BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

05/11/2008

Extend childhood respite agreement with Belarus

Each summer, between 40,000 and 60,000 Belarusian children leave their homeland to spend time with host families around the world as respite from their homeland that was contaminated by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.

This improves their immune systems, giving their bodies a break from the radiation in their food and water.

But as of now, the children will not return to Canada, or to any country other than Italy, because on Aug. 5 a family in California decided not to send their host child home.

After hosting the girl for nine summers, they decided she should stay with them, despite knowing the consequences of her failure to return.

While the girl has stated that she wants to stay, she is a child who has a legal guardian in Belarus, and the conditions of her travel with the program were that she return as she had for eight summers previous.

Now Belarus will no longer allow underage citizens to travel if their return cannot be guaranteed. It's an understandable response. Would a Canadian parent send their child abroad if our government had no means of guaranteeing their return?

There is one hope for the continuation of this program in Canada: Foreign Affairs would have to sign an agreement with Belarus stating that if this were to happen here, our government would ensure the safe return of the child.

If signed, thousands of children could continue to benefit from summer respite vacations.

For the past seven summers our family has, with sadness but without hesitation, returned our host child to his loving mother in Belarus. Out of respect for his family and his country, we play by the rules.

I'm urging our government to sign the agreement with Belarus so the many Canadian families that play by the rules can continue to do so, for the benefit of the children.

Amy Romagnoli

Source:

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1281703

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