Queen Of England Honours Casa Alianza Director

Covenant House
Monday, 18 June 2001

Britain's Queen Elizabeth the Second, in her Birthday Honours List published today, has decorated Bruce Harris with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his life's work with children in Latin America.

Harris, 46, is the British Executive Director of the Latin American Programmes of Casa Alianza, a charity that provides both residential and non-residential services for more than 9,000 children each year in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Originally from the town of Wareham, in southern Dorset, Harris left England in 1975 and spent five years performing internationally with "Up With People", an international musical group. After obtaining his undergraduate and Masters degrees in the United States, Harris went to work for six years with the Save the Children Federation in Mexico and Bolivia. In 1989, Harris joined Casa Alianza, the Latin American branch of the New York based Covenant House, where he has been for the past 12 years.

British honours are awarded on merit, for exceptional achievement or service. Anybody can recommend a British national for an honour, which consist of life peerages, knighthoods, appointments to the Order of the British Empire and gallantry awards to servicemen and women and civilians.

The Queen, who awards the British honours on the basis of merit for exceptional achievement or service, chooses the recipients on the advice of the Prime Minister, to whom recommendations are sent either by government ministers or by members of the public. A date has not yet been set for the investiture ceremony normally held at Buckingham Palace.

Orders of the British Empire

King George V in 1917 created these honours during World War I to reward services to the war effort by civilians at home and servicemen in support positions. The orders are now awarded mainly to civilians and service personnel for public service or other distinctions and has a military and a civil division. Ranks in the Order are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GBE), Knight or Dame Commander (KBE or DBE), Commander (CBE), Officer (OBE) and Member (MBE).

"As a Brit, I am truly delighted to be recognized by Her Majesty. It has been a privilege to serve the children of Latin America and I hope that somehow we can continue to change this often inhumane world," commented Harris. "My work in Latin America is with a team of motivated people who realize that peace is not an object found by chance, but is the product of equality amongst all people, including the children."

For more information, or to contact Covenant House, see their website at: www.covenanthouse.org