El Sinodo Luterano Salvadoreño (Lutheran Synod of El Salvador)

In El Salvador, a country whose 12 year civil war claimed an estimated 75,000 lives, speaking out in opposition to the government can be a serious crime. Nevertheless, Bishop Gómez has continued to fight for basic human rights in his country despite threats made against his family, the bombing of his church, and his own capture and imprisonment. As the head of the Lutheran Synod of El Salvador, a Global Ministries partner, Bishop Gómez has long believed that service and advocacy on behalf of the poor are fundamental to the Church's mission. Bishop Medardo Gómez-Soto has struggled for peace and justice in El Salvador for more than 25 years. 

The Office of Bishop Gómez of the Lutheran Church of El Salvador is focusing attention on three basic human rights in the aftermath of the civil war and with ongoing human rights violations in El Salvador. The Truth, Justice, and Peace project is working for the people's right to the truth, the right to justice, and the right to amends with regards to the events during the civil war and the continued torture, execution, and disappearance of people even today.

In 1992, an agreement was signed to end the fighting. Shortly thereafter, the perpetrators of crimes such as torture, disappearances, and execution were given amnesty and, therefore, were never investigated or tried, leaving victims and their families without any sense of justice or peace. Still today, the people of El Salvador are not safe from the same crimes. Clear indications of torture are found on dead bodies and, in other cases, people disappear and bodies are never found.

The Truth, Justice, and Peace project plans to convene national forums about human rights and to facilitate radio programs to reach people who are in more remote areas. They will train counselors to work with victims and their families and create posters to educate and advocate for human rights and demand answers regarding where are those who have been disappeared. Field visits will be made to investigate and document individual situations. The project will also produce additional educational materials for those involved as well as the general public. Evaluations of the project will be conducted to ensure that the project is meeting the needs of the victims and their families and to be sure that information is reaching the public, especially those in rural areas with less access to resources.

Examples of Gifts for the Truth, Justice, and Peace Project:

• $50 can cover the expenses for one volunteer to attend training to become a counselor
• $170 can pay for the printing of one set of posters
• $200 can fund the publication of one issue of the Truth, Justice, and Peace Project journal
• $700 can cover a month’s salary for a coordinator of the human rights project