Why Transparency Matters

November 2, 2022

The experience of communities in Honduras teaches us the importance of working for the common good.

In 2018, community leader Rubén Sosa Aguilar was surprised to find lawyers at his door. They asked what he knew about $500,000 of public funds meant for community projects in his little town of La Cuesta. Rubén didn’t know anything about the money or the community projects and neither did anyone else in his community. But, he knew what they had lost.


“Imagine how beautiful that would have been,” reflects Rubén. Investigations eventually found that several public officials had pocketed all the project money in a scandal called the “Pandora" case. Rubén's reaction was unequivocal: “To rob from those in poverty is an injustice.”

Corruption, like that of the Pandora case, is the abuse of public positions for private gain. It touches every area of daily life, from the repair of roads, to the availability of medicine in public hospitals, to community safety.


A first step toward undoing corruption’s harm is promoting transparency so that the public has the information they need to hold leaders accountable.

How does ASJ work toward transparency?

We investigate cases of corruption and publicize our findings, which often spark the public to demand change. That’s what happened in 2020 when we reported on government corruption in the purchase of mobile hospitals. Whenever ASJ releases an investigation, we include recommendations for reforms to prevent future injustices.

We equip community members of all ages to audit the performance of their schools, health centers, and justice systems. This work helps build a culture where people believe in their agency to improve their neighborhood.

We build coalitions to push for change. ASJ-Honduras is part of Transparency International (TI), a global network of over 100 anti-corruption organizations. In August, ASJ hosted TI chapters from Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, Venezuela, and Peru to share ideas of how to fight corruption. ASJ-Honduras is also a member of CCINOC, a group of organizations that combats corruption in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. CCINOC showcases brave Central American leadership as it advocates in Washington, D.C. and other spaces for more transparency-building policies.

Fighting for transparency is risky, complicated work. But, it is the best way to ensure governments work for communities awaiting justice like La Cuesta.

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