I CARE Foundation To Produce Peter Thomas Senese's Film '150,000 Internationally Kidnapped Chldren'

I am very pleased to share with you that the I CARE Foundation is presently in production of a feature documentary film that focuses on children in crisis due to either the horrific act known as international parental child abduciton or the unthinkable, inhumane act of child slavery and trafficking.  The film, which I am one of the producers of, is being directed by talented storyteller and relentless child advocate Peter Thomas Senese and is titled '150,000 Internationally Kidnapped Children'.

As a Founding Board Member of the I CARE Foundation, it has been a privilage and honor to be able to help families in crisis who have either had a child abducted or who have had a child at risk of kidnapping.  The foundation has made a measurable and impactful difference for many families, including playing important roles in reuniting numerous children with their families while also preventing an even larger number of abductions from occurring.

One of the most important missions of the I CARE Foundation is to steward the social message about the existance of child abduciton in society, while also educating others on what can be done to prevent child kidnapping.

During 2012, the I CARE Foundation has played pivitol roles in over 100 international child abduciton prevention cases.  The primary reason why we were so active was becasue we were successful in getting a message to at-risk parents concering warning signs, risk-factors, and other issues concerning abduction. Truth is, most of these at-risk parents never contemplated the possibility of having their child abducted until they realized the reality that many of the risk factors of abduction were issues they were facing. 

In producing '150,000 Internationally Kidnapped Children', it is the I CARE Foundation's hope to further raise awareness of the many issues surrounding child abduction and child slavery in hope that we will be able to help prevent more children from coming into harms way.

Over the past two years the I CARE Foundation has spent considerable effort delivering numerous messages to the public about child abduciton.  During this same period, and for the first time in 30 years since the United States became a member of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Parental Child Abduction, reported cases of international child abduction originating from the United States has declined by 15% in two consecutive years.  Clearly our efforts are working.

With respect to the film 150,000 Internationally Kidnapped Children, one of the most fascinating components of the film will include incredible real-life footage of a recent rescue of children who were enslaved in Central America and brought into the inhumane world of the sex trade.  Without getting into too much detail at this time, I am happy to report that today these children are all on the road to recovery. 

The film will also deeply focus on the issues of international parental child abduction, and take our audience into a world that could best be described like Peter Thomas Senese's Chasing The Cyclone.

As many of my friends and colleagues know, a portion of my practice is focussed on entertainment law. The majority of my work in this area included representing professional athletes during their careers.  So I am very excited to utilize my knowledge and skill set during the the production of this very important film.

From time to time, I will keep you all updated . . . but it is nice to know we are in production . . . and our volunteer work is making a difference for our society's greatest assets: our children.

Best wishes to all,

Joel S. Walter, Esq
Founding Board Member
The I CARE Foundation

U.S. Senate Passes SR 543: Sends Message Condemning International Parental Child Abduction

It is my great pleasure to share that the United States Senate Resolution 543 sponsored by California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxter unanimously passed this past Tuesday, December 4th 2012.  The resolution, referred to as the International Parental Child Abduction Resolution is a fascinating work of our lawmakers because it does so much more than simply condemn child abduction, and it does much more than send a powerful message to our court system that IPCA is a serious criminal offense that should never be treated as a child custody matter.  What SR 543 does is call for a system-wide review of how the American government addresses and protects our children from being kidnapped.  

The language contained in SR 543 is rather direct: The Untied States of America will no longer tolerate our child citizens being abducted. 

Though the  resolution calls for focussed diplomacy when dealing with all nations, it is clear that countries including the majority in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa will no longer be permitted to shield American children kidnapped to their respective countries without consequence.  

I invite you to read this short but concise analysis of SR 543.  It took a lot of work by advocates everywhere, but this was a tremendous accomplishment that all lawmakers, advocates, and citizens should be proud of. 

- Joel Walter, Esq. - 

Three More Children Coming Home - And That Is Great News

It is rare that targeted children of international parental child abduction are returned to their country of original jurisdiction.  So when this happens the IPCA community at large has something to celebrate.

Today, we have good news that several children wrongfully detained in a European country and not returned to their home in Pennsylvania are in route home, and into their father's arms.

And this is great news.

I can understand the anxiety that I CARE Foundation director Peter Thomas Senese expressed when he said he feels like he is in birthing labor as the reunification is under way.

I am very happy for the children's father, Bryan, who did not give up when his children were detained. And I tip my hat to Bryan's attorneys Gregg and Larry for a job well-done.

On an equally important note, I hope that this family finds the capacity to heal and work together for the best interest of the children.

Joel Walter, Esq

New York Attorney Joel Walter Women Parenting Bloggers Join Fight To Help Stop Child Abduction

Earlier today I read an essay by Peter Thomas Senese who is down in Washington right now stomping around Capitol Hill probably talking to anyone who will listen, the Capitol Building subway conductor included about two legislative initiatives the I CARE Foundation is working on, when all of a sudden, in the midst of everything, I get an email from him telling me how fortunate the children of this country are that a special group of women/parents/writers have begun to write educational articles about child abduction.  

I agree completely with Peter and would like to express my thanks and appreciation for their help.

But like Peter said, these women are doing so much more than writing about child kidnappings.  In fact they're changing the world.

And this is how.

Kind regards to all,

Joel Walter, Esq.

I Am Honored And Humbled By This American Flag Flown Over The US Capitol In My Honor

To my surprise, this past Friday, October 19th, 2012 at the request of United States Senator Kirsen E. Gillibrand, a beautiful United States of America flag was flown over the United States Capitol building in my honor due to my volunteer advocacy associated with the I CARE Foundation and our effort to help protect children from abduction.

I am honored and humbled by such a tremendous honor.

International parental child abduction prevention has become a very important part of my professional and personal life.  The abduction of children is a cruel act to both child and targeted parent.  And it is growing rapidly despite efforts to curtail the number of cases that occur each year.  With over 100,000 American children expected to be stolen abroad over the next 10 years, much needs to be done. 

This American Flag will remind me each day of the importance of my and the I CARE Foundation's volunteer work doing our best to protect children from the horrors of abduction.

Author Peter Thomas Senese Makes Important Donation To I CARE Foundation - Continues Effort To Protect Children

                                                       THE I CARE FOUNDATION 

I am pleased to share that my friend, geopolitical best-selling author, and fellow 'I CARE' Foundation board member Peter Thomas Senese has once again made a generous contribution to the not-for-profit International Child Abduction Research & Enlightnement Foundation I am proud to be a part of.  For those of you who may not be familiar with my activity this past year working on behalf of children who are either at-risk of or have been internationally abducted, the I CARE Foundation is dedicated to protecting children and their targeted families from the risks of international parental child kidnapping and child trafficking.

New York City Based Attorney
Joel Walter

As an attorney who has practiced complex law for nearly 40 years, I have found many of these cases to be nothing short of pure tragedies.  

The abuse that often occurs for both victimized child and targeted parent when a child is abducted is severe: short and long-term problems are common.  

Worse, studies have demonstrated that approxiamately 10% of the anticiapted number of internationally kidnapped children (projected from 'reported' and 'unreported' cases: See 'Crisis In America') are returned.  Tragically, some of these children will never come home: they can't. They are lost forever. 

So as a litigator with a desire to make an impact against a pandemic that most individuals are not aware of, I have become actively involved in trying to push back the tide, if you will, and make a difference for defenseless children and their parents.  

I am pleased with our effort thus far; however, there remains a lot to do.

Which requires a tremendous committment. 

Fortunately for many children here in the United States, but in reality, all over the world, there are individuals willing to make that committment. I know I am 'in'.

Peter Thomas Senese

One other person who is 'in' if you will, is child advocate Peter Thomas Senese.  Sadly, Peter knows first-hand as a parent what it is like to have a child abducted under the rules of law established by the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduciton.  How do I know this? I was the first person he turned to when this happened. 

Mr. Senese's continual financial support and dedication to children through his generous financial support of the I CARE Foundation has had a great influence on so many lives. It is with generous support such as what Peter has previously provided, what he continues to provide, and his honorable pledge for future support that the foundation, in part, has been able to create more than a few miracles.  For example, as some of you may not be aware of, legally reuniting with a child wrongfully detained in Africa, and safely creating a path to bring that child or children back home to the United States is a very difficult task. One that has not happened too often in the grave world of international child abduction. In fact, It is a rarity.  

However, the I CARE Foundation has in fact played significant roles in safely reuniting several abducted American children who were abducted to Africa this year.  Part of the foundation's ability to help these parents was due to the fact the necessary resources were in place.  I am proud to say that novelist Peter Thomas Senese played a key role, providing the resources needed to the I CARE Foundation in order to protect these children. 

Previousl, Peter Thomas Senese has donated 100% of his e-book royalites from his international thrillers including 'Chasing The Cyclone', 'The Den of the Assassin', and 'Cloning Christ' to the I CARE Foundation.  Outside of his book royalties, Peter has also made several important financial donations to the foundation.

International Parental Child Abduction could victimize as many as 125,000 American children over the next ten years.  With only 10% of these kids coming home - and a growth rate of 20% per year due to an increase in multi-cultural relationships, limited abduction prevention laws, and rare cases where an abductor is held accountable, something must be done about it. 

To learn more about International Parental Child Abduction, I am providing Part I in the Chasing Parent educational documentary film series created by Peter Thomas Senese and Florida CAPA law writer Carolyn Vlk below.  To see the full videos please click here.

About Joel Walter

Experience:

Upon graduation from law school forty years ago, Mr. Walter was hired as a staff attorney by The Legal Aid Society of New York(”LAS”) in their Criminal Defense Division. At the LAS, he represented defendants from arraignment through plea or trial. The LAS promoted Mr. Walter, becoming a Federal Defender for complex cases heard before the Eastern District of New York. Mr. Walter was then promoted as a supervising attorney teaching newly hired LAS attorneys during a six week orientation program designed to provide them with the complex issues pertaining to client representation in Court. Mr. Walter was later promoted as the Attorney-Charge of the LAS’ Criminal Court Office the Bronx, New York, where he supervised between 30-35 lawyers, investigators and all support staff.

Mr. Walter left the LAS and entered private practice in Brooklyn,New York.. His main areas of practice have been in State and Federal criminal law as well as family law with an emphasis in contested custody issues. Joel has represented thousands of clients and has tried hundreds of cases to verdict in State and Federal Courts in and outside New York.

Mr Walter's major skill sets are in the areas of negotiation and trial work in the Criminal and Family Law arenas.

Education:

• Clark University, Worcester, Mass, B.A in History 1967
• SUNY Buffalo Law School, Juris Doctor in Law 1970

Bar Admissions:

• Appellate Division, First Department of New York
• The four Federal District Courts of New York (Southern, Eastern, Northern and Western)
• The Federal Second Circuit Court of Appeals

Organizations:

• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• New York Criminal Bar Association
• New York County Lawyers Association (member of the Criminal Law and Family Law sections)
• The Brooklyn Bar Association
• Board of Director: I CARE Foundation

Click here to contact New York Attorney Joel Walter.

Disclaimer: The content contained on this publicaton does not constitute legal advice of any kind. 

New York Attorney Joel Walter: I CARE Foundation Continues Effort To Recruit Attorneys To Join U.S. Department of State's 'Hague Convention Attorney Network'

I CARE Foundation Continues Recruitment Campaign: The U.S. Department of State Seeks Attorneys to Join The 'Hague Convention Attorney Network'

The I CARE Foundation continues its effort to assist The Department of State's Office of Children's Issues recruit lawyers interested in participating and assisting parents involved in international family law and child abduction cases to join the "Hague Convention Attorney Network". The Department of State's attorney network offers attorneys the opportunity to assist a child who has been abducted, but also offers a mentor program where lawyers with limited experience in the growing field of international family law can be mentored by some of the most skilled international family law attorneys in the nation. According to the I CARE Foundation, the surging growtih in the number of international child abductions and prevention cases in the United States and abroad has created a substantial need for more trained attorneys in the United States who are familiar with international family law.

• 

Peter Thomas Senese' CHASING THE CYCLONE

(PRWEB) 

The I CARE Foundation is urging lawyers interested in assisting the parents of children who have been internationally parentally abducted or who may be targets of international parental abduction to participate in the Department of State's "Hague Convention Attorney Network". The State Department's attorney network offers lawyers interested in joining the network with significant personal and professional opportunities, including the opportunity to increase their own skill-set and professional practice by being mentored by some of the nation's most experienced lawyers who practice international family law.

Joel S. Walter, an lawyer practicing in New York, a member of the I CARE Foundation, and a member of the Attorney Network said, "Having been involved in complex federal litigation cases for 40 years, I have to say that participating in the Department of State's "Hague Convention Attorney Network" has been extremely rewarding on a personal level because I am able to assist children who really need help. But there is another side to this for attorneys who practice or are interested in family law, and that is that the knowledge and experience you may gain by participating in the Department of State's attorney network is priceless. And for all lawyers, but particularly young lawyers starting out in their career, becoming an expert in an area is critical. As international abductions continue to rise to unthinkable numbers, there is a great need for skilled lawyers. How can an attorney gain this much needed experience? By participating in the "Hague Convention Attorney Network."

Unquestionably, international family law and the need for skilled and educated attorneys familiar with this area is growing substantially. In fact, there are over 1,640 'reported' cases of International Parental Child Abduction originating from the United States according to the last published report issued from the Department of State to Congress. This number has nearly tripled since 2006 according to a recent report issued by the Government Accountability Office's ("GAO") recommendation to create a airline screening list for American citizens considered by the courts to be high-risk child abductors. According to the recently published resource guide "The World Turned Upside Down" written by Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Vlk, the growth rate of international abduction is conservatively estimated to be at 20% per year. According to the publication, from 2009 to 2020, if growth rates continue there will be over 50,000 American children criminally abducted abroad. The same publication, as cited in the special report titled 'Crisis In America' cites that it is estimated that there could be between 50,000 and 75,000 unreported cased of international child abduction originating from the United States during the same period. Furthermore, the number of incoming cases originating from a foreign country to the United States has also increased at rates similar to outbound cases.

The anticipated case load does not include or forecast litigation involving international child abduction prevention litigation. I CARE Foundation director Peter Thomas Senese commented, "The number of international child abduction prevention cases that the foundation is involved with are significant and represent more cases than actual abduction cases - which on its own account are substantial and growing. Unquestionably, this is a growing field of law and there appears to be a shortage of qualified attorneys practicing in this arena I think primarily because society as a whole does not realize their is a severe epidemic before us."

The Office of Children's Issues in the U.S. Department of State serves as the U.S. Central Authority for the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (the "Convention"). The International Child Abduction Remedies Act ("ICARA"), establishes procedures for litigating Convention cases in the U.S. The U.S. Central Authority has numerous functions including facilitating the institution of judicial proceedings in the U.S. "with a view to obtaining the return of the child and, in a proper case, to make arrangements for organizing or securing the effective exercise of rights of access." In April of 2008, the U.S.Central Authority assumed the responsibility for all incoming cases, and overseeing a network of volunteer attorneys.

The "Attorney Network" provides critical assistance. Lawyers that join the "Attorney Network" are asked to consider taking Hague Convention return and access cases on a pro bono or reduced fee basis. There is never an obligation to take a case, and legal fees and expenses may be recoverable under the Convention's Article 26 and the implementing statute (42.U.S.C 11607), and under state law when state law remedies are pursued (e.g., UCCJEA). In addition, lawyers with and without Hague experience are welcome to join the Attorney Network, as the Attorney Network offers a host of information and mentor programs. In addition to incoming cases of abduction, attorneys can also represent parents in abduction prevention cases and outgoing abduction cases.

Patricia M. Lee, a Florida attorney practicing in the area of parental child abduction and a member of the I CARE Foundation states, “I feel privileged to have been a referral attorney for the implementing agency for many years of my private practice. The trauma experienced by victimized children and parents when faced with a child abduction, especially in the international arena, is overwhelming, primarily due to the lack of experienced attorneys, but also, due to the great financial burden, and cultural and language barriers. When they have nowhere else to turn and are so desperate, being able to help these people has been a rewarding experience personally, as well as professionally. It is worth every hour I have spent climbing the learning curve in this little known area of the law. OCI has always been responsive and helpful in the practicalities of dealing with clients living abroad, and the network of mentor attorneys available across the U.S., nothing short of a wealth of information and assistance. My experience in taking these cases has been humbling, to say the least, as I have seen the very best of my profession, which is too often the object of jokes and derision. I would encourage any attorney to join the Attorney Network.”

If you are a lawyer interested in finding out more about the Hague Convention Attorney Network, visithttp://www.travel.state.gov/childabduction and click “For Attorneys & Judges,” or write to HagueConventionAttorneyNetwork(at)state(dot)gov. To learn more about international parental child abduction please visit http://www.travel.state.gov/abduction. To receive an application to join the Attorney Network, please visithttp://travel.state.gov/pdf/AttorneyNetworkFlyer.pdf.

Disclaimer: The content contained on this publicaton does not constitute legal advice of any kind.