Nonprofit Group Ready to Fight Domestic Abuse in Guatemala
ANTIGUA, Guatemala - Last year in Guatemala, only 2.5 of every 1000 domestic abuse reports resulted in conviction. A male-dominated culture and a corrupt and inefficient justice system combine with a staggering 75 percent poverty rate to create the perfect storm of violence against Guatemalan women.
The GOD'S CHILD Project, one of Guatemala's most respected and established nonprofit organizations, is ready to combat this grave injustice. Already assisting 8700 single or abandoned mothers and their dependents worldwide through a variety of educational, medical, social and legal services, The GOD'S CHILD Project is preparing to expand its legal department and create a new program to identify domestic abuse victims and bring their aggressors to justice.
Founded by North Dakota native Patrick Atkinson in 1991 to house and educate orphans of Guatemala's bloody civil war, The GOD'S CHILD Project has grown into a sweeping, visionary organization that spans five countries and affects nearly 14,000 of the world's poorest people. Always central to this vision has been encouraging the downtrodden to dream.
"It is only when dreaming of a better tomorrow that we are able to follow natural, civil and spiritual law," Atkinson said.
As a nation, Guatemala's lack of resources contributes to abysmal prosecution rates of these cases. Wide-scale government corruption is responsible for misallocating funds that would otherwise provide medical care, counseling and legal aid to victims of abuse.
Despite rampant corruption and a severe lack of resources, the largest problem facing Guatemala's legal system is chronic inefficiency and inaction. Domestic abuse cases, like the majority of the country's reported crimes, are rarely considered serious enough to investigate. In the rare cases that are investigated, the process is lengthy and typically ineffective. The national conviction rate for serious, violent crimes is one-tenth of 1 percent and even less for crimes not deemed 'serious.'
In addition to corruption, a culture steeped in machismo attitude dissuades the vast majority of women from even reporting domestic abuse in the first place. As is common in male-dominated cultures, Guatemalan women are viewed as second-class citizens and lack power both in the privacy of their homes and in the larger community.
The GOD'S CHILD Project plans to create a new department, complete with two lawyers specializing in domestic violence, a psychologist and a social worker. In its first year, the program aims to convict 15 aggressors, increasing the nation's conviction rate by a shocking 21 percent.
"It is a grave contradiction when we tell the girls and women in our organization that they have dignity when their basic human rights are being violated so grossly and regularly," Atkinson said.
The GOD'S CHILD Project is still seeking funding support for this department. To help, please contact Luke Armstrong at luke.armstrong@anaguatemala.org for more information.
About The GOD'S CHILD Project: The GOD'S CHILD Project is a registered 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to "Breaking the chains of poverty through education and formation." Since its founding by Patrick Atkinson in 1991, The GOD'S CHILD Project has grown into 12 distinct programs dedicated to creating sustainable and permanent change in the lives of the world's poorest people. To volunteer with The GOD'S CHILD Project or to make a donation, call 701-255-7956 or visit www.GodsChild.org.
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PR courtesy of Online PR News: http://www.onlineprnews.com
The GOD'S CHILD Project, one of Guatemala's most respected and established nonprofit organizations, is ready to combat this grave injustice. Already assisting 8700 single or abandoned mothers and their dependents worldwide through a variety of educational, medical, social and legal services, The GOD'S CHILD Project is preparing to expand its legal department and create a new program to identify domestic abuse victims and bring their aggressors to justice.
Founded by North Dakota native Patrick Atkinson in 1991 to house and educate orphans of Guatemala's bloody civil war, The GOD'S CHILD Project has grown into a sweeping, visionary organization that spans five countries and affects nearly 14,000 of the world's poorest people. Always central to this vision has been encouraging the downtrodden to dream.
"It is only when dreaming of a better tomorrow that we are able to follow natural, civil and spiritual law," Atkinson said.
As a nation, Guatemala's lack of resources contributes to abysmal prosecution rates of these cases. Wide-scale government corruption is responsible for misallocating funds that would otherwise provide medical care, counseling and legal aid to victims of abuse.
Despite rampant corruption and a severe lack of resources, the largest problem facing Guatemala's legal system is chronic inefficiency and inaction. Domestic abuse cases, like the majority of the country's reported crimes, are rarely considered serious enough to investigate. In the rare cases that are investigated, the process is lengthy and typically ineffective. The national conviction rate for serious, violent crimes is one-tenth of 1 percent and even less for crimes not deemed 'serious.'
In addition to corruption, a culture steeped in machismo attitude dissuades the vast majority of women from even reporting domestic abuse in the first place. As is common in male-dominated cultures, Guatemalan women are viewed as second-class citizens and lack power both in the privacy of their homes and in the larger community.
The GOD'S CHILD Project plans to create a new department, complete with two lawyers specializing in domestic violence, a psychologist and a social worker. In its first year, the program aims to convict 15 aggressors, increasing the nation's conviction rate by a shocking 21 percent.
"It is a grave contradiction when we tell the girls and women in our organization that they have dignity when their basic human rights are being violated so grossly and regularly," Atkinson said.
The GOD'S CHILD Project is still seeking funding support for this department. To help, please contact Luke Armstrong at luke.armstrong@anaguatemala.org for more information.
About The GOD'S CHILD Project: The GOD'S CHILD Project is a registered 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to "Breaking the chains of poverty through education and formation." Since its founding by Patrick Atkinson in 1991, The GOD'S CHILD Project has grown into 12 distinct programs dedicated to creating sustainable and permanent change in the lives of the world's poorest people. To volunteer with The GOD'S CHILD Project or to make a donation, call 701-255-7956 or visit www.GodsChild.org.
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PR courtesy of Online PR News: http://www.onlineprnews.com
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