Civil Society Participation

A vibrant civil society is fundamental to healthy, democratic governance. USAID helps civil society organizations influence public policies, pursue justice sector reforms, and exercise watchdog functions.

Increased civil society participation is necessary to combat the corruption and political influence that undermine core democratic processes in Honduras. Civil Society Organizations have been able to monitor and publicize the performance of officials in Congress, the Supreme Court, the Public Ministry, and the Transparency Institute to bring public pressure to change public policy and strengthen the legal system.

USAID’s work to strengthen civil society’s capacity to advocate for reform has resulted in improved legal system and justice reform, as illustrated by recent approval of the Civil Procedure Code and the ongoing implementation of the Access to Information and Transparency Law. These successes demonstrate a greater impact on public policy and broader citizen participation. USAID also supports civil society advocacy in the selection and nomination of the new Supreme Court Justices and Attorney General.

Civic Education
Since 2004 USAID has supported a Civic Education Program for school-aged children, through which teens are taught civic values and responsibilities. USAID works with FOPRIDEH, the Ministry of Education, Peace Corps, U.S. Center for Civic Education, and the U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section to promote civic education. In addition, USAID, Peace Corps, and FOPRIDEH have started “Project Citizen”, a pilot program to raise awareness on the importance of voting. USAID also works to promote voter education in adults to inform the public of the changes brought about by recent reforms to the electoral law, encourage people to vote, and to help them distinguish between candidates based on substantive issues.