I think we helped a lot by doing that march in Winston-Salem for our farmworkers helping them get what they need, but not everybody. hopefuly we do better next better next year, that we far more people than what we did this year. Those will offer time to help and fight for justice for our farmworkers and maybe one day they will win for what rightfuly theirs.

FLOC needs your support! 
For More information CLICK HERE 

Send a letter to Reynolds and CEO Susan Ivey 

Friends of Farmworkers! 

The time is NOW!

Stand Beside the Farmworkers of FLOC, AFL-CIO to: 
DEMAND JUSTICE IN TOBACCO FIELDS

FLOC Demonstration at Reynolds Shareholders Meeting
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 WINSTON-SALEM, NC
11am-2pm Downtown, Winston Salem (contact us for specific directions)

A blogger friend of mine told me about this very interesting blog called Capitol Words. 

This is from their About page:

“For every day Congress is in session, Capitol Words visualizes the most frequently used words in the Congressional Record, giving you an at-a-glance view of which issues lawmakers address on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Capitol Words lets you see what are the most popular words spoken by lawmakers on the House and Senate floor.” 

I searched the words “farmworker” and  “farmworkers” and they were used only 16 and 26 times in the last 2 years! They were never used in the North Carolina! 

I believe this is an accurate reflection of how our congress views the importance of farmworker justice. So how do we change this? How do we bring not just the words, but the movement of farmworker justice to our chosen leaders? I am not sure of the answer. If you have any ideas, please share them here. I will be asking my colleages at NFWM and posting some ideas as well.

We stand in solidairty to congratulate the Moncure Plywood Workers of NC! We have not seen any media reports detailing the victory. We will keep you posted when we find out more.  

To find out about the strike visit our friends at FIST!

GHR 2007

Walk or Run with NFWM-NC at the Great Human Race!

Join us Saturday March 21, 2009 at 8:30am at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park to walk or run 5K around downtown Durham while raising funds for the NFWM-NC!

Now in its 14th year, the Great Human Race is a fundraiser for Triangle area nonprofits hosted by the Volunteer Center of Durham.

These are ways that you can help:

1. Walk (non-competitively) with NFWM-NC:
Help us gain critical mass, show up and show Durham that you support NFWM-NC!

2. Run (competitively) for NFWM-NC

3. Walk or Run AND help fund-raise for NFWM-NC!
We have a goal to have 16 people walk and raise at least $75.00 each for NFWM.
We have 6 people walking and fund raising so far…would you like to join?
If yes: email: Yashna (ypadamsee*at*nfwm*dot*org) and Kevin (ncintern3*at*nfwm*dot*org)

4. Donate here  and help Fund-raise money for NFWM-NC. (Please type in GHR09 in the designation line) 
Our goal is to raise $1200.00!

Fundraising:

What will your donation do?
$10 to cover the cost of providing 1 North Carolina legislator with information packets and a DVD about substandard farm worker housing
$30 to cover the cost of a tank of gas to transport 2-4 farm workers to and from monthly leadership meetings as a part of Project Solidarity
$50 to cover the cost of coordinating a church group visit to a farm labor camp and providing participants with devotional materials
$100 to organize an event to highlight abuses of farm workers in North Carolina fields

These are suggested donations which help illustrate some of the work we do at the National Farm Worker Ministry. However, please feel free to contribute any amount. Thank you so much for your support. Your contribution will help us continue the struggle for justice in our fields for the people who put food on our tables.

Please make checks payable to: The Volunteer Center/Great Human Race
On the memo line, please write: NFWM-NC

Schedule:

• March 16 – You submit raised funds to NFWM-NC
• March 17 – NFWM-NC submits raised funds to Volunteer Center
• March 19 – Last day $20 runner registration ($25 after 19th)
• March 20 – Runner packet early bird pick up
• March 21 – GREAT HUMAN RACE DAY

RACE DAY SCHEDULE:

8:30am – meet NFWM-NC outside of the Durham Bulls Park
8:00 – 9:00 am     Runner Registration ($25), packet pick up, chip pick up
8:00 – 9:00 am     Agency check in, money collection
8:00 – 9:00 am     Agency photos
9:15 am                Opening ceremonies
9:30 am                Run starts
9:35 am                Walk starts
10:00 am – noon   Refreshments and Entertainment
10:30 am              Runner awards

By helping others you help yourself. You also save a life. No matter how different we all are from each other, what color skin we have, the different languages we speak, the way we all live we are all still human.

Immigrants on the other hand aren’t treated that way. They aren’t treated the way that they want to be, the way we would like to be treated. Most of the farm workers working in farm fields are immigrants that come from Mexico looking for jobs trying to maitain their family and live as healthy as they can. They don’t come this country to destroy or mess up our lives, nor the country. They come to this country to help us, feed us, but we don’t want to understand what they want us to do, all we want is for them to leave this country. But if we tried to see, atleast one time walk in their shoes to see what they feel when they are treated the way they are.  So just try and lend a hand make them feel like they are at home lend them a hand, you’ll make a difference in their lives and in yours.

– Cesar Chavez, co-founder of United Farm Workers

This quote by Cesar Chavez is one that has struck me and fueled my passion for the work of NFWM. It has done so because what Chavez says here is quite simply profound: we are connected. Our lives are interconnected in manifold ways, yet this simple truth is something that is becoming increasingly easier to ignore. In fact, it seems from an everyday perspective that our lives are actually disconnected. As our modes of communication become primarily electronic and our economies become more global and hidden, it is indeed become increasingly easier to ignore the fact that we are connected; it’s becoming increasingly easier to simply embrace lives of disconnection.

But Chavez reminds us here that every time we sit down and eat the food of the earth we are connected to the lives whose hands have planted and harvested that food. Therefore, the process by which that food has come to my table should matter to me. I cannot blindly enjoy the produce of the earth without turning my eyes to my brothers and sisters who have helped place that produce into my hands. And if the process by which that produce has come to me has come by means of injustice and mistreatment, then I must be willing to join the fight to ensure that the process is one marked by justice and equality.

Nonetheless, as a person of faith, I think that communities of faith must be willing to take an additional step. That is, communities of faith must be willing to go beyond simple acknowledgement of our connection with farmworkers and must actively and intentionally seek ways to embrace this reality. Two concepts that I find helpful in this regard are hospitality and solidarity. As hospitable people, we recognize the need to be open and welcoming in all circumstances. This goes beyond a mere one-time, random act of kindness. I think we must allow hospitality to become a disposition within which we encounter others. Hospitality, however, can sometimes be a one-way street, in which one person is always giving to the other, and this can sometimes lead to a paternalistic relationship. Therefore, hospitality needs to be simply a necessary step towards solidarity. If people of faith only embrace hospitality, then we might not ever realize Chavez’s call to move from charity to justice. However, as we seek to live into all the ways our lives are connected to the lives of farmworkers, then we must move toward the kind of solidarity where their joys become our joys and their hurts become our hurts. Can you imagine what might happen in the work of supporting farmworkers if countless lives refuted illusionary disconnection and embraced authentic solidarity?

One of my favorite things to do is go to the health food grocery  store, to the produce section and look at the beautiful greens, the ripe fruit, and the abundance of choices. I feel good when I choose something healthy, local, or organic. I feel that I am doing my part for a better world.

I watched a video today at NFWM-NC as part of my “learn about your new job” orientation. The video highlighted living conditions of farmworkers in NC, my current home. A trip to the grocery store will never be the same, sitting down to a meal will never be the same.

After 2 weeks at NFWM, I am learning so much about where our food really comes from, and who we truly get to thank for feeding us. I was not connected to the deep truth of this before. If you are new to this topic, please watch this video! If you are wondering why do we stand for farmworker justice- please watch this video!

Please take 20 minutes out of your day to watch this video. After you watch, leave us a comment, ask us some questions, or find out how you can make a difference.