Alexander McLean (born 1985) is a British activist,[1] humanitarian,[2] and lawyer.[3] He is the founder of Justice Defenders (formerly African Prisons Project, or APP), which is based in Uganda and seeks to improve the lives of people imprisoned in Africa.[1]
Alexander McLean | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1985 (age 38–39) |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | University of Nottingham, University of London |
| Known for | Founder of African Prisons Project |
Life and work edit
McLean was born in 1985[2] and grew up in the "southern outskirts of London."[4] His father is Jamaican and worked as a retired tool maker while his mother was from Surrey and worked for United Airways.[2] He has an older brother and sister.[2]
McLean attended Kingston Grammar School, having been awarded a scholarship.[2] At a young age, he became fascinated with social issues and the criminal justice system.[2][3] In his teens, he worked for a quadriplegic who suffered from multiple sclerosis and volunteered at a hospice.[2]
After high school, McLean visited Uganda to volunteer as a hospice worker[3] at the Mulago hospital in Kampala.[5] There, he was motivated to start Justice Defenders in 2007[6] after observing that prison inmates were not given proper medical care[2][7] and seeing the conditions at Luzira Upper Prison.[8] After coming back to the United Kingdom, McLean fund-raised to provide good health facilities and educate inmates in Ugandan prisons about the law, beginning the organization.[6][9]
McLean attended the University of Nottingham, graduating in 2007.[1] He was the first in his family to earn a university degree.[4] After graduation, he moved to Kampala, where he created a team of local and international staff and volunteers with the goal of professionalizing the African Prisons Project and increasing its impact.[1]
McLean studied at the University of London by correspondence, receiving a Master of Laws in 2009 and being called to the bar of England and Wales in 2010.[1]
Honors and awards edit
- UK Charity Volunteer of the Year 2006[1]
- UK Young Philanthropist of the Year 2007[1]
- Overall Winner, Beacon Prize for Philanthropy 2007[1]
- University of Nottingham Alumni of the Year 2007[1]
- UK Graduate of the Year 2007[1]
- Winner, Vodafone World of Difference Prize 2008[1]
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (2008)[1]
- Ashoka Fellow[1][4]
- Time Top 30 Under 30[10]
- Grinnell College Innovator for Social Justice Prize 2020
- Qatar Foundation WISE Award 2020
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Alexander McLean | TED Fellow | TED.com". www.ted.com. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Williams, Sally (8 April 2011). "An English prison reformer in Kampala". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ a b c "How African prisoners are learning to fight for their own rights". ideas.ted.com. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ a b c "Alexander McLean | Ashoka United Kingdom". uk.ashoka.org. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ "Giving prisoners a break | On the Up". www.ontheup.org.uk. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ a b Batist, Danielle. "Unlocking potential – inmates study their way out of African prisons : January 2015 : Contributoria - people supporting journalism". www.contributoria.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ Standard, Pacific (2 April 2015). "The 30 Top Thinkers Under 30: The Non-Profit Founder Who Advocates Surrounding Yourself With… — Pacific Standard". Medium. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ "African Prisons Project - The Rumi Foundation". The Rumi Foundation. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ admin (26 August 2014). "From forgotten prisoner to University graduate". Virgin. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
- ^ Begley, Sarah. "These Are the 30 People Under 30 Changing the World". Time. Retrieved 29 May 2016.