An 80% decrease in homicides in a Tegucigalpa neighborhood? It seems impossible in the country with the highest murder rate in the world, but it’s true, thanks to the work of the Association for a More Just Society (ASJ, formerly known as AJS). ASJ’ lawyers, investigators, and psychologists build bridges of trust between community members and justice authorities. Community members trust that our staff will find honest police officers and public prosecutors who won’t be bribed by criminals. Police and public prosecutors are confident that ASJ staff will help them find the evidence needed to keep the people they arrest in jail.
ASJ Expands To One Of The World’s Most Violent Cities
October 30, 2013
Last week, ASJ officially launched this same project in the Northern Honduran city of San Pedro Sula. We talked with ASJ coordinator Carlos Gomez, a former police detective himself, about the expansion:
ASJ: Why did you think it would be a good idea to expand the project to San Pedro Sula?
CG: For the last 6 years, ASJ’s methodology has worked in communities in Tegucigalpa, bringing peace and security into homes and neighborhoods. But, we saw that violence was continuing in other parts of the country. We wondered if our methodology could be successful in other vulnerable neighborhoods.
ASJ: And why did you choose San Pedro Sula? It has one of the highest murder rates in the world at 193 per 100,000 people.
CG: Well, like I said, we wanted to try the methodology out in a different context to see if it would work, and what’s a better test than trying it in one of the most violent neighborhoods in one of the most violent cities in the world? If it will work there, it will work anywhere!
ASJ: Tell us about last week’s project launch.
CG: After months of negotiations with authorities and donors we were finally able to launch the program last week. Both private business people and public officials from the police and the Attorney General’s office were there. We’re impressed by their level of support for our work!
ASJ: What are the next steps for the project? How will you get started?
CG: We have hired two investigators, a lawyer, and a psychologist. Their next steps will be to build relationships with collaborators in the neighborhood who can help us map out where crime is happening. Then we’ll take on specific cases and work with community members to get justice.
ASJ: Why do you think this work is important?
CG: This work is definitely risky, but it’s worth it. As citizens, we have to help the government make the justice system work.
Please pray for ASJ staff as they continue to seek justice for the most vulnerable around Honduras!
A Spotlight On Our Dedicated Volunteers
How Hondurans Live Out The Joy of Democratic Participation
A Reflection from ASJ-Canada Board President, Matt Van Geest
Words from the Executive Director
Thirsty For Justice
Hondurans cast their ballots during the November 30, 2025, general election, which saw historic voter turnout and a peaceful process supported by more than 12,000 national and international election observers working to safeguard transparency.
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
A call to action for Honduras
The Association for a More Justice Society-US Supports the Network to Defend Democracy; Calls for Free and Fair Elections in Honduras November 25, 2025
Honduras’s Institutional Crisis Deepens Ahead of the 2025 Elections
