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.

“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 Supporting Students’ Learning in Honduras

By Elizabeth Hickel • April 29, 2025

Earlier this month, The Banner published a story written by Our Shared Ministr y by Karina Guevara and Elmer Salinas . The authors showcase the work that ASJ-Honduras is doing to help and support students in Honduras. Karina and Elmer tell the story of Genesis Garcia, an 8-year-old, whose family struggles to find consistent jobs. "Genesis Garcia Baquedano is 8 years old and lives with her older brother, Anderson, and their parents in Honduras. Her parents work hard to support their family. Genesis’s father is a painter who struggles to find consistent work, and her mother is a street vendor who spends long hours away from home." According to Karina and Elmer, although Genesis is a good student, she was struggling with reading, writing, and math. This is where the ASJ-Hondurans' program, Strong Communities , comes to be a blessing. "Through God’s grace, Genesis and her family were able to join the Strong Communities program facilitated by World Renew’s local partner, Association for a More Just Society (ASJ, because the Spanish translation is Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa). Through the program, Genesis attended academic support sessions, where she impressed her tutors with her perseverance and enthusiasm. Now, Genesis’s teachers praise the program for the significant progress Genesis has been making at school." We are blessed to be able to help kids like Genesis and her family to be able to achieve their dreams and goals. You can read the full story HERE and learn more about the ASJ-Honduras Strong communities program HERE