Call To Fight For Justice In Honduras Is Echoed In The United States And Canada

March 8, 2017

*This article is translated from Spanish. It was originally published by ASJ-Honduras after the joint board meeting between ASJ-Honduras, ASJ-US, and ASJ-Canada.* (ASJ was formerly known as AJS).


Tegucigalpa. Seventeen years ago, a group of brave Christians from the United States and Canada decided to work for justice in favor of thousands of vulnerable Hondurans, and founded “the Association for a More Just Society” (ASJ-US), the U.S. counterpart of la Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ-Honduras) in Honduras.

Since then, ASJ-US has supported the work of ASJ-Honduras through technical, financial, and prayer support.


This group of teachers, professors, lawyers, accountants, social workers, economists, journalists, psychologists, sociologist and philanthropists has been careful to comply with the God’s call to do justice and love mercy, and to bring this message to more people to join this fight in favor of Honduras.

“It is one of the most important works that I have done in my life. It is a privilege to be here, side by side with Hondurans. For us, the board of directors of ASJ in the United States, it is a great privilege to have the tangible opportunity to work for justice,” said Peter Harkema, president of the board of directors of ASJ in the United States.


Harkema recently visited Honduras with a group of 15 U.S. Americans and two Canadians to hear about advances in the work that ASJ-Honduras started over 20 years ago, and share experiences with the directors and collaborators of the independent civil society organization.


“ASJ is a Honduran organization that teaches us a lot, that motivates us to tell the whole world that justice is possible, said Russ Jacobs, from ASJ-US.

“You should know that many people are receiving information about your work and have committed to pray for you,” added Maureen Hodge, also from ASJ-US.


The North American board members visited communities in Honduras’ capital city where ASJ has projects, and met with the coordinators and collaborators of different programs of the organization.

They also met with the ambassador of the United States in Honduras, James Nealon, and members of the Special Commission for Purging and Transformation of the National Police, who also are members of ASJ and the Alliance for Peace and Justice (APJ).


The Association for a More Just Society is an independent Honduran civil society organization, created in 1998 with the mission to work for a society where justice prevails, focusing on making the government systems work and be just, especially for the most vulnerable.

ASJ-US was founded in the year 2000 with the goal of supporting the creation of a more just society in Honduras and around the world through the promotion of ASJ’s work, inspiring other individuals to promote justice and mercy as God has called us.


*ASJ is proud to work alongside our colleagues in Honduras. Read more here about our history of partnership.*


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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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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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