What does paused international aid mean for ASJ?

Something Worth Waiting For

Will you walk with us for a more just society?

The beauty of doing justice in community

What I've Been Thinking About the Past Week

Loving Our Neighbor in Public

Our mission to seek justice for those who are in the most vulnerable circumstances in Honduras has led us to work in education, specifically on the strengthening of the public education system. There are 2 million kids in Honduras who depend on the public education system. For many years, we have been working with local community members to audit government services so we know what needs to be fixed and bring about institutional change in favor of Honduran children. We continue to empower our Honduran brothers and sisters, and we continue to walk alongside them as we advocate for a more just education system in Honduras.

January- May 2024

Dear Friend,  When I started as Executive Director at ASJ-US last October, I had many questions. How do I print to the office printer? What’s that password? Where’s the office coffee pot? What’s that password again? With a little over six months on the job now, I’ve had a lot of these early questions answered (blessedly, I found the coffee pot right away). There is one question, though, that I’ve become fixated on: What might Honduras look like 25 years from now because of the work of ASJ? It’s a big question. Sometimes, my present feels so full that it’s hard enough to even imagine what’s for dinner. But with some effort and creativity, I can catch glimpses of what this future can look like.

English ASJ-US calls for the Honduran government to protect and promote a strong civil society. ASJ-US expresses concern over continuing and escalating intimidation against non-governmental organizations that advocate for effective and transparent governance. In particular, it calls attention to attacks against ASJ-Honduras following the release of Transparency International’s annual report on the perception of corruption, which disclosed the country's stagnation in the fight against corruption, lack of accountability and high impunity. For over twenty five years, ASJ-US has supported ASJ-Honduras’s work on behalf of the most vulnerable Hondurans. Inspired by the commitment of brave Hondurans to advocate for justice, ASJ-US has provided financial support, including the full funding for ASJ-Honduras’s offices that opened in 2020. ASJ-US will continue to stand beside ASJ-Honduras’s work identifying areas needing improved government accountability and solutions to bring about that accountability. The independent and non-partisan monitoring and advocacy provided by ASJ-Honduras and Transparency International are essential to protect the interests of the Honduran people. Attacks and restrictions on civil society organization stifle the robust dialogue and engagement of the Honduran people essential to ensure a transparent government that meets the needs of the electorate. ASJ-US calls on the Honduran government to work with ASJ-Honduras to address the public’s concerns about impunity and corruption identified in the Transparency International report. Español ASJ-US pide al gobierno hondureño que proteja y promueva una sociedad civil fuerte. ASJ-US expresa su preocupación por la continua y creciente intimidación contra las organizaciones no gubernamentales que abogan por una gobernanza eficaz y transparente. En particular, llama la atención sobre los ataques contra ASJ-Honduras tras la publicación del informe anual de Transparencia Internacional sobre la percepción de la corrupción, que reveló el estancamiento del país en la lucha anticorrupción, rendición de cuentas y alta impunidad. Durante más de veinticinco años, ASJ-US ha apoyado el trabajo de ASJ-Honduras a favor de los hondureños más vulnerables. Inspirados por el compromiso de los valientes hondureños quienes abogan por la justicia, ASJ-US ha proporcionado apoyo financiero, incluyendo el financiamiento completo de las oficinas de ASJ-Honduras que se abrieron en 2020. ASJ-US continuará al lado del trabajo de ASJ-Honduras identificando áreas que necesitan una mejor rendición de cuentas del gobierno y soluciones para lograr esa rendición de cuentas. El monitoreo independiente y no partidista y la incidencia que proporcionan ASJ-Honduras y Transparencia Internacional son esenciales para proteger los intereses del pueblo hondureño. Los ataques y las restricciones a las organizaciones de la sociedad civil ahogan el diálogo sólido y la participación del pueblo hondureño necesarios para garantizar un gobierno transparente que satisfaga las necesidades del electorado. ASJ-US hace un llamado al gobierno hondureño para que colabore con ASJ-Honduras a fin de abordar las preocupaciones de la población sobre la impunidad y la corrupción identificadas en el informe de Transparencia Internacional.

On January 30th, 2024, ASJ unexpectedly became the target of a ferocious attack by the Honduran government—an attack that is escalating and has put ASJ and our staff at risk. I am writing to ask you to raise your voice in prayer, support, and advocacy as we determine how to best respond to this situation while continuing to work for justice in Honduras. The Situation: ASJ has the honor of being the Honduran chapter of Transparency International (TI), which produces the most influential corruption index in the world. On Tuesday, January 30, ASJ held a press conference to share Honduras’ ranking in the index published by TI early that morning (Honduras' rank had stayed the same as the previous year--154th out of 180 countries). Government officials, furious that Honduras’ ranking had not improved, immediately began to threaten ASJ and our staff in the media. First, the president of Congress, in his opening session of the year, said that “there would be consequences” for ASJ’s report. An hour later, another high-level official warned that “ASJ’s days are numbered.” On Wednesday, the minister of transparency announced that government authorities “would definitely be taking legal action against ASJ.” This is certainly not the first time that ASJ has been attacked and threatened for speaking up and telling the truth. We know from long experience that doing justice makes those who abuse their power angry. But this is the first time these attacks are coming directly from the Honduran government, which has the power to use legal and physical force to intimidate and silence its critics and seems increasingly willing to do so. The government’s threats are a stark example of the threats to democracy that are increasing around the world. We are taking these threats seriously and doing everything we can to ensure that our justice work continues uninterrupted. My friend and co-director, Carlos Hernandez, reminds us often that “Truth has power.” At ASJ we are committed to telling the truth —through our investigations and our press conferences. It is how we carry out God’s call to do justice for those most vulnerable, and it is not negotiable. But we know we cannot do this alone, especially in these moments. Our staff is always encouraged and sustained by the knowledge that thousands of people around the world care about what happens in Honduras and walk alongside them as they do this difficult work. Here are three ways you can stand with us today: Pray for wisdom as we respond to this threat, for the safety of our staff, and for a path forward as we continue our work. Sign up for prayer alerts here . Support us financially as we increase security measures in Honduras to make sure our staff stays safe during this volatile time. Call your congressional representative to tell them what is happening and urge them to speak out against the attacks against ASJ and against the Honduran government's increasing disregard for democratic rule. You can enter your zip code here to find your representative's office phone number. Feel free to use this script as a guide: My name is [NAME], and I am a constituent from [CITY]. I’m calling to tell you about very concerning attacks on a civil society organization that I support in Honduras called the Association for a More Just Society. Simply for publishing an independent report on corruption in the country, they are now being threatened and attacked by the Honduran government. Please do all you can to speak out against this abuse of power and to support civil society—in Honduras and around the world. Thank you for standing with us!

Throughout our anniversary week, staff and board members from ASJ Honduras, the US, and Canada came together in person and remotely to celebrate and encourage each other. The work ahead of us will not be easy, but we know there is a great cloud of brave witnesses who support us and a faithful God who sustains us. While some sat together and others showed supporting posters and balloons through a computer screen, one uniting declaration resounded beyond all barriers: “Ebenezer! Thus far, the LORD has helped us.”

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am thrilled to announce that Rev. Kyle Meyaard-Schaap has been named the new Executive Director of ASJ-US. Kyle is a passionate, thoughtful justice seeker who has demonstrated strong leadership skills, deep advocacy experience, and a relationship-oriented way of being. We welcome Kyle to this position this week. Kyle was selected following a 6-month international search process led by the board, and he will be the third Executive Director in ASJ-US history. We are confident in his ability to embody our mission to strive to be brave Christians dedicated to doing justice in Honduras and inspiring others around the world to seek justice in their own contexts. ASJ co-founder Kurt VerBeek said “Jo Ann and I are really excited to have Kyle join the ASJ team! Kyle is gifted and experienced in many key areas and we know he will bring new perspectives and creativity to our team that will help us all to better carry out ASJ’s mission to do justice in Honduras. Hang on to your hat, Kyle! It’s going to be a wild and amazing ride!” Kyle and his wife began supporting ASJ in 2010 after they both traveled to Honduras together and were first exposed to the work ASJ was doing to make systems of health, education, and security work for the most vulnerable. A graduate of Calvin University and Western Theological Seminary, Kyle has been working for eleven years on educating and mobilizing Christians toward doing justice, with a particular focus on environmental and climate justice. His first book published earlier this year, Following Jesus in a Warming World: A Christian Call to Climate Action, is a Christian call to justice. His ability to communicate clear action that is rooted in a deep biblical understanding of the world is one of the reasons we are thrilled to have him join ASJ in creating a more just society in Honduras. Kyle lives in Grand Rapids, MI with his wife Allison, and two sons. Kyle said "I've admired the work of ASJ since I learned about it as a student at Calvin. God's kingdom of justice and peace has been breaking out all over Honduras for the last 25 years thanks to the brave and faithful efforts of ASJ. I am honored and humbled to join this incredible team as the next Executive Director of ASJ-US. Here's to the next 25 years and more of even more justice!" Please join us in giving Kyle a warm ‘ bienvenida ’ welcome to ASJ !  Russ Jacobs President, ASJ-US Board of Directors Association for a More Just Society

An announcement from ASJ-US Board President, Russ Jacobs

This December we wanted to share an advent reflection about the tension of hope.

The U.S. government's extradition request of former President Hernandez shows the urgency of taking action for justice

We give thanks for miraculous moments—good coming out of Honduras.

ASJ-US announces the winners of its first justice essay writing contest.