Food Justice Update: Historic Farmworker Meeting Between Migrant Justice, CIW and CATA

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Dear Friends of Migrant Justice,

Below you will find:

1)     Historic food justice meeting between Migrant Justice, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Farmworkers Support Committee at the Brooklyn Food Conference

2) TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress TODAY that the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Must include protections for immigrant women
 

3) Sign the BRAND NEW Petition for Driver’s Licenses for All VT Residents!

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1)  Historic food justice meeting between Migrant Justice, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Farmworkers Support Committee at the Brooklyn Food Conference

Migrant Justice spent Friday and Saturday at the Brooklyn Food Conference, where our own Danilo Lopez, Lucas Benitez (CIW, Coalition of Immokallee Workers), and Nelson Carrasquillo (CATA, Farmworker Support Committee) shared their experiences about organizing for farm worker rights in Vermont, Florida, and New Jersey. 

Lucas Benitez,  an internationally recognized Human Rights leader who founded CIW and has helped break open cases of modern day slavery in Florida, shared, "We're not going to stop until we reach the day when we can proudly go to the store and buy a Florida tomato picked under truly fair conditions." 

Nelson Carrasquillo of CATA reflected, "The movement beginning with the Civil Rights Movement, Cesar Chavez's United Farmworkers, to CIW all the way up to now with Migrant Justice has greatly improved farmworker lives, but we have a very long way to go." Nelson went on to explain a vision for more unity between various farmworker struggles.

Migrant Justice was honored to be recognized as the newest member of this proud history of struggle, and to share the panel with two of the most creative and successful farmworker leaders in the country. Danilo made that connetion clear, "It's great to meet Lucas in person. A year ago I learned about your work through a video call, and it is a pleasure to be here sharing with you today how far we've come since our last meeting." This was also the second time that Migrant Justice met with Nelson who inspired us to launch our Agricultural Justice work.

Danilo shared that after that first inspirational skype call with Lucas, "I began leading the production of our newsletter and later the campaign to stop Secure Communities from coming to Vermont, only to be asked for my papers by State Police in a routine traffic stop. But from this bad thing came something good--a new police policy and all the momentum we now have to win driver's license in Vermont and protect the human right to freedom of movement of farmworkers."

We spent much of the weekend learning about  food system workers' successful organizing and education strategies, with members of the Food Chain Workers Alliance, Rural Migrant Ministry of NY, and the NY Community Farmworker Alliance. We look forward to building our Campaign for Immigrant Rights and Agricultural Justice and need your help! Contact us at info@migrantjustice.net to get involved!

2) TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Must include protections for immigrant women

From our friends at the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights:

Over the past few weeks, Congress has been in the process of re-authorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which has always included specific protections for immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.

The House will likely vote on HR 4970 on Wed 5/16. Call your representative or send them a message today and urge them to vote against this dangerous bill.
 

3) Sign the BRAND NEW Petition for Driver’s Licenses for All VT Residents!

With your help, we've come a long way this year and will be working hard to make the study committee on drivers licenses for migrant workers deliver concrete legislation next session, so we need to reafirm to our legislators that Vermonters support Human Rights, Public Safety and Healthy Farms, and that we believe our neighbors must be able to move freely to meet their needs . Please join us in solidarity by signing this petition for drivers licenses, and spreading the word at the following link:

www.migrantjustice.net/petition/driverslicense