Adoption Dialogue Series 6: Having Adopted: Concerns, Difficulties and Love
The Adoption Dialogue was set up by The Mothers’ Bridge of Love in 2024 with the aim of helping international Chinese adoptees and adoptive families communicate with each other, raise social awareness around adoption, and support other adoptees and adoptive families across the world. Previously, we have successfully collaborated with Canada, the United States, Norway, and the United Kingdom to hold multiple adoption forums.
In 2025, this series of events revolves around adoption healing. We hope to highlight real, personal experiences and feelings from adoptees and adoptive families and connect people through sharing and healing together.
MBL Adoption Dialogue Event Overview:
Series 1 (January 2024)
The Mothers’ Bridge of Love & Asian Adoptees of Canada (Canada)—Q&A with Author Xinran
Series 2 (June 2024)
The Mothers’ Bridge of Love & International Child Search Alliance (the United States) + Hong Kong Adoptee—Birth Family Searching, Adoption Documents Consultation, Q&A with Chinese Adoptees
Series 3 (September 2024)
The Mothers’ Bridge of Love & Kinaforeningen i Norge (Norway) + Writer of Adoptert Fra Kina—Dialogue about Adoption
Series 4 (December 2024)
The Mothers’ Bridge of Love & Chinese Adoptees from the UK and Canada—How Are We? Lived Lives, Inner Realities, and Personal Experiences of Being Adopted
Series 5 (March 2025)
The Mothers’ Bridge of Love & Chinese Adoptees from the US and the UK—Being Adopted: Difficulties, Struggles, and Hope
This event features the inner realities of adoptees as they grew up. Two guest speakers from the UK and the US shared their experiences and advocated for greater awareness of the challenges faced by adoptees, especially during their teenage years. The stories shared deeply resonated with many adoptees and adoptive families.
Series 6 (June 2025)
The Mothers’ Bridge of Love & Adoptive Mothers from Canada and Italy/the UK—Having Adopted: Concerns, Difficulties, and Love
This event will focus on adoptive parents—whose experiences and stories are often overlooked in discussions around adoption from China. We ask: for someone who has adopted a child from the other side of the world, what inner realities have they experienced? In this event, we will invite two adoptive mothers from Italy/the UK and Canada to discuss the concerns and difficulties faced by many adoptive parents around the world, as well as their determination and strength.
The Mothers’ Bridge of Love
Adoption Dialogue (Series 6)
THEME—Having Adopted: Concerns, Difficulties, and Love
GUEST SPEAKERS: Patrizia Brown (adoptive mother from Italy/the UK) & Nikki Rottenberg (adoptive mother from Canada)
GUEST—Patrizia is the adoptive mother of a 15-year-old daughter from Zhejiang, China. Her daughter was adopted at 2 years and 2 months old. Originally from Italy, Patrizia has lived in the UK for all of her adult life. She is married and also has a grown-up biological son, giving her the opportunity to experience both forms of parenting.
GUEST—Nikki is an adoptive mother from Canada. She is a writer and speaker.
HOST—Siwei was adopted from Gansu, China and raised in Northwest China. She is currently pursuing her PhD at SOAS, University of London. She is the founder and director of a grass-root initiative in China promoting gender equality.
EVENT PROGRAM:
Opening remarks
Introduction to MBL and the Adoption Dialogue
Story sharing by guest speakers
Q&A and open discussion
Introduction to MBL’s program designed for Chinese adoptees seeking to reconnect with their roots in China
Closing remarks
Date & Time: June 29 2025, 20:00 (UK Time)
15:00 US/Canada East, 12:00 US/Canada West，03:00 China June 30, 05:00 Australia (Sydney) June 30
Venue: Zoom Meeting
Join Zoom Meeting: https://brookes.zoom.us/j/85768121493
Meeting ID: 857 6812 1493
No password needed
The event will be conducted primarily in English, with simultaneous interpretation provided in Chinese.