Welcome Statement/Justicia Fall 2024

October 10, 2024

ACOMPAÑAMOS

Walking alongside each other for a more just society.

Dear Friend,

It is with great joy that we bring you another edition of our Justicia magazine.

As we work to build a more just society in Honduras, we get to witness so many incredible stories of resilience and justice in community.


One of the values we strive to practice is “Acompañar,” which means to walk alongside each other. Our work is done in partnership with a team of brave Hondurans seeking justice, peace, and systemic reform in Honduras. It is an honor for us to walk alongside our partners, community members, and supporters. We also

strive to inspire people around the world to seek justice in their own contexts.


The stories you will find in this edition all share that common sentiment of “Acompañar.” We hope that as you read, you will be inspired and challenged to join us in seeking justice and walking together. (See stories below)


Blessings,


ASJ-US Team

*The names of program participants included in these stories have been changed to protect their privacy.*

Walking alongside Isabel

ASJ works to strengthen the public education system in Honduras. Public education in Honduras faces many challenges, including poor infrastructure, outdated teaching methodology and curriculum, and motivation challenges for both students and teachers. Given that over 2 million Honduran children

depend on the public education system, our ASJ team has dedicated itself to advocating for improvements to this system that will benefit those children who most need it. Our team not only advocates for national reform

but also walks alongside the communities we are advocating for.


One of those children is Isabel, who is

currently in fourth grade at her local

elementary.

Walking alongside each other

Seeking justice is a road better walked with community. That is why our work is done

in partnership with brave Honduran brothers and sisters who are passionate about improving systems in Honduras. That is why we “acompañamos” (walk alongside).


That is why we invest in vulnerable communities to equip Honduran youth and families to build stronger futures.

Answering some additional questions from our summer webinar.

Over the summer, we were grateful to connect with our community of justice

seekers in the US through our webinar “Café & Conversación.” We were excited to see so many of you and to hear from our guest speaker, Jessica Pavón who is the director of communications for our ASJ- Honduras team. 

During the session, Jessica shared her invaluable insights on strengthening democracy, the importance of free speech, and the critical role of citizen participation

in building a more just society. Her passion and dedication to justice in Honduras shone through, making for a truly memorable experience.

In this edition of Justicia, we are highlighting our value of “Acompañar,” and we also want to invite you to check out our other values.


We recognize we are broken individuals who make up an imperfect organization. Therefore, we are grateful to have so many incredible supporters who hold us accountable and encourage us to carry out these values to the best of our ability.


You can read more about our values through our website:

Our Values
Hondurans cast their ballots during the November 30, 2025, general election, which saw historic vote
By Brian ASJ December 10, 2025
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.
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
November 28, 2025
A call to action for Honduras
By Elizabeth Hickel November 25, 2025
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
November 13, 2025
Honduras’s Institutional Crisis Deepens Ahead of the 2025 Elections
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.
November 11, 2025
Calvin alums turn faith into action through nonprofit
October 13, 2025
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
September 10, 2025
Thank You for Moving Forward With Us this Summer!
September 8, 2025
When Policies Shift, Families Pay the Price * by Jo Ann Van Engen
Show More