Part of a series on
Freemasonry
Overview Grand Lodge Masonic lodge Masonic lodge officers Grand Master Prince Hall Freemasonry Regular Masonic jurisdiction Anglo-American Freemasonry Continental Freemasonry
History History of Freemasonry Liberté chérie Masonic manuscripts
Masonic bodies Masonic Masonic bodies York Rite Order of Mark Master Masons Holy Royal Arch Royal Arch Masonry Cryptic Masonry Knights Templar Red Cross of Constantine Scottish Rite Knight Kadosh Societas Rosicruciana Order of Royal and Select Masters Grand College of Rites Swedish Rite Order of Saint Thomas of Acon Royal Order of Scotland Order of Knight Masons Research Lodge Corks Side degrees The Shrine Royal Order of Jesters Tall Cedars of Lebanon The Grotto Masonic groups for women Women and Freemasonry Order of the Amaranth Order of the Eastern Star Prince Hall Order of the Eastern Star Co-Freemasonry Masonic youth organizations DeMolay A.J.E.F. Job's Daughters International Order of the Rainbow for Girls
Views on Masonry Anti-Masonry Anti-Masonic Party Grand Anti-Masonic Exhibition Masonic conspiracy theories Christian attitudes towards Freemasonry Papal ban of Freemasonry Taxil hoax
People and places Masonic Temple James Anderson Prince Hall William Preston Thomas Smith Webb Albert Mackey Albert Pike John the Evangelist John the Baptist William Schaw Elizabeth Aldworth List of Freemasons Lodge Mother Kilwinning Freemasons' Hall, London Mark Masons' Hall, London House of the Temple Solomon's Temple Detroit Masonic Temple List of Masonic buildings
Related Masonic ritual and symbolism Great Architect of the Universe Square and Compasses Pigpen cipher Eye of Providence Hiram Abiff Chamber of Reflection List of Masonic Abbreviations Sprig of Acacia Masonic Landmarks Pike's Morals and Dogma Propaganda Due Dermott's Ahiman Rezon Volume of Sacred Law
By country Barbados Belgium Canada China Croatia Denmark France Finland Germany Iceland India Indonesia Israel Italy Japan Lebanon Luxembourg Malaysia Malta Mexico North Macedonia Philippines Portugal Romania Russia Scotland South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sweden Thailand Turkey Ukraine Venezuela United States

A.J.E.F. or Asociación de Jóvenes Esperanza de la Fraternidad (Association of Youth Hope of the Fraternity) is an appendant body to Freemasonry for youth aged 14–21 in Mexico, the United States, and Latin America.

Initially its local organizations were named Lodges (Logias AJEF), but have been renamed as Talleres (workshops) in order to emphasize that A.J.E.F. is not Masonry, but an appendant body. Each Taller is sponsored by a Masonic Lodge, in both economic and moral support.

It is similar in focus and function to the Order of DeMolay, albeit with stronger ties to Freemasonry.

Originally there was a body named "Consejo Central AJEF" (AJEF Central Council) as a superior body that supervised and organized, and it was conformed by active members of the A.J.E.F. In Mexico, there are not many Central Councils, though they still exist in Tamaulipas and Chiapas.

Every Chapter depends directly from its Lodge and Grand Lodge dispositions, but in order to maintain communication and fraternal working there are many events promoting fraternal activities. Almost every Grand Lodge in Mexico promotes the A.J.E.F. This is uncommon in the United States and in some other Latin American countries.

A.J.E.F. was founded in Havana, Cuba on February 9, 1936, by Fernando Suárez Núñez (May 7, 1882–Jan. 24 1946). The first lodge was called "Esperanza" (Hope).^[1]

Reaching 5,000 members by 1938, its rapid growth began to foster chapters overseas.

In 1939 the first Mexican A.J.E.F. Lodge, named after Benito Juárez, was established by the United Mexican Grand Lodge of Veracruz (Gran Logia "Unida Mexicana") due to the influence and motivation of Martin Dihigo Llanos. The second one was established at Mexico City, by the Mexican Valley Grand Lodge (Gran Logia "Valle de México") and its name was "Fernando Suárez Núñez".

The original ritual was created by its Cuban founder Fernando Suárez Núñez.

In Mexico the Regular Grand Lodges of the United States of Mexico Confederation (Confederación de Grandes Logias Regulares de la República Mexicana) assigned the Mexican Valley Grand Lodge (Gran Logia "Valle de México") to adapt the ritual for the Mexican youth; but in 1991 the United Mexican Grand Lodge of Veracruz (Gran Logia Unida Mexicana) created the "Vademécum del AJEF", the first compilation of ceremonials and the AJEF Theory - symbols and philosophic principles. Because of that it is the basis for the subsequent documents elaborated by other Grand Lodges, as the "Prontuario del AJEF", created in 1994 by the Grand Lodge Valle de México.

The rituals that constitute the exercise of "Ajefismo" are aimed at developing moral values and social skills among the initiates.

The Letters A.J.E.F. have in themselves a deeper meaning, as these are the letters of the "fundamental words" Love, Justice, Hope and Fraternity (Amor, Justicia, Esperanza y Fraternidad).

The institution's motto, always at the bottom of essays and official papers, is "For the nation and humanity" (Por la patria y la humanidad).

• Official Site for Caballeros del Temple No 6, Mexico City based A.J.E.F. chapter (in Spanish)
• Official Site for Jose Azueta No. 18 Veracruz Mexico based A.J.E.F. chapter (in Spanish)
• Official Site for Hijos de Nuevos Horizontes, Hialeah, Florida based A.J.E.F. chapter (in Spanish)
• Official Site for Logias AJEF Jurisdiccionadas a la Muy Respetable Gran Logia Valle de México (in Spanish)
• Official Site for Jose Martí No.4, Mexico City based A.J.E.F. chapter (Archived 2009-10-24)
• Official Site for Benito Juárez No. 4, Guadalajara based A.J.E.F. chapter (in Spanish)
• Official Blog for Libertad, Igualdad y Fraternidad No.7, Guadalajara based A.J.E.F. chapter (in Spanish)
• Official Site for Mexican A.J.E.F. community (in Spanish)
• Taller Ajef Francisco Lopez Gutierrez #10, Tijuana (in Spanish)