Press Release

Launch of Guatemalan Adoptee Futures Lab on World Futures Day

March 1, 2024 – The Guatemalan Adoptee Futures Lab (GAFL), a pioneering initiative founded by a Guatemala adoptee and futurist, commemorates World Futures Day by launching the first and only futures lab of its kind. Created by amalia deloney, the GAFL leverages the unique perspectives of Guatemalan adoptees to reimagine concepts of family, nationality, citizenship, and belonging.

The Lab will use participatory futures methods that draw on the lived experiences of the approximately 50,000 children who were adopted out of Guatemala, many of whom are now adults. By envisioning futures that prioritize holistic, transformative and regenerative methods, the Lab seeks to redefine belonging for all Guatemalans, with adoptees from across the diaspora at the center. 

“We are at a critical juncture where reimagining belonging and identity is not only possible but necessary,” said amalia deloney, GAFL founder. “This requires challenging traditional notions of family, kinship, language, culture, and place that exclude. Now more than ever, we need new tools, technologies, and approaches that can help us to develop safe spaces for dreaming and discovery. Our lab will serve as a catalyst for this work, enabling Guatemalan adoptees to create new models of belonging across geography and generation, while also advancing a shared vision for more inclusive and equitable futures for all Guatemalans.”

The Lab will host its first gathering in May 2024 at the Adoptees With Guatemalan Roots annual conference in Chicago. Additional virtual events will be held throughout the year, aimed at including voices outside the United States. 

The Guatemalan Adoptee Futures Lab is a fiscally sponsored project of Adoptees With Guatemalan Roots (AWGR), a non-profit organization based in the US. “As the first nonprofit created by and for Guatemalan Adoptees, we are proud to host the first futures lab gathering at our annual conference,” said Kendal Zekus, Executive Director of AWGR. “Adoptees thinking about a future for all Guatemalans is a historic moment and marks a shift in our leadership.”  Ben Fossen, Board Chair, added, “AWGR is proud to be the fiscal sponsor of this important project. As our community ages, we are looking for new ways to connect with Guatemala–and creating a future that acknowledges our experiences of being Guatemalan is essential. We are not only imagining a future for Guatemalans, we are actively building it.”

For further details on the Lab’s initiatives and how to get involved, visit: www.guatefutures.org

Contact
Guatemalan Adoptee Futures Lab
Email:  [email protected]
Website: www.guatefutures.org