Defender analysis
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Bruce Campbell Harris was the executive director of Casa Alianza. Casa Alianza is Spanish for one of America’s largest privately funded child care agency, in English this organization is known as the “Latin American Programs for Covenant House”. Casa is the defender’s non-profit organization. It is a charity in which aims for the rehabilitation and the defense of homeless children. This organization was first set up in Guatemala in 1981, then in Honduras and Mexico in 1986, and Nicaragua in 1988. Casa Alianza provides a range of services to children such as legal aid services and care for over 12,000 children in a year. On the webpage, www.casa-alianza.org, the organization quotes as “The Latin American arm of Covenant house International and shares the same mission of serving homeless, abandoned, trafficked and exploited youth.”, precisely defending Children Rights.
Harris grew up in Dorset, he had a major in International Studies and joined Save the Children as a volunteer, in 1989 he became director of Casa Alianza. Throughout his career he face many dangers and was given many awards. In 1993 he had to flee with his family from Guatemala when he was threatened by police forces because he was working after police who violated children’s rights and promoted the torture of homeless children. Bruce personally led the campaign in Guatemala against the police for their uses of murder and torture to the homeless kids, “more than 420 judicial cases were initiated against police officers and others in Guatemala suspected of committing these and other offenses against local street kids. “(www.speaktruth.org/defend/profiles/profile_03.asp, Bruce Harris Bibliography) In 2000, Casa Alianza’s work was awarded by the Conrad Hilton Humanitarian prize of US $1,000,000 – the largest humanist prize in history. Bruce Harris was also awarded for other awards such as the Olof Palme Prize, 1999 International award for Human Rights, and he was also captured by the media, he was also profiled by huge media companies such as CNN, ABC News, NBC etc. However, Harris would not be the Executive Director after a few years.
Harris grew up in Dorset, he had a major in International Studies and joined Save the Children as a volunteer, in 1989 he became director of Casa Alianza. Throughout his career he face many dangers and was given many awards. In 1993 he had to flee with his family from Guatemala when he was threatened by police forces because he was working after police who violated children’s rights and promoted the torture of homeless children. Bruce personally led the campaign in Guatemala against the police for their uses of murder and torture to the homeless kids, “more than 420 judicial cases were initiated against police officers and others in Guatemala suspected of committing these and other offenses against local street kids. “(www.speaktruth.org/defend/profiles/profile_03.asp, Bruce Harris Bibliography) In 2000, Casa Alianza’s work was awarded by the Conrad Hilton Humanitarian prize of US $1,000,000 – the largest humanist prize in history. Bruce Harris was also awarded for other awards such as the Olof Palme Prize, 1999 International award for Human Rights, and he was also captured by the media, he was also profiled by huge media companies such as CNN, ABC News, NBC etc. However, Harris would not be the Executive Director after a few years.
ALTERNATE PERSPECTIVES
Violations against children is a global issue that various organizations or governmental organizations try to defend against. There are other organizations with the same goal as Casa Alianza, the non-profit organization in Guatemala. Other organizations and activists have the same approach to Children's Rights similar to the Casa Alianza organization, although they each vary through actions taken. Activist Craig Kielburger, The Child Welfare League of Canada, and the Watchlist (NGO) all share the same goals as Casa Alianza, they all strive to end violations against children.
Activist Craig Kielburger is a Canadian activist for Children's Rights. He is the founder of the non-profit organization(s) Free the Children and the founder of Me to We. Free The Children is an international organization that has 45 countries participating in helping the world become a better place. Through the leaders of countries, Craig Kielburger addresses Children's Rights issues to the media in order to obtain attention from the government. Through media attention Free the Children began to receive international attention and also partnered up with Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network. Similar to Casa Alianza's housing and care for the violated children, Free the Children has built over 650 schools and school rooms and imposed projects in 45 developing countries through the idea of "children helping children."
Similar to Casa Alianza and Craig Kielburger's organizations, The Child Welfare League of Canada is a national organization with over 115 members all over Canada, this organization also presents representation at the federal level in Canada. However, The Child Welfare League of Canada is a member-organization, the members are provided with services of receiving provincial/territorial ministries of child and family services, health and social services, youth services and federal government departments, and services of child and family service agencies.Membership and services are open to all persons in Canada. Through The Child Welfare League of Canada over a million families and children are served each year, through service provided to families and children the organization spreads awareness and federal support in behalf of children and youth.
The Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict is a global network of national and international non-governmental organizations which strives to end violations against children in armed conflicts and to guarantee their rights. This organization partners up with other organizations similar to Casa Alianza, Free the Children, and The Child Welfare League of Canada. Through partnership, the Watchlist (NGO) provides critical, timely and reliable information on violations against children in situations of armed conflict. The information provided by this organization can be used to prosecute and defend children on a judicial level. This organization can be compared to as the CIA, the intel of the government and the partnership of other organizations can be compared as the FBI and government acting upon the crime(s). Through this organization, non-profit Children Right programs such as Casa Alianza, Free the Children, The Child Welfare League of Canada, and other organizations that defend Children's Rights have reports and intel on children.
Activist Craig Kielburger is a Canadian activist for Children's Rights. He is the founder of the non-profit organization(s) Free the Children and the founder of Me to We. Free The Children is an international organization that has 45 countries participating in helping the world become a better place. Through the leaders of countries, Craig Kielburger addresses Children's Rights issues to the media in order to obtain attention from the government. Through media attention Free the Children began to receive international attention and also partnered up with Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network. Similar to Casa Alianza's housing and care for the violated children, Free the Children has built over 650 schools and school rooms and imposed projects in 45 developing countries through the idea of "children helping children."
Similar to Casa Alianza and Craig Kielburger's organizations, The Child Welfare League of Canada is a national organization with over 115 members all over Canada, this organization also presents representation at the federal level in Canada. However, The Child Welfare League of Canada is a member-organization, the members are provided with services of receiving provincial/territorial ministries of child and family services, health and social services, youth services and federal government departments, and services of child and family service agencies.Membership and services are open to all persons in Canada. Through The Child Welfare League of Canada over a million families and children are served each year, through service provided to families and children the organization spreads awareness and federal support in behalf of children and youth.
The Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict is a global network of national and international non-governmental organizations which strives to end violations against children in armed conflicts and to guarantee their rights. This organization partners up with other organizations similar to Casa Alianza, Free the Children, and The Child Welfare League of Canada. Through partnership, the Watchlist (NGO) provides critical, timely and reliable information on violations against children in situations of armed conflict. The information provided by this organization can be used to prosecute and defend children on a judicial level. This organization can be compared to as the CIA, the intel of the government and the partnership of other organizations can be compared as the FBI and government acting upon the crime(s). Through this organization, non-profit Children Right programs such as Casa Alianza, Free the Children, The Child Welfare League of Canada, and other organizations that defend Children's Rights have reports and intel on children.
Click on the logo to be redirected to the organization's webpage