s (AVI) and the general adult adoptees again participated in International Day (ID) at Logan, QLD – organised by the Intercountry Adoptive Families of Queensland (IAFQ) on Sunday 30th July, 2006. ID brings together families who have adopted from overseas in order to pay respect to their birth heritage and to do fund raising for projects (orphanages, development grants for siblings etc) in their birth countries.

An adult adoptee table was co-organised by Indigo (adopted from VN) and Anna (adopted from Hong Kong) who were support members of the ID Committee. This more casual approach than last year (when we did Q and A seminar sessions) made heaps of good info made available to

parents and younger adoptees.The flyers included ones for the AVI which brings people’s attention to the important educational and support role Vietnamese adoptees can play in transnational adoptions today. Other flyers included ones for Intercountry Adoptee Support Network (ICASN), Korean Adoptees

Worldwide – (KAW) and the Post Adoptive Resources Centre (PARC).

A few very good books were also on display on this table – Cultures of Transnational Adoption edited by Toby Volkman (later donated by AVI to the IAFQ library), The Colour of DIfference edited by Sarah Armstrong and Pertina Slaytor – and featuring the contributions of VN adoptees including Lynelle Beveridge and Analee Matthews, and Adoptive Parenting, Creating A Tool Box edited by Sheena Macrae and Jean McLeod (see attachment).

The adult adoptee volunteers were Anna, Jen (adopted from VN on babylift) and Ilan (adopted from Taiwan). Suanne, a babylift

Vietnamese adoptee from Adelaide, also came up to join us. Her visit was a real highlight. Another highlight was that Mr Trung Nguyen, a senior and well respected member of the Vietnamese community who regularly invites AVI members to joint projects and events with the Vietnamese community in QLD, also came along to show his support.

Anna and Indigo were also there to greet the Minister for The Department of Child Safety (which is responsible for intercountry adoptions) on his arrival to the festival, and Indigo was kindly asked by the ID committee) to do an impromptu presention to the official guests of the festival, Pam and Darryl Smith (the founders of IAFQ). Thus, overall, the adult adoptees are being appreciated for their views and taken very seriously in their expanded capacity to offer a good line of education to the newer adoptive families and a line of support to younger adoptees.

Everyone got to debrief and have a nice chat at a cafe afterwards, and then Suanne and Jen and Anna later joined Trung Nguyen and the Vietnamese community at a fundraiser at a Buddhist Temple (Indigo had to go home to look after her son who had a cold). Thanks to everyone involved for your leadership and generosity. Please email Indigo if you would like to be involved with next year’s event.