Emergency Faith Leaders Delegation to Honduras – Jan 2018

“Your people shall be my people” (Ruth 1:16)

We are writing to you on behalf of Father Melo (Rev. Ismael Moreno, SJ), the Jesuit priest who has accompanied the Honduran people for a more than 20 years as he is appealing to the international community for immediate emergency help.  "We need you to organize delegations that come to accompany us, to witness what is happening here and to share it with the world."

This delegation of faith leaders will do exactly that.

Background:  Honduras is in an extreme crisis following a flawed presidential election on November 26^th.  Social movements have been pouring into the streets for weeks protesting electoral fraud, repressed by Honduran security forces.  Over 30 people have been killed and hundreds wounded and detained. The government imposed martial law, and days before Christmas, prematurely called the election in favor of the current president.  The US government quickly recognized that call, despite OAS and others warning that the election did not meet standards.  The Honduran military and police have received over $100 million from the U.S. s since the 2009 coup d’etat.

The Jesuit station, Radio Progreso, one of the last independent media in the country, was sabotaged in mid-December, its transmission tower destroyed.  Over this past New Year’s weekend, new death threats were used against Father Melo and other social justice activists. 

Delegation Objectives:

To accompany the Honduran human rights defenders and social movements as they mobilize and demand respect for the true results of the November presidential elections; and to lend support to the faith communities accompanying those most vulnerable;

To collect testimonies and witness the repression against those involved in the peaceful demonstrations; and

To return to the U.S. to share the findings, carry forth the "cry of the people" of Honduras for justice, and advocate for a just resolution to the crisis. 

Dates of the delegation: January 24th to the 30th.  We will be traveling to San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Cost: Airfare approximately $500 – $600; plus $400 in country for room and board.

Please contact: Jose Artiga at 415.558.8634, jose@share-elsalvador.org,  Rev. Deborah Lee at 415.297.8222, dlee@im4humanintegrity.org, Jean Stokan at jstokan@sistersofmercy.org, and Jenny Atlee at jennya@friendshipamericas.org

For the light of the new day for our sisters and brothers in Honduras.

Jean Stokan, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team

Rev. Deborah Lee, Executive Director Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity.

Jose Artiga, Executive Director, SHARE Foundation.