Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Peter Thomas Senese: Helping Children

                                                           


Best-selling author Peter Thomas Senese
As a board member of the I CARE Foundation, I take great pride in being able to have played a major role in helping a large number of children who were previously internationally abducted reunite with their targeted parent and family as well as helping an even larger number of parents protect their children from being internationally kidnapped.

It is not easy. 

In reality, the deck is stacked against any parent trying to reunite with a child or prevent a child from disappearing overseas. 


Chasing The Cyclone
Helping children from being internationally abducted or reunited with their targeted parent and family has been a goal of mine ever since I was unexpectedly forced to race into the nightmarish storms of international parental child abduction that is the basis of my novel 'Chasing The Cyclone' critics all around the world have been very generous to speak of. In fact, my committment was much more than a goal: it was a promise I made to the God I believe in that one day I would stand to help others who face the same unthinkable storms of abduction my child and I faced.

At that time that my journey into the world of abduction began, I had never even heard of the collective words 'international parental child abduction' or the 'Hague Convention'.

I sure know of them now.

But words and desires alone do no make a difference. Action makes a difference. Committment makes a difference. Standing unbowed in the face of deterents makes a difference. And acting in goodness to help others who cannot help themselves makes a difference.


The  I CARE Foundation
Paying close attention to action, committment, determination, and in goodness, more than a few miracles on behalf of children have been created. Many children have been rescued. Many more children will escape the chains of international kidnapping. And many, many more children will be protected and never be taken.

These words of appreciation and insight shared by other parents who I and the not-for-profit I CARE Foundation I am the Founding Director of mean a great deal to me.  They serve as a reminder of what can do and what must be done to protect children (Click here to review sworn testimonial letters about how Peter Thomas Senese has helped children):


 EP, whose child was abducted to the Ivory Coast eight years ago spoke of the miracle Peter Thomas Senese created, “On January 16th, 2012, I received a telephone call from Peter Thomas Senese. He said to me that my son was on an airplane 30,000 feet high over Africa and on his way home to the United States . As for Peter Thomas Senese, what can I say about this incredible man who led the efforts on all fronts to rescue my son? He asked for nothing other than for me to help others one day when my child was home, he provided financial support, emotional support, and all the necessary legal support required. I will be forever grateful to Peter Thomas Senese and the I CARE Foundation for the selfless acts and considerable kindness.”

TD, whose child was abducted to Nigeria added of the miracle Peter Thomas Senese also created, “On March 22nd, 2012 my toddler son was kidnapped from Colorado to Nigeria. All appeared hopeless. Nigeria is not a member of nay foreign treaty, there was very little the U.S. government could do to help me in Nigeria. Very few children have ever been returned to America from Africa. I eventually contacted Peter Thomas Senese, as he is well-respected in the area of IPCA, who told me, “You need to be patient, but we will get your son home.” His words were simply not words. On June 11th, 2012 at approximately 10:15 p.m. while standing inside the Denver International Airport, I held my son in my arms! My son was back home, in America, just like Mr. Senese said he would be.  Peter Thomas Senese has given so much to my family. God Bless you Peter for all you have done for me and my family.”

CF stated, “I found myself a young mom alone facing a terrifying life threatening cancer fight while also desperately trying to find and bring home my abducted son. There is no question in my mind that without Peter’s assistance I would have lost my son. From bringing on an overseeing the investigations to attorneys needed to help me, to staying in consistent contact with me every step of the way during a very complex process, Peter’s incredible actions bespeak of his unquestionable kindness, caring, compassion, and what is right about this world. He never asked me for anything, but gave and gave and gave . . . And at 4:35 a.m. on a Friday morning standing next to me at the airport as my son was taken off a flight and [held] into my loving arms, was Peter Thomas Senese. As far as Peter Thomas Senese is concerned, he is an incredible man. He is direct, honest, loyal, compassionate, and made an enormous difference in my and my family’s life. Without him, not only would I not have reunited with my abducted son . . . I prayed to God for help and a miracle. God answered. I am forever thankful to my friend Peter Thomas Senese and all he has done for me and my family.”

AB said, “Chasing The Cyclone and Peter Thomas Senese have assisted me and my family significantly in protecting my daughters from being parentally abducted to Saudi Arabia, where women like myself have no rights. If my children were abducted there, I would never see them again. Today, I sleep a little better due to the incredible efforts of Peter Thomas Senese. Knowing Mr. Senese has helped ensure my children’s safety and has helped protect us from Chasing The Cyclone of international child abduction. Along the way, he has never asked for anything.”

MR. said, “Unequivocally, Peter Thomas Senese is a tremendous person of great honor and integrity, he acts selflessly on behalf of children all across the globe, he is honest, sincere, unbowed, and willing to stand up against those that act against others. My abducted child is coming home, finally after all these years, in no small way because of the great assistance I received from Peter Thomas Senese.”

TP, a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy (reserve) and a mother said, “Mr. Senese has assisted me during legal proceedings I have initiated in order to prevent my at-risk daughter from being abducted to Brazil . . . Chasing The Cyclone as a matter-of-fact guide as to the risk factors that may indicate an abduction and legal steps to take in order to prevent this from happening. Mr. Senese’s work and network continue to protect my daughter and other targeted children.”

Of course, when you are dealing with defending against international parental child abduction, the kidnapper or those working with the abductor are not going to be very happy to know that abduction prevention advocates such as myself and the I CARE Foundation team who possess a strong track record of assisting children are acting to stop their illicit and abusive act.  So, part of the turf in working tirelessly to protect children from being abducted or rescuing kidnapped children is that child abusing abductors will attempt to discredit me and the I CARE Foundation team. There efforts will have no bearing on our highly dedicated foundation: we will continue to act to stop child abduction and whenever possible, legally assist a parent in their heroic effort to reunite with their stolen child or children


                                                          The I CARE Foundation

A great deal of the goals I have set out to achieve have been connected to the I CARE Foundation.

For those of you who are not aware of the I CARE Foundation, we are a not-for-profit organization that  has gradually become a visible stakeholder in the world of international parental child abduction prevention and reunification with a large and growing list of impressive accomplishments. 
The accomplishments of the I CARE Foundation include assisting in numerous LEGAL international child abduction recoveries and reunification, heavily participated in exponentially more successful acts to prevent abduction from occurring, our ongoing groundbreaking research in the area of international child abduction and trafficking has provided new, accurate, and insightful information as to the severity of the global epidemic society as a whole has before it, our comprehensive and expansive reporting of our research findings has led other stakeholders to protect numerous children from abduction while allowing us to significantly advance our legislative initiatives, some of which have either already become law or agency policy, while legislative initiatives are moving forward in a manner we could hope for.  Additionally, we continue to build a national network of pro bono lawyers who participate in the U.S. Department of State's 'Hague Convention Attorney Network', while nearing completion for the first-ever international child abduction case law data base.  

One last thing: as some of you may know, I have donated 100% of all of my publishing earnings to the I CARE Foundation in order to help try to recover children who have been abducted.  So, if you're interested in reading any of my novels such as Chasing The Cyclone, The Den of the Assassin, Cloing Christ, or War on Wall Street, know that your purchase will be directed to making a difference for children.

For more information about the I CARE Foundation please feel free to send an email to mediarelations@stopchildabduction.org.