Vietnam Babylift Related Events
(Archives)




C-SPAN's 12 week series on presidential libraries.

The President Gerald R. Ford program is this Friday, Oct 26 at 8 pm (EDT).

Among the artifacts selected for discussion during the program are several sets of baby shoes from the Vietnam "Operation Babylift" Archives, as well as some documents from the fall of Saigon.

Please contact Lana@Vietnambabylift.org for additional information.


Lana Noone will be interviewed about the Vietnam "Operation Babylift" on WNYH's (740 on the AM dial) "It's Boomer Time" Program on October 24th at 11:00 AM.

Please visit: <www.itsboomertime.com> for complete details.

Lana's profile will be added to the "Adventurers" portion of the Boomer website next month.

Please contact: Lana@Vietnambabylift.org for additional information.


Lana Noone will present Babylift programs at the following locations in the next several weeks:

September 18 at 11:15 AM
Molloy College
Rockville Centre, New York.

September 24, 7:00 PM
Christ Episcopal Church
Garden City, New York

October 2 at 12:30 PM
Mid-Island Y, Senior Group
Plainview, New York

Please contact Lana@Vietnambabylift.org for complete details.


Lana Noone will present a Vietnam "Operation Babylift" program as a visiting lecturer for the Hutton House Series, C.W. Post Campus, Long Island University, Brookville, New York.

The program is scheduled for August 13th at 1:00 PM.

Please contact:

Lana@Vietnmababylift.org

for additional details.


From: Bert Ballard, Vietnamese Adoptees Network:

Email contact address: Bert@van-online.org

Re: Stories and journeys.

We all have a story, and each one of us is on a unique journey. As Vietnamese adoptees, we all have a unique story. So do those who have been adopted in the past 10 years.

Journeys and Stories is the theme for this year's joint VAN conference and Vietnamese Heritage Camp. VAN has always had a conference targeted toward what is unique to our community. This year we're going to the next level to be a part of Vietnamese Heritage Camp to create programs for the young, the old, and our families. Included in this year's event are:

- workshops for older and younger adoptees to talk about their stories and journeys as adoptees
- workshops for adoptees and parents that allow everyone to learn about Vietnamese cooking, culture, and customs
- opportunities to hear stories about returning to birth countries
- opportunities to learn about how to write your own story
- opportunities to learn about the latest research on adoptees and adoptive families
- marshmallow roasts and a Vietnamese festival!

In short, this year's event is a CAN'T MISS! To be a part of this event, you need to sign up by June 9th!!!!! If you have already attended a VAN conference then you know how much fun and how valuable they are! This one promises to be even better! And if you've never been, this is a great opportunity to meet others who are part of the Vietnamese adoption community.

The joint Vietnamese Heritage Camp/VAN conference will be held August 9-12th, 2007 at Snow Mountain Ranch in Colorado (outside of Winter Park). To learn more about the event, visit www.heritagecamps.org or www.van-online.org. Registration is $85-125/person depending on the ages of the person. VAN members will receive a 10% discount in the camp market, which is full of a variety of clothes, toys, books, artistic items, and much, much more from Vietnam!

VAN members can serve as counselors, which means you would spend the entire camp with the children. For those "veteran" VAN conference attendees, this is a great way to connect and give back and have some fun!

We hope you will join us for this groundbreaking event. We look forward to meeting you and sharing stories and journeys with you! Contact me with any questions you might have or visit any of our websites!

Bert Ballard / Vu Tien Do II

Vice President - Vietnamese Adoptee Network (www.van-online.org) Board
Member

International Adoptee Congress (www.internationaladopteecongress.org)

bert@van-online.org


Lana Noone will present a Vietnam "Operation Babylift" program at the following locations in May, 2007:

Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library,
Plainview, NY.
May 23, 2007 at 7:30 PM.

Rockville Center Public Library,
Rockville Centre, NY.
May 30, 2007 at 7:30 PM.

The programs are free and the public is cordially invited to attend.

Please contact:

Lana@Vietnambabylift.org

for additional details.


Representatives of the Vietnam Babylift 30th Anniversary Awards Committee will present The Heather Constance Noone Memorial Award posthumously to President Gerald R. Ford at a ceremony to be held at the Ford Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan on May 22, 2007.

The Committee is honored by the opportunity to recognize President Ford posthumously for his launching of "Operation Babylift", on April 3, 1975.

Please contact <Lana@Vietnambabylift.org> for complete details.


PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release (January 16, 2007)

Contact: Lana Noone (516) 486-0318.

VIETNAM ERA EDUCATIONAL CENTER HOSTS

FILM PRESENTATION AND TRIBUTE TO PRESIDENT FORD

On Saturday, February 17, at 1:00 p.m., the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Foundation will host a screening, with discussion, of the award-winning documentary film, "Operation Babylift-Homeward Bound." This program will be held at the Vietnam Era Educational Center, Garden State Parkway, Exit 116, in Holmdel, NJ.

On April 3, 1975, United States President Gerald R. Ford announced that "Operation Babylift" would fly some of the estimated 70,000 Vietnamese babies and children who were left orphaned by the Vietnam War from Vietnam to safety in America. Thirty flights, combining private and military planes, transported at least 2,000 children to the United States and another 1,300 children to Canada, Europe and Australia. These children, born in war-torn land, alone, with no family and little hope, grew up as members of special, international adoptive families. These adoptees and their adoptive families remember President Ford, himself an adoptee, and the important role he played in insuring them a new life with promise. In his honor, they share in the presentation of this recently released film about their story.

In June of 2005, 21 Babylift adoptees, family members and Operation Babylift military and volunteer civilian service veterans returned to Vietnam on a diplomatic trip via World Airways-the first such trip recognized by both the United States and Vietnam-permitting these living legacies of President Ford's endeavor to touch the land of their birth.

This film tells the story of that very special trip.

Introducing the film will be Lana Noone, of Garden City, NY mother of, Babylift adoptee Jennifer Nguyen Noone, both of whom were part of this extraordinary journey.


Lana Noone will present her Vietnam Babylift/"Global Mom" Program at the following locations:

February 17, 2007, 1 PM, Author Series, New Jersey Vietnam Era Educational Center, Holmdel, New Jersey.

March 7, 2007, 2 PM, Peninsula Public Library, Lawrence, NY.

March 14, 2007 (Tentative) Oceanside High School's Human Rights Day,

March 15, 2007, 11 AM, Shelter Rock Public Library, Searingtown, NY.

April 26, 2007, Author Night, Franklin Square School, Franklin Square, NY.


Event: Motherland Tour 2007

Per Sister Susan McDonald:

Information about the Motherland Tour to Vietnam, 2007, is available at:

www.Motherlandtour.com

The trip is from March 31- April 14, 2007.

It is a good first trip to Vietnam for adoptees, as they are accompanied by other adoptees and the trip is designed just for the individuals on the trip.



February 17, 2007

Lana Noone will present a 32nd Vietnam Babylift Program at the New Jersey Vietnam Era Educational Center, Holmdel, New Jersey on February 17, 2007 at 1:00 PM.

The program includes a screening of "Operation Babylift-Homeward Bound", winner of two Telly Awards for Documentary Film Excellence...

The film explores World Airway's June 2005 Viet Nam Babylift Trip to Viet Nam. Twenty-one Babylift adoptees, family members, and Veterans who were involved in the Viet Nam Babylift returned to Viet Nam on a diplomatic trip...the first trip recognized by both the United States and Viet Nam.

Lana Noone and her daughter Jennifer Nguyen Noone. a Babylift adoptee, were part of this extraordinary journey.

Lana is pleased to share the "story behind the film" at this program.

Please contact:

Lana@Vietnambabylift.org

for complete details, and please visit the NJ Vetnam Era Ed Center website at:

www.njvvmf.org

for travel information.


Lana Noone's upcoming programs:

September 12, 2006, 12:30 PM
Westbury Library, Westbury, New York.

September 27, 2006, 1:00 PM,
Wantagh Library, Wantagh, NY.

October 6, 2006, 2:00 PM,
Mineola Library, Mineola, NY.

October 20, 2006, 12:00 PM,
Freeport Library, Freeport, NY.

November 2, 2006, 1:00 PM,
Hewlett-Woodmere Library, Hewlett, NY.

November 7, 2006, 1:30 PM,
North Merrick Library, North Merrick, NY.

November 14, 2006, 1:00 PM,
Freeport Library, Freeport, NY

All programs are free and open to the public.

Please contact Lana@Vietnambabylift.org for additional details


Lana Noone was awarded the New York State Senate Commendation Certificate for her Living Historian work on bahalf of the Viet Nam Babylift of April, 1975.

The prestigious Award was presented to Lana by Elaine Blum, President of the Hudson Valley Coalition to Promote Tolerance, during Lana's program at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library's Wallace Educational Center on May 21, 2006.

Lana is honored to receive this Award.

During the program, Lana and Byron Noone's (deceased) daughter, Heather Constance Noone received the posthumous United States Congressional Certificate of Recognition.

Heather, who arrived from Viet Nam on April 23, 1975, died on May 17, 1975. without birth, visa, or citizenship papers.

The Award was presented on the floor of the House of Representatives on May 19, 2006.

Please contact:

Lana@Vietnambabylift.org

for complete details and to arrange a Babylift program.


December 14, 2005
For Immediate Release:


Heather Constance Noone Memorial Awards

The Vietnam Babylift 30th Anniversary Awards Committee is pleased to announce the Heather Constance Noone Memorial Awards for Extraordinary Actions on Behalf of the Vietnam Babylift.

Recipients will receive their Awards in a ceremony presented online at:

www.Vietnambabylift.org on December 30, 2005.

Speaking on behalf of the committee, Lana Noone stated that "The Vietnam Babylift (VB) was one of the most important humanitarian events of the 20th century. Those individuals and organizations who participated in the VB showed extraordinary compassion and courage for the Vietnam War orphans. We are honored to recognize them with these Awards."

The Awards Committee salutes the recipients and looks forward to presenting the Awards on December 30, 2005.
Please direct media inquiries to:

Lana@Vietnambabylift.org


Please visit the website at <www.Vietnambabylift.org> for additional information and resources related to the Vietnam Babylift.
December 12, 2005

Lana Noone is pleased to announce that the Vietnam Babylift 30th Anniversary Committee has nominated several individuals for the Heather Constance Noone Memorial Award for Extraordinary Actions of Behalf of the Vietnam Babylift.

The Award will be presented on-line at:

www.Vietnambabylift.org on December 30, 2005.

Please check the website soon for complete details.




The Byron Michael Noone Memorial Commendation is hereby presented to those in the United States, Vietnam, and other nations who opened their hearts to the Vietnam Babylift children in April, 1975.

Byron Michael Noone (1944-2002), husband of Lana Noone, and father of Heather Constance (deceased), Jennie, Jason, and (posthumously) father-in-law to Rosemary and grandfather to Heather Marie Song Yee Noone, worked tirelessly to promote peace and justice in the world. He is deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Lana Noone.
www.Vietnambabylift.org

November 10, 2005
Lana Noone receives Humanitarian of the Year Award


Lana Noone received the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation's Humanitarian of the Year Torch Award, presented on November 10, 2005 by Vietnam Veteran/Senator Bob Kerrey.

Lana is honored to be a recipient of this Inaugural Award. Please visit the Foundation's website at:

www.vvaf.org

for complete details.

Lana Noone, author, "Global Mom: Notes From a Pioneer Adoptive Family", will present a Vietnam Babylift 30th Anniversary Program at Spotswood High School, Spotswood, New Jersey on October 27, 2005.

Her program includes exhibits, photos, original clothing, and a performance of traditional Vietnamese music.

Please contact Lana at:

Lana@Vietnambabylift.org

for complete details.

Han Ma Eum...One Heart And One Mind:

The eighth annual KAAN Conference, "One Heart and One Mind" will be held
June 30 through July 2, 2006 at the Renaissance Seoul Hotel in Korea.
The website is now open for registration.
You can make your hotel reservation at: (http://www.kaanconference.com/)
Click on hotel.


August 14, 2005

Lana Noone will present a Vietnam Babylift 30th Anniversary Program on August 14, 2005 at the Catalyst Foundation's Conference, Chevy Chase, MD. Lana will discuss the Vietnam Babylift of 1975 and will exhibit artifacts related to Babylift, and to the recent 30th Anniversary Trip to Vietnam.

Please contact:

Lana@Vietnambabylift.org

for complete details.



30th Anniversary Event
September, 2005

To observe the passing of 30 years since our life and work in Vietnam, plans are underway for a reunion of adoptees and family members and friends. Over the long week-end of September 16-19, 2005, we will gather at the YMCA of the Rockies, the site of our 2000 Reunion. The local planning committee of adoptees, adoptive parents, former nursery workers, etc. needs to hear from you regarding your plans to attend and any ideas for the gather. Please contact us via email at

vietnamreunion05@hotmail.com

with your plans, ideas, email address, snail mail address, and telephone number. We look forward to hearing from you soon and reuniting with you in September. Please share this information or forward on to any adoptees or other persons who may be interested in coming together to recognize this anniversary.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, please let us know if this is something you are interested in attending even if you do not want to commit at this time. If we do not get a lot of response we will considering stopping our planning for the event. However, we really need to know how many would and are seriously considering attending this once in a lifetime event.

Bert Ballard / Vu Tien Do II
Vietnamese Adoptee Network (www.van-online.org) Board Member

"Taking the Journey"

Vietnamese American authors explore the journey of writing
Saturday, Oct. 15
The Seattle Public Library
Central Library
1000 Fourth Ave. Workshops: Level 4, Meeting Room 2

Reading: Microsoft Auditorium, Level 1
Authors Kien Nguyen ("The Unwanted") and Aimee Phan ("We Should Never Meet") present a day of writing workshops and public reading at the The Seattle Public Library Central Library. Kien Nguyen leads a workshop on non-fiction writing at 10:30 a.m. - 12 noon. Aimee Phan explores fiction writing from 1 - 2:30 p.m. Writers of all levels encouraged to participate. Following the workshops will be a bilingual public reading and Q&A with the writers from 4 - 5:30 p.m.

All events are free. Workshops require advance registration.

Presented by the International Examiner. Co-sponsored by the Washington Center for the Book at The Seattle Public Library, The Elliott Bay Book Company, and Wing Luke Asian Museum. Partially funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and WA State Arts Commission. To register or for more information, contact Nhien Nguyen at:

editor@iexaminer.org

Web site: www.iexaminer.org
http://www.iexaminer.org/events.php



November 9, 2005 at 11:00 AM

Lana Noone will present a Vietnam Babylift 30th Anniversary Program at Farmingdale State University, Farmingdale, New York, in conjunction with the University's Distinguished Speaker Series.

Please contact:

Lana@Vietnambabylift.org


for complete details and travel information.



March 25, 2006


From Sister Susan McDonald:

The 2006 tour through Vietnam, designed specifically for Vietnamese adoptees from any agencies, private adoptions as well, will begin March 25, 2006 and lasts two weeks. Interested persons can see the proposed itinerary and other information at motherlandtour.com

Also, I have made forty copies of the book I wrote, "For Children Cannot Wait", written in German, French and English and also have copies of "Turn My Eyes Away" also available. Persons who are interested may contact me:

susanmcdo@aol.com


Friday Aug. 18, 10:00 PM ET

WE is broadcasting

"Vietnam Women"

with Dana Delaney

IT WILL BE REBROADCAST Tomorrow at 6:00 PM and perhaps other times.

http://we.tv/article?CID=key%3D756%26tzOffset%3D0


Nurses on this show are:

Sue O'Neill
Diane Carlson Evans
Maureen Adduci
Candace Sullivan
Donna White
Dorothy Harris

Thank you to them for their service and for having the courage to tell their stories!

Directly after the show the China Beach episode with interviews with women who served will be shown.


Asian American Writers' Workshop, 16 West 32 Street
October 27, 2005
Start Time: 7:00 pm
Suite 10A, New York (between 5th Ave & Broadway)
Phone: 212-494-0061
Web Site: http://www.aaww.org

Duo Reading and Book Signing: Andrew Lam and Quang X. Pham
Andrew Lam-Perfume Dreams and Quang X.
Pham-A Sense of Duty: My Father,
My American Journey, www.asenseofduty.com

Andrew Lam's Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora
(Heyday Books, 2005) and Quang X. Pham's A Sense of Duty: My Father, My
American Journey (Ballantine/Random House, 2005). Lam offers a
journalistic eye on the Vietnam of today, mixed with memoirs and
personal essays. Pham, a childhood refugee turned US Marine, bridges the
past and the present, from the Vietnam War to the Gulf War, in a
poignant account of his life struggles.

Andrew Lam is an award-winning syndicated writer,an editor with the
Pacific News Service, and a regular commentator on National Public
Radio's "All Things Considered." He co-founded New California Media, and
his essays have appeared in dozens of newspapers and magazines across
the country.

Quang X. Pham served as a Marine helicopter pilot in the 1991 Gulf War
and in Somalia. In addition to being founder and CEO of Lathian Systems,
he is a public speaker and has appeared on numerous radio and television
shows offering reflections on Vietnam.



From: "Chuck Ward" <vetswithamission@backroads.net>
Subject: Re: "Winter & Summer Trips To Vietnam"

Dear Vietnam Vets and Friends:

Vets With A Mission is announcing three Vietnam trips in 2006!

First is a "Reconciliation Tour."

The second is a "Special Misson Team" trip to Da Nang.

The third is a "Humanitarian Team" trip also to Da Nang.

The Reconciliation Tour is for Vietnam vets only and immediate family. The dates are February 17 - March 11, 2006. Price is $3,499/peson, double occupancy. Deadline for sign-up by email for the winter "Reconciliation Tour" is November 30, 2005.

The Da Nang Mission Team trip with Seacoast Irmo Church is through Vets With A Mission. It has a limited number of volunteer opportunities available. The dates are June 23-July 7, 2006. The cost is $2,999/person, double occupancy.

Deadline for sign-up by email for the summer "Da Nang Mission Team" is December 15, 2005.

The Da Nang Humanitarian Team is for both vets and non-vets. The dates are July 6-22. Price is $3,199/person, double occupancy. Deadline for sign-up by email for the summer "Da Nang Humanitarian Team" is December 31, 2005.

What do you do if you are interested? First, sign-up by email to reserve a place on the trip!

Second, note that the deposit is $100 and non-refundable but applied to overall trip expenses. Send your deposit as soon as possible after email sign-up to:

VWAM
P. O. Box 202
Newberry, SC 29108-0202

In the memo section of your check note which trip the deposit is for.

Third, once a trip deposit is received a trip application will be returned to you.

If you have any questions about itinerary or specifics, please contact me at this email address or telephone at 803-405-9926.

"Chuck"
Charles Ward, Executive Director
Vets With A Mission
www.vwam.com


Call For Submissions
Anthology of writings and poetry by UK transracially adopted people
From: Perlita Harris

Please email for a full "Call for Submissions" document for an anthology of writings and poetry by and for transracially adopted people that I am editing.

The anthology will be published in 2005 by the British Association of Adoption and Fostering. I am really excited about the project. It offers UK transracial adoptees a great opportunity to get our voices heard. If you know of any transracially adopted people (originally adopted in the UK), I would be very grateful if you could forward this on to them. Thanks!

If after reading the Call for Proposals you have any questions about the anthology, please do not hesitate to contact me either by email or on (w) 0117 954 6726 (please note, I shall not be in work between 20 March and 18 April, although I will be picking up my emails during this time).

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best Wishes,
Perlita
P Harris, School Policy Studies
Perlita.Harris@bristol.ac.uk



What: Asian Adoptees Anthology
When: Deadline October 25, 2004 [may be extended]
Who: All Asian adoptees from any country

As adult trans-national international adoptees, we are now negotiating our identities and making sense of our lives in between and within different concepts of family - biological family, adoptive family and for many of us now, our own families. Each and every one of us have our own ideas and opinions about what the various kinds of families and identities mean, and there are no "right" or "wrong" answers.

We are now interested in collecting the voices of adult asian adoptees from a large number of backgrounds, in an attempt of giving other adoptees and general public a glimpse into the complex constructs, segments or fragments of who we are and where we're coming from.

In order to get you started, here are some suggestions for format and content:

- letters to or thoughts about birth-mother/family, incl. separation issues
- growing up in adoptive family/being different
- sexuality, relationships, partner, marriage
- own children
- biological and/or adopted siblings
- birthfamily reunions and the cultural differences experienced

How: Submissions accepted in English, German and the Scandinavian languages.
If possible, submissions will be published both in the original language and with an English translation (will be done by the editorial team). We are still seeking volunteers who have knowledge in a language other than the ones mentioned above.

Also, if you would like to be part of the administration of this project (all adoptees welcome), please contact us.

When: Deadline 25 October 2004

You will be notified of your submission's progress by the beginning of 2005. While we want all voices to be heard, the editorial board still has the final say in which works can be selected.

Please send all submissions or inquiries to:
INAvoices@koreanadoptees.net

Sincerely,
The editorial group, Truepeny Publishing
-Thomas 'Alien' Park Clement, President of Truepeny Publishing
-Christopher 'Tuan' Brownlee, Vietnamese Adoptee Network
-Kelly 'Tuyet' Brownlee, Vietnamese Adoptee Network
-Arun Dohle, Connected Indian roots
-Sunny Jo, President of K@W and Editor in Chief of Truepeny Publishing
-Hanna Sofia Johansson, The K@W KADcyclopedia
-Indigo 'Thuy' Williams Willing, Adopted Vietnamese International
-Eun Mi Young-Jackson, Vice President of K@W and Senior Editor of Truepenny Publishing

*Guest advisors outside the adoptee community may be called on to help us with some of the technical and content issues as required


Lana Noone's upcoming Vietnam "Operation Babylift" programs and book signings for "Global Mom: Notes From a Pioneer Adoptive Family" by Lana Noone, with Byron, Jennie, and Jason Noone (Gateway Press, 2003).

For complete details please contact: noone@mailbug.com

December, 2004, Date and Time TBA
Asian Studies Department Presentation
Dowling College,
Oakdale, New York.


Event for all Adult International Adoptees

Also-Known-As' Adoption Forum - Family and Adoption
Monday, March 8
and
Monday, March 18
from 6:00-7:30 PM

Zweig-DiMenna Companies
900 Third Avenue, 32nd Floor
(Ring doorbell)
Between 54th and 55th Streets


RSVP: By March 4th to JLieberthal@mail.alsoknownas.org.
For building security purposes, we must have a pre-registered list of attendees.

INFO:

Also-Known-As is sponsoring Adoption Forums twice a year. Adoption is a life long journey with complex emotions and issues. Acknowledging that our paths lead to different places, more adoptees are seeking a common ground to share our various experiences. Adoption forums enable adult intercountry adoptees to come together to share their experiences and feelings with each other. These forums are available to adult adopted people only. They are in no way a therapeutic group, but rather an opportunity to talk, listen, and perhaps learn something new.

Our first topic for this two-day forum will be about family: how we as adopted people define family; how we define our relationships with our adoptive and/or birth families, friends, partners and spouses.


Adoptalk Meeting

March 13, 2004
Briarcliffe College
Bethpage, New York

6:30 PM New Member Orientation
7:00 PM

General Meeting
General Chapter business; welcome new children

8:00 PM Refreshments
Networking among attendees
8:15 PM Discussion groups
Please refer to information below

Main Topic: Domestic and International Adoptions
Come listen, share and learn.

Topic: Adopting From Vietnam
*Guest Speaker: Lana Noone, Adoptive Parent, Author of "Global Mom: Notes From a Pioneer Adoptive Family", "Humanitarian Award" winner for her website at:

www.Vietnambabylift.org

and motivational speaker will conduct this workshop. Come hear her success story about how she and her husband Byron formed their "Forever Family", and how she has continued to devote her life to teaching and educating people on adopting children from Vietnam and Korea.

Please contact Lana at: noone@mailbug.com for additional details, travel information.

(MELBOURNE) From Street To Restaurant: Combating Youth Poverty In Vietnam
Wednesday, 31 March, 2004

Jimmy Pham, will discuss how he is breaking the cycle of poverty for street children through KOTO (Know One Teach One) Vietnam. KOTO is an innovative hospitality and life skills training program in Hanoi and is the main venture run by Street Voices, an Australian Charity, established to help street children living in Vietnam. Mr Pham is currently in Australia on an awareness raising tour with two of his star KOTO graduates and will discuss the concept behind KOTO before presenting a special cooking demonstration.

Website: http://www.streetvoices.com.au

WHEN: Wednesday 31 March
TIME: 6 - 7.30pm
WHERE: Basement Theatre, Sidney Myer Asia Centre, The University of Melbourne, Corner Swanston Street and Monash Road, Parkville

ENTRY: Free of charge (seating is limited)

RSVP: To reserve a seat send an email to events@asialink.unimelb.edu.au with "Koto" in the subject line.

ENQUIRES: Call Asialink on (03) 8344 4800



In April, 2003, The Korea Club (The Danish Association of Korean Adoptees), held an international adoption research conference in Copenhagen under the title "The Meaning of Roots: Ethnic Identity & Biological Heritage".

The proceedings from the conference are now available and free to download (pdf file, 1054 KB) on The Korea Club's website: <http://www.koreaklubben.org>.

Mainstream research on intercountry adoption usually focus on the adjustment of adoptees into the culture of the receiving countries and is often loaded with particular normative viewpoints. In contrast, this conference started out by exploring the question of how adult adoptees integrate their different ethnic background and different biological heritage into their current lives.

About 200 people from 12 countries attended the conference which consisted of two full days. On the first day, keynote presenters from Norway, Great Britain, USA and Denmark presented research findings and The Korea Club with its experiences, thereby linking theory to practice. On the second day, a variety of workshops invited to interactive discussions on issues like assisted reproduction, adoption and ethics, stereotypes of trasracial adoptees, racism, search for biological family and imagined communities. The presenters come from different disciplines such as anthropology, psychology, sociology, law, communications, and cultural studies.

The conference proceedings include welcome talks, keynote presentations, panel discussion and workshop presentations (139 pages in total). If you are interested in ordering a print copy of the report, please send an email message to:

koreaklubben@hotmail.com

This message was forwarded from:
The Korea Club Board of Directors and Conference Team



(MELBOURNE) The Legacies Of War In Southeast Asia - Environmental And Legal Perspectives
Thursday, 1 April, 2004

This first event in the 2004 Solferino Asia-Pacific Lecture - jointly presented by Asialink, MIALS and the Australian Red Cross Victoria - will examine the legacies of war in Southeast Asia. Panelists will include Mr Mark Deasey, Regional Manager of Asia, Oxfam CAA and LTCOL Roy Abbott CSC, Assistant Director, Operations International Law Strategic Operation Division, ADF. Mr Jim Backwell, International Humanitarian Law Coordinator for Australian Red Cross Victoria will chair the panel and facilitate discussion with the audience following the panelists' remarks.

WHEN: Thursday 1 April
TIME: 6.30 - 8pm
WHERE: Basement Theatre, Sidney Myer Asia Centre, The University of Melbourne, Corner Swanston Street and Monash Road, Parkville
ENTRY: $15 Full Price; $10 Concession/Member (Asialink and Australian Red Cross Victoria). Tickets will be sold at the door.
RSVP: Please send an email to solferino@vic.redcross.org.au.
ENQUIRES: Please call the Australian Red Cross Victoria on (03) 8327 7840 or Email: ihl@vic.redcross.org.au.


Lana Noone
April 2, 2004

Lana Noone will be one of three Guest Authors to speak at the Nassau County American Association of University Women Spring Luncheon on April 2, 2004, at the George Washington Manor, Roslyn, New York. Lana will discuss her book "Global Mom: Notes From a Pioneer Adoptive Family", and will display the Vietnam Babylift Quilt, a shadowbox section of the C-5A Galaxy Babylift Plane, a gift watch bestowed upon the Korean adoptees by the President of South Korea, and artifacts, photos and original documents.

Please contact Lana at: Lana@Vietnambabylift.org for additional details.


VAN to speak at parents group in McMinnville, Oregon
April 3rd, 2004


VAN is honored to participate on a speakers panel for a parent's group in McMinnville, OR on April 3, 2004 from 10.00a to 12.30p. Most of the parents who are involved with the group have adopted children from Vietnam. If you live in the Portland Metro area, or close to McMinnville, you are cordially invited to join us. First Baptist Church in McMinnville is gracious enough to host the event, the church is located at 125 SE Cowls Street in McMinnville.

Please feel free to contact Rick Silver at richard@van-online.org for more information. If you plan to be there, we look forward to meeting and seeing you, potluck lunch to follow.

Warmest Regards,
Richard V. Silver
Nguyen Quoc Viet
Treasurer ~ Membership Officer
Email: richard@van-online.org
Web: http://www.van-online.org


Discussion on the Transracial Adoption Paradox
Friday, April 30 6:30-8:30 PM
NYU Cantor Film Center,
36 East 8th Street,
Theater 101, NYC
RSVP by April 27th online at http://www.apa.nyu.edu
Screening of "Unlocking the Heart of Adoption" by Sheila Ganz

SPACE IS LIMITED!

Most noticeably since the Korean War, Asian international adoptions by white American parents have resulted in yet another
version of the "typical" American family. International adoptions account for approximately 85% of all transracial adoptions, with the largest population being Asian transracial adoptees. From IKEA catalogues to Sears commercials, it is no longer unusual to encounter images of Asian children with white parents and siblings. The Transracial Adoption Paradox is that while adoptees are racial/ethnic minorities in society, they are perceived and treated by others, and sometimes themselves, as if they are members of the majority culture due to adoption into a white family (Lee, 2003). This discussion will explore difficult questions such as: how can parents help their adoptive children appreciate their Asian ancestry and understand what it also means to be Asian American? How are parents helping their adoptive children build healthy, strong senses of self? How do transracial adoptees and parents address racial/ethnic identity?

This discussion will be preceded by a 56 minute documentary "Unlocking the Heart of Adoption" by Sheila Ganz, chroniclng her journey as a birthmother, interwoven with diverse personal stories of adoptees, birthparents and adoptive parents in both same race and transracial adoptions, including a Japanese American adopted woman, a Filipino American adopted man and an African American adopted man with his Caucasian adoptive father. They stirringly reveal the enormous impact that the complex reality of adoption has on the lives of regular people. Historical footage is threaded through the film and serves as an illuminating background. For more information on the film, visit http://www.unlockingtheheart.com.

The roundtable discussion will include Sheila Ganz and individuals from Families with Children from China (FCC), Also Known-As (AKA), and the NYU student club Adoptees United.

Co-sponsored with Families with Children from China of Greater NY, Adoptive Families Magazine, Adoptees United and Unsealed Initiative.


May 22, 2004

Invitation to book launch by young Vietnamese-Australian writers


The Chair of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and Liverpool Regional Museum, Mr John R. Marsden invites you , your family and guests to the BOOK LAUNCH

Cau Noi - The Bridge
Anthology of Vietnamese Australian Writing
Writers: David Phu An Chiem, Michelle Chuong, Khoa Do, Hai Ha Le, Hai Van Nguyen, Hoang Tranh Nguyen, Huong Thao Nguyen, Anh Khoa Tran, Matilda (Hang) Tran and Chi Vu

2:30 pm Saturday 22 May 2004
LIVERPOOL REGIONAL MUSEUM
CNR HUME HIGHWAY & CONGRESSIONAL DRIVE, LIVERPOOL
ADMISSION FREE

Exclusive: Book can be purchased at special price at the launch for $15 (normal price : $20) & writers will be present for book signing.

Since the fall of Saigon, 1975, three distinct generations of Vietnamese Australians - First, 1.5 and Second generation - have emerged distinctly all over the world. The 1.5 Generation belongs to people who are literally 'born in Viet Nam and made in Australia'. 'Cau Noi - The Bridge -Anthology of Vietnamese-Australian Writing' examines the complexities of the 1.5 Generation and the emerging works of the Second Generation of Vietnamese-Australians.

The process of developing this anthology has included bringing together of the editor, Ngoc-Tuan Hoang with ten commissioned writers who represent a range of disciplines and careers including film, theatre, performance, writing, law, sound engineering and poetry. In this book, each writer has to create the bridge for themselves in order to achieve equlibrium between the two realities - somewhere between the culture they inherit from their parents and the culture of the mainstream society.

Dr Mandy Thomas, Deputy Director, Centre for Cross-Cultural Research, Australian National University, points out " some unexpected connections and similarities that arise in all the pieces which speak to a universal human story. These are the threads of 'Vietnamese-ness', the intense ties to an unforgettable homeland in memory or in story, and the spirit of social justice that arises from the refugee experience which leaves an unmistakeable trace in every generation."

This anthology is a groundbreaking contribution to Vietnamese-Australian literature and worthy of literary merits because they are written not only with passion and honesty, but also with true intentions for literary innovation. The book will give reader opportunities to look into the strange cultural landscape of young Vietnamese-Australians and bring you on a journey along the wide spectrum of human feelings.

The book will be launched by Dr. Frank Bongiorno, Chair, Literature & History Committee, NSW Ministry for the Arts & Senior Lecturer in History, University of New England. Two special speakers - Thang Ngo, 1.5 generation and Sales & Marketing of SBS Radio and Michelle Chuong, second generation and Sydney Morning Herald Writer of the Year 2003 - will give insight into their own points of view.

RSVP By 18 May
Email admin@casulapowerhouse.com
Refreshments provided

Feel free to pass to your network. Thanks. Looking forward to seeing you all.

Cuong Phu Le
Asian-Australian CCD Officer
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre & Liverpool Regional Museum
PO BOX 190, Casula, NSW, 2170, Australia
Cnr Congressional Drive & Hume Highway
Tel: (02) 9824 1121
Fax: (02) 9821 4273
Email: cuong@casulapowerhouse.com
March 9, 2005
Update

A Vietnam Babylift painting, by Vietnam Veteran/Artist Bernie Duff, titled "Heather's Homecoming-Operation Babylift" will be unveiled at the Vietnam Babylift 30th Anniversary Program, at the Vietnam Era Educational Center, Holmdel, New Jersey on April 2, 2005.

Bernie was an Army Medic in Vietnam from 1969-1970, and continued his Army career as an illustrator through 1976. He received a BFA Degree from the University of Louisville and has created a series of 20 acrylic paintings depicting people related to the Vietnam War.

Bernie is a Board member of the Sharon Lane Foundation, and will unveil several paintings of Sharon and the children of Vietnam at the March, 2005 Sharon Lane Clinic Ceremony Opening in Vietnam.

The 20" by 26" painting we'll unveil commemorates the arrival of Heather Constance Noone/Mai Ngoc Tran via "Operation Babylift" on April 23, 1975. Heather was critically ill at the time of her arrival, and, although her doctors made a valiant attempt to save her life, she died on May 17, 1975.

Please feel free to invite family and friends to attend the unveiling and 30th Anniversary Program.

Please contact:
Lana@Vietnambabylift.org
for complete details.

April 22-24, 2005

Pan Am Vietnam Reunion Celebration News Item

 During the weekend of April 22-24, 2005 we are planning a 30th anniversary celebration to mark the final departure from Vietnam on Clipper Unity N653PA. It was on April 24th thirty years ago that we successfully evacuated our Saigon staff and their families, just six days before the North Vietnamese tanks rolled into downtown Saigon.

This evacuation was no easy task and we will never forget tha,t without our pilots and flight attendants volunteering to fly in and rescue us, the ending for us might have been a totally different and tragic story. Our crew members flew in and out of Saigon during those final days under high risk war time conditions.

This celebration next April will be held in Washington, DC during the weekend of April 22-24, 2005. It is our mission to reach out all across Pan Am's former world and bring together all those who had a connection with Pan Am and Vietnam. This event will include a number of the infants/orphans who survived the C-5A crash and 24 hours later they were aboard a Pan Am 747 winging their way across the Pacific to freedom and to begin a new life in America. Again, all volunteer crew members operating under exhaustive and dangerous conditions to make this happen. We are hopeful that the word will reach as many of those crew members as possible so they can join us in Washington next April.

 The Pan Am Historical Foundation is cosponsoring this celebration. The Foundation continues its quest to establish a Pan Am Museum which will house historical artifacts and documents as a lasting legacy to the airline. The Foundation is also considering the establishment of an annual scholarship fund for a Vietnamese student or perhaps supporting an orphanage in Vietnam.

We have contacted some of the survivors of that C-5A crash (now 30 years old) and they will be there to share their stories with us.

We are still finalizing program details for the weekend celebration. All of the details will soon be available on our website. We are planning to have the site up and running no later than November 1st. The address is: www.paavn.org.

 Mary Goshgarian from Pan Am AWARE will be there with a wide selection of Pan Am memorabilia.

World Wings Seattle has committed and they will wrap up the weekend with their now infamous Uniforms on Parade program narrated by World Wings International president Joanne Swift at a Sunday brunch. The weekend will kick off with a welcome reception on Friday evening followed by authentic Vietnamese fashions and a viewing of the film "Last Flight Out" starring Richard Crenna, Hang S. Ngor and James Earl Jones.

On Saturday, plans call for sharing memories from those with stories to tell and some free time to see the sights in Washington. This will be a time of special camaraderie and bonding (panel discussions) from a historical moment in the life of Pan Am.  We are hoping to reach as many of those crew members who actually flew on the "Last Flight Out" of Saigon.  An awards banquet will be held on Saturday evening, wrapping up the days' activities.

Conference Information and deadlines are available at www.paavn.org.

All attendees will receive a registration packet containing some keepsake items that will serve as a lifetime reminder of this gathering. A special lapel pin has already been produced and will be given to all attendees.

Anyone needing more information can send an email to: yclipper2@aol.com, For those without email access, write to;

PAAVN
PO Box 771992
 Miami, FL 33177

for a registration application. Registration forms are also available on the PAAVN web site.

The reunion will be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Crystal City, just minutes away from Reagan National and downtown Washington via the Metro system. We have arranged for a special room rate of $99.00 per night, per room. The Marriott has made this special rate available for those who wish to arrive a day earlier, Thursday 4/21/05 and check out a day later on Monday 4/25/05. Access for room reservations will be available on the website.

All former Pan Amers now working for DL and UA, please help us get the word out to our former Pan Am colleagues. We look forward to welcoming a very special portion of the Pan Am family at this celebration. If you have contacts for other colleagues, please send us their email or home address and we can add their names to our mailing list.

Thanks for your interest and continued support.

Allan (Al) Topping
Chairman, Vietnam Commemoration Planning Committee
Former Pan Am Director - Vietnam & Cambodia

April 4, 2005

In commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the Vietnam Babylift C5A Galaxy Crash, a Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 AM at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, DC.

Several surviving crew members, including Pilot Denis Traynor, and Philip Wise will participate in the ceremony.
All are cordially invited to attend.

For additional details, please contact:

Lana@Vietnambabylift.org



Pearl S. Buck International
Saturday, April 9, 2005


Please join Pearl S. Buck International to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Vietnam Baby Airlift on Saturday, April 9, 2005 from 1-5 at our office in Perkasie, PA. Pearl S. Buck International was one of seven organizations licensed by the Vietnamese Government to airlift children out of Vietnam in April 1975.

This event will include:
a.. Presentation - Lana Noone, Vietnam Baby Airlift Historian, will share her memories.
b.. Reunion - Adoptees, Adoptive Parents, Former Staff and Volunteers of Welcome House and the Pearl S. Buck Foundation will be holding a reunion after Ms. Noone's presentation.

All are welcome!


April 15-17, 2005

The Vietnamese Adoptees Network (VAN) 30th Anniversary Babylift Reunion will take place April 15-17, 2005 in Boston Massachusetts.

Please visit the VAN website, via our "Links" page, for complete details.



Bridging the Gap: Connection, Community & Identity for First and Second Generation Vietnamese Adoptees
April 16 & 17, 2005

Register for the conference online now at < www.van-online.org>. The goal of the 2005 VAN conference is to bring together adult adoptees from Vietnam, and families who have adopted children from Vietnam, with the mission of exploring the adoptee experience (a cumulative gathering of VAN (Vietnamese Adoptee Network), AVI (Adopted Vietnamese International) and APV (Adoptive Parents from Vietnam).

This conference will also be poised as an opportunity for adult adoptees to reflect upon their experience growing up adopted in America and the impact that the airlift had on their lives - on this the 30th Anniversary of Operation Babylift - in 2005.

All who are interested in the Vietnamese adoptee experience are welcome to attend.


Update

A Vietnam Babylift painting, by Vietnam Veteran/Artist Bernie Duff, titled "Heather's Homecoming-Operation Babylift" will be unveiled at the Vietnam Babylift 30th Anniversary Program, at the Vietnam Era Educational Center, Holmdel, New Jersey on April 2, 2005.

The 20" by 26" painting commemorates the arrival of Heather Constance Noone/Mai Ngoc Tran via "Operation Babylift" on April 23, 1975.
Heather was critically ill at the time of her arrival, and, although her doctors made a valiant attempt to save her life, she died on May 17, 1975.
Please feel free to invite family and friends to attend the unveiling and 30th Anniversary Program.

"Doc" Bernie Duff maintains the following related web sites:

Paint and Suffering Website
www.geocities.com/bernie_doc/vietnam.html

International War Poets Archives
iwvpa.net/duffb/index.htm

Please contact:
Lana@Vietnambabylift.org
for complete details.

Please visit:
www.Vietnambabylift.org for additional information about Operation Babylift.