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.
