The International Adoptee Congress is looking for members. If you are an adult adoptee, please think about joining. They are looking for members from all placing countries, so adult adoptees from Russia are very welcome to join (although I'm not sure how many of them there are...)

Here's their mission statement:

The International Adoptee Congress (IAC) is a newly established membership organization made up of internationally adopted persons.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services reports that US parents adopt over 22,000 children annually from over three-dozen countries. Additionally, the Child Welfare League in 2003 reported that there has been a 248% increase in international adoptions in the United States from 1988 to 2002. According to 2005 US Citizenship and Immigration Services, China is over 7000 per year and Russia over 4000. Korea continues to have the most international adopted persons since adoptions from that country began in 1958 and their community is well over 100,000 adopted persons. With Vietnam recently opening up again, more adopted person will follow from the country. Latin America has a strong presence in the number of internationally adopted children as well; Chile, Paraguay, and Peru also have a strong contingent of internationally adopted children. While Romania and Ukraine have recently closed, they do constitute a significant international adoptee community.

It is clear from this trend that international adoption is becoming a preferred choice for many in the United States. This growth will occur not only in depth as China continues to be a source of international adoptions, but also in breadth as Latin America, Russia, and other Eastern European countries gain in numbers. As international adoption grows, the adoption community in the US has learned over the years that new and different issues related to identity, culture, belonging, connectedness, race, ethnicity, and heritage will emerge.

The newly establish International Adoptee Congress (IAC) has formed within this historical and social context. It is membership organization made up of internationally adopted persons. The IAC is committed to empowering, supporting, and giving voice to all international adoptees and adoptee groups. Because adoptees are a part of the ever growing adoption community, we are also committed to working with adoptive families, adoption agencies, and adoption professionals to create and sustain healthy adoptive families for their children.

Their first meeting will be Nov. 2-6, in Washington, D.C.

Here's the notice just sent on one of the Russian adoption listservs:

The newly forming International Adoptee Congress is looking for members from all placing countries. Perhaps you know an adult adoptee from Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, ... etc

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The International Adoptee Congress seeks adult adoptee leaders for the upcoming November meeting.

As international adoption grows, the adoption community in the US has learned over the years that new and different issues related to identity, culture, belonging, connectedness, race, ethnicity, and heritage will emerge.

...

If you are an adult international adoptee and would like to join the 75 100 person IAC, please complete a membership application. Applications can be submitted on-line or downloaded and mailed.

Please visit: http://www.internationaladopteecongress.org