Stopping Violence Before It Starts

October 29, 2015

A visit to any prison in Honduras will leave the faces of hundreds of young men burned in your memory. Their journeys to jail cells are as varied as their faces, but many have a couple of things in common. First, many are members of the gangs that have infiltrated much of Central America, and, second, many come from difficult family situations — everything from absent to abusive parents.


And these two things are related. The World Bank affirms that “children and youth who experience or observe violent behavior in the homes are more likely to engage in violent behavior themselves” — such as joining gangs.


The tragedy of violence in Honduras makes it imperative for us to find ways to stop the cycle of violence in families and the nation as a whole.


That is exactly what the Association for a More Just Society is doing. Through its “Strong Families” counseling program, ASJ (formerly known as AJS) psychologists and community workers bring together at-risk families to learn about how to communicate and discipline without violence. And the program is reaping results.


Last week, 49 families graduated from Strong Families, and their transformation is incredible.


Take Cesar Canales — he is a single dad raising his 10-year-old son Rolando. He admitted that before the training he “punished his son before he really knew what happened and … humiliated him in public.” He even admitted to getting violent at Rolando’s school once when he had a problem with Rolando’s teacher — just the kind of example that could make Rolando seek out violent solutions to problems in the future. But, thanks to a series of trainings and therapy with ASJ psychologists, Cesar discovered new ways to deal with conflicts with his son. “I learned to listen and to be patient with him,” Cesar said. “I’m now close to my son … I’m a friend to him.” Breaking cycles of violence in homes and in nations is not an easy task, and it won’t happen overnight, but in the faces of the 49 families who graduated last week, ASJ sees hope for a peaceful future.


December 2, 2025
ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US Congratulate the Honduran People,  Call for Full and Transparent Results As sister organizations committed to justice, peace and hope in Honduras, ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US extend our deepest congratulations to the people of Honduras on the peaceful conduct of their national elections on November 30, 2025. With the initial tally showing an extraordinarily close vote, we call on election authorities to do what is necessary to ensure a transparent count of the remaining ballots in order to guarantee public trust in the final outcome. We commend the Honduran voters for their dedication to democratic participation and their commitment to shaping the future of their country through civic engagement. We also recognize the efforts of electoral authorities, civil society organizations, the international community and the thousands of volunteer observers who worked to ensure a transparent, orderly, and secure process. We are especially proud of our sister organization, ASJ-Honduras, for their unwavering commitment to democracy demonstrated through their electoral observation efforts, their analysis activities, and their consistent call for a fair and orderly process. Now that such a process has been achieved, the work turns to counting the votes with accuracy and transparency. The results remain close, increasing the possibility of a contested result. We support the work of the election officials at the National Electoral Council to give Hondurans confidence in the final results by conducting their count with rigor and transparency. We remain hopeful that the spirit of peaceful participation in the democratic process embraced by the electorate will carry forward into the post-election period to come. We look forward to continued collaboration with ASJ-Honduras as we all work together toward a just and hopeful future for all Hondurans. Matthew Van Geest President, Board of Directors ASJ-Canada Russ Jacobs President, Board of Directors ASJ-US
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By Elizabeth Hickel November 12, 2025
Dear friend,  I couldn’t stop looking at the picture. Of course, there had been plenty of inspiring photos from this summer’s Prayer Walk for Peace and Democracy. The sea of blue and white rising and falling as hundreds of thousands walked the Honduran hills through Tegucigalpa, flowing like a never-ending stream. Catholic nuns praying their rosaries alongside Pentecostals dancing in the streets. But the picture that still knocks me flat is the closeup. The one of the two men standing side by side (picture enclosed). They are exhausted, and the shorter collapses into the taller. The tears mostly hold joy and relief, but they are mingled with something darker. After all, there had been threats—promises of harm done to themselves and their loved ones if they led their followers through the streets of Honduras in prayer. Despite the fear and intimidation, Pastor Gerardo Irías and Monsignor José Vicente Nácher forged ahead. They knew Honduras needed unity and, above all, prayer before the looming November 2025 presidential elections. As an ASJ supporter, you know that these kinds of threats aren’t out of the ordinary, and your support has helped slow and reverse violence in Honduras. Today, I am writing to share a way you can continue standing with brave Hondurans like Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José in hope. The Evangelical pastor and the Catholic archbishop put the word out as widely as they could to their churches, hoping to mobilize 20,000 to walk and pray. Instead, an estimated 230,000 walked in the capital of Tegucigalpa alone. It was a historic moment. And without your past support for ASJ, it may have never happened. After all, two years prior, Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José didn’t even know each other’s names. They first met in 2023 at ASJ’s offices. They were two of many civil society leaders convened by ASJ to discuss safeguarding democracy– especially before the election in 2025. It was at that meeting that they shook each other’s hand and learned each other’s name. It was at that meeting–and many subsequent meetings–where old religious prejudices began to be replaced by trust and mutual affection. So, when the moment came this summer to act, Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José knew what they had to do. And they knew that they had to do it together.
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