For Immediate Release
February 11, 2009
IKAA MINI-GATHERING NEW YORK 2009
The Global Korean Adoptee Community To Convene in New York City
NEW YORK, New York - Also-Known-As, Inc. will host the next International Korean Adoptee Associations Network (IKAA) Mini-Gathering of adult Korean adoptees, scheduled to take place from April 16-19, 2009 in New York City, New York. This will mark the 15th conference of this kind, furthering efforts to unite the international population of adult adoptees while forging bridges with our local communities.
Continuing the success of earlier large-scale Gatherings in Washington D.C. (1999), Oslo, Norway (2001) and Seoul, Korea (2004, 2007), the most recent of which garnered an impressive attendance of over 600 participants, the IKAA Mini-Gathering New York expects an international attendance of over 200 persons from more than 10 different countries. The culture of New York City is that of vibrant diversity, and is representative of the multi-cultural nature of the international adoptee community.
The IKAA Mini-Gathering New York will bring together adoptee associations from all over the United States and Europe, for the largest international leadership meeting to-date. The conference program will include presentations and workshops, co-hosted by Boston Korean Adoptees, Inc., that reflect the extensive and varied perspectives and experiences of the Korean adoptee community, led by individuals and small groups. There will also be Korean cooking classes led by Executive Chef and Owner of Persimmon Kimchi House, Youngsun Lee, and a gala dinner at Kum Gang San Restaurant in Flushing, Queens.
Also-Known-As, Inc. was founded in early 1996 out of a desire to create an organization that recognized and celebrated the community of people whose lives, through adoption, bridge nations, cultures and races, and a network that acknowledged the invaluable resource and experience of adult intercountry adoptees. Over the years, programs have expanded to include not only the experiences of Korean-born intercountry adoptees and families, but all families created by intercountry adoption and the unique experiences of transcultured people seeking to share the human experiences of adoption. Also-Known-As, Inc. is run by an entirely volunteer board of directors, currently has over 500 members and has been a member association of the IKAA Network since its inception.
Formally established in 2004, IKAA is the largest existing network of international Korean adoptees, reaching out to thousands worldwide. All IKAA associations are well established within their respective communities, organizing regular events and activities, and have an organizational structure and membership comprised almost entirely of adult adoptees.
The mission of the IKAA Network is to enrich the global adoption community, promote the sharing of information and resources between adult adoptee associations, strengthen cross-cultural relations and innovate post-adoption services for the broader international adoptee community.
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For further information please check out: www.ikaa.org or sign up for the IKAA newsletter: info@ikaa.org (subject line: newsletter).
