Alberto
Making changes
Introduction to Alberto
Alberto is 15 years old and lives with his mom and dad. He has one sister and one brother, both older than him. His brother dropped out of school to join the police force.
where he lives
Alberto lives in Bogota, but not the city. He lives in the part of Bogota that's in the country. His older brother is being held captive in the jungles in Mitu. His house is one of the nice ones so his family is very fortunate.
Enviorment
Alberto has a very good relationship with his family. They are all very supportive and care about each other. Unlike some of the other families in the area, they were really close. Alberto knew someone from school that was being abused, luckily his family was nothing like that.They were crying for days when they found out about Hernando's kidnapping. They even kept in contact with Hernando after his kidnapping. They waited for hours, to send him messages on the radio, they sent him countless letters, and received some letters from him. Alberto's friends from school were also very supportive, even though Alberto distanced himself from them after Hernando was taken captive.
The Cause to Act
Alberto's family got news that all the police on duty at the time of an attack, had been killed. At first they didn't know whether or not Alberto's brother, Hernando, was on duty at the time. Later they found out was taken hostage by FARC (The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia), and not killed. He had already been interested in promoting peace, but his brother's kidnapping just made him want to do even more. He even started teaching some peace seminars at his school. Even though he was discouraged by his teachers, he kept teaching them, and lots of students turned out to be interested. His brother encouraged him to keep trying o make change, even though their only contact was through letters.
what alberto did for change
Alberto's always wanted to make a difference. He joined the Colombian Red Cross when he was 10 years old. He was a "multiplier" which means he taught other people about how they can help make peace, and change in Colombia. He set up a peace project, and taught seminars at different schools. When a girl was being abused at home, he helped her classmates understand what that was like, and made her school life better. He said he believed that everyone could help make change, and peace, even if they were just children.
What Alberto Hopes For
One of the things that Alberto hopes for, is that his brother will finally be released. Another thing that Alberto hopes for is that other people will learn from his seminars, and they will start to spread peace too. Since his brother's been kidnapped, he's seen that violence and force isn't working, and wants other people to spread peace. He believes that children can help too, so he especially wants children to get involved.