Heart of Christ - Corazon de Cristo Inc.
Ministerio Corazon del Redentor Jesus
Justice Project Honduras
Huntsville, AL, USA
La Ermita, Talanga, F.M., Honduras
Justice Project
Honduras is known as one of the most violent and corrupt countries in the world. Injustice and violence against persons in vulnerable groups (women, children, elderly, disabled and the LGBT community) is out of control. The justice system that should protect them doesn’t because they lack resources, training, and accountability. In addition, negligence and corruption among authorities (from the top to the bottom) allows them to take advantage of the weak and vulnerable, who have no confidence in those who should protect them, nor do they know their rights or what to do. And in many cases, when they do know what to do, they are turned away and/or victimized again.
EurActiv.com states in its January 2017 report on the court audit of EU funds for projects to combat poverty and violence in Honduras that, “Nearly 40% of Honduras lives in extreme poverty. The country has one of the highest poverty rates in Latin America at 68.2%, and is one of the most inequitable societies in the Americas.” This violence, injustice, poverty and inequality is the root base of what the U.N. has labeled as a country with 94% impunity.
Heart of Christ has worked in Honduras with government institutions and other NGOs since 2005 to rescue, care for and restore victims, and empower justice with great success until the political crisis (removal of then-president Mel Zelaya) in mid-2009, which limited our ability to realize our work because security officials’ time and energy moved from attending victims to confronting demonstrations and maintaining peace until the presidential elections in Nov. 2009. During 2010 through 2011, corrupt high-ranking officials blocked and sabotaged our work because we were exposing negligence and corruption, and in the end of 2011, we became aware of orders of assassination against us and we closed our offices. Since then, we have been working on a limited scale, and have been preparing to relaunch the work in a more stable, independent and secure format.
Heart of Christ (HOC), with assistance and counsel of other NGOs, adaptation of our programs within the changing environment of justice, and the recent work by the Honduran government to purge corrupt officials (even though it is still incomplete), realizes the time is now to begin again.
Gospel Justice Initiative
is partnering with
Heart of Christ
to open the first Justice Center (in Honduras)
outside of the United States.
During 2017 HOC will launch “Justice Project Honduras”
Latin American Justice Coalition to network institutions, organizations and others throughout Latin America in the same manner as the Honduras coalition with the idea of sharing models of successful justice work with the goal of strengthening existing services and creating justice centers throughout Latin America, thereby increasing access to justice, focusing attention to problems endemic throughout Latin America, and providing solutions and services specific to local needs based on best practices.
Regional Justice Center to advocate for vulnerable groups who suffer violence and provide direct services such as shelter, medical/psychological care, social assistance, restoration aftercare programs, and other assistance. The justice center will also provide community informational and training programs to strengthen the family, create a culture of peace, learn how to recognize victims of violence and how to participate in their rescue and restoration. Also, by working with leaders within the government institutions, we will assist them in providing accountability in services to victims.
Justice Coalition Honduras to network institutions and organizations who work in justice fields, and churches, leaders, and individuals interested in working and serving within Honduras. The coalition will provide trainings and conferences for authorities, organizations, leaders and individuals, as well as execute advocacy campaigns for justice, provide space for research programs and initiatives, create a justice resource library (free to all who desire access to it), and develop other programs and services – all with the goals of strengthening existing institutions/programs and inspiring other NGOs to create regional justice centers throughout Honduras.