Should You Boycott UNICEF’s Trick or Treat? I am.
There are hundreds of thousands of people who Trick or Treat for UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund that raises funds for programs that help children all over the world.Because UNICEF traditionally does help indigenous children I do feel the need to tell you that their money traditionally does do good. I also feel the need to tell you where you can get information on where to get the orange box, where to donate, and where you can create your own fundraiser.
But, because I also don’t agree with many of UNICEF’s current practices, I also feel the need to tell you that UNICEF is currently working on political campaigns to stop international adoptions in Guatemala (and they have been temporarily successful, as they have been able to stop the current processes in order to readjust the system and leave more than 3,000 children in limbo). Additionally, rumor has it that they did this by “donating” millions of dollars to the Guatemalan government.
In a perfect world Guatemala would have a perfect adoption system. This is not a perfect world. We all know that. Everyone who adopts internationally knows that.
UNICEF can’t change that. You can, and should, Boycott UNICEF’s Trick or Treat program.
You make a decent point when you say that Guatemala does not have a perfect adoption system, and I understand your point of view. At the same time, though, I think what Unicef is trying to do is stop child trafficking. A friend of mine runs a program in Guatemala that tries to reunite families, because what is happening is that mothers who are unable to provide for their children temporarily end up giving them or selling them to orphanages. No mother should have to do that. I think that Unicef has the ultimate goal of improving the world for the children in it, and I don’t think we should boycott this effort.