December 16, 2010
To whom it may concern:
My name is Rob Buckley and I am the Founder and Director of the
Himalayan Healers project in Nepal. Before building the Himalayan
Healers project I was a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal, working in
the border town of Birgunj, within City Hall. Both my work with
Himalayan Healers and with the US Peace Corps has focused upon issues of
human trafficking, prostitution, women’s rights, and youth issues. In
fact, the youth development program I developed in Peace Corps was
featured as a model for other youth programs for Peace Corps to use,
worldwide. My work with Himalayan Healers has focused upon human
trafficking issues and we have received acclaim in numerous
international media sources for this.
As a Peace Corps Volunteer I lived with a Nepali family and learned of
the Nepali culture, and the Nepali language, in-depth. I pride myself on
my grass-roots connections in Nepal, and my understanding of the
various dynamics that interconnect in this amazing nation. My work in
Peace Corps occurred during the Maoist insurgency in Nepal, and when US
Peace Corps closed their operations in Nepal I was the only Volunteer to
stay and to continue our work, independently. This is simply an example
of my grass-roots connections here in Nepal, and my commitment to these
issues.
In my more than seven years of work at the grass-roots level focusing
upon human trafficking, prostitution, women’s rights, and youth issues I
have never once come across even a hint of human trafficking relating
to the orphanages and to adoptions. If the US Embassy has information in
relation to this they have a responsibility to share that information
with the numerous organizations and professionals in Nepal that work on
human trafficking. The very fact that they have not shared any
information is in fact a very telling statement to consider.
I have however been keenly aware of the tremendous problem with human
trafficking of young teenage girls in Nepal, and there are numerous
organizations that focus upon this in Nepal. My organization helps to
rehabilitate Nepali girls who have been rescued from brothels after
being sold in to sexual slavery. Recently we won an international award
in Asia for this work, as we are the only project in the world doing
what we do.
What confuses me in regards to the official US Embassy position on child
trafficking in relation to orphanages and adoptions is that among all
of my professional colleagues and contacts in Nepal that work with human
trafficking on the grass-roots level on a daily basis – these are
professionals that are fluent in Nepali, understand the local culture,
and have strong community contacts – none of us has even once come
across a human trafficking issue in regards to orphanages and adoptions.
There are numerous issues in Nepal that the US Embassy could perhaps
better use their resources towards. One painful example would be that of
pedophilia in Kathmandu. The issue is bad enough that a billboard has
been posted in the main tourist area of Kathmandu stating that
pedophilia is against the law. If the US Embassy were committed to
protecting Nepali children this would be an obvious area for them to
focus their attentions. In fact, it angers me greatly that they do not.
Lastly, it is important to consider the local dynamics in Nepal in terms
of the Maoist insurgency and the infrastructure of this nation. During
the eleven years of civil war many people were murdered, abused,
assaulted, tortured, and disappeared. Many males that were in their
teenage years or older moved to India for work, and to escape forced
conscription within the Maoist army. Many villagers moved to the capital
city to avoid the conflict and the oppression; it is estimated by local
authorities that the Kathmandu Valley grew in population from around
two million people to between five million and eight million people in
the past ten years. Prior to the Maoist insurgency birth certificates
were a fairly uncommon practice. With the social turmoil caused by the
insurgency it is certainly understandable that families were broken
apart and that children were born without birth certificates.
Without specific evidence and examples of human trafficking in relation
to orphanages the US Embassy is doing a tremendous disservice to those
children, to this nation, and to the law abiding US citizens that are
investing their own time, funds, and resources to provide safe, loving
homes to children of need. Beyond being a disservice, without credible
and tangible evidence to justify their official stance on human
trafficking, orphanages, and adoptions, the actions of the US Embassy
are confusing, as well as unethical.
There are so many painfully obvious areas of need and attention here, it
is absolutely confusing as to why the US Embassy has taken the position
that human trafficking is an issue that relates to orphanages and
adoptions. If they were interested in learning more of the realities of
human trafficking any of their staff are more than welcome to visit my
office at Himalayan Healers to meet with my students and staff, and to
learn first-hand from their experiences.
If I can provide further information or details in relation to my
perspective on this issue please feel free to contact me at your
earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Rob Buckley
Founder / Director / Volunteer
Himalayan Healers
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