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RMM Notes
November 2009
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To see our ad with pictures, click here.
Reaching out to the Amsterdam News
An open letter to the NYS Senate
A paid advertisement (follow link above) signed by prominent civil rights
and labor leaders has run in the Amsterdam News. The Justice for
Farm Workers Campaign also plans to run it in El Diario, the
Legislative Gazette, and selected community newspapers. The issue of justice
and civil rights for farm workers is an overwhelmingly popular and galvanizing
issue for the African American and Latino communities in New York State.
Unfortunately, it does not look as though meetings to
seek common ground that Senator Sampson has tried admirably to set up
between Senate sponsors of S 2247 and Senator Aubertine will occur before
the November 10 Special Session. We stand ready to meet any place any time
before Special Session, but fear that opponents of S 2247 are trying to run out
the legislative clock. Therefore we will continue to ramp up our effort to urge
a 2009 Senate vote on S 2247, the companion to the bill the Assembly has
passed.
We have urged the Governor to put the bill on the November 10
Special Session Agenda as he did this summer. This would help galvanize
support for a resolution of the issue of civil rights for farm workers by the
Legislature and Governor in 2009. We hope that the Governor will lend the weight
of his office to this effort
JUSTICE
FOR FARMWORKERS
Dear
Members of the New York State Senate:
We,
the undersigned farmworker allies, write to express our
great dismay and alarm at the failure to date of
the Senate to vote on the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices
Act in 2009, which would extend to agricultural workers
the basic labor rights enjoyed by all other workers.
At
times, opponents of the Farmworkers Fair Labor Practices
Act have argued for agricultural exceptionalism- that
in contrast to other industries, a "one-size-fitsall" approach
to basic labor rights won't work for them. Any
industry in their position-having inherited the privilege
to profit from legal exploitation-would argue the
same. The truth is that this inheritance (the exclusion of
farmworkers from basic labor laws) was born of a
Jim Crow-era legislative compromise that for explicitly racist
reasons excluded farmworkers, then a primarily African-American work
force.
It
is unacceptable to pretend to support prompt action on equal rights for
farmworkers, while at the same
time secretly opposing action. Failure to act to alleviate the unjust conditions
farmworkers face would
make the state Senate a party to the exploitation. It is time to act.
National
Hispanic Heritage Month, which is a time to recognize and celebrate the
contributions of Hispanic Americans
to the United States, closed on October 15th. This year's theme was "Embracing
the Fierce
Urgency of Now," a phrase borrowed from Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
During the coming
weeks,
we urge you to Embrace the Fierce Urgency of Now by bringing the Farmworkers
Fair Labor Practices
Act to the floor of the Senate for a vote and ending the shameful legal
exclusions that for too long
have denied farmworkers equal rights.
In
hope,
Kerry Kennedy, Founder, Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and
Human Rights
The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Founder and President, Rainbow
PUSH Coalition
Hazel Dukes, President of the New York Conference of the
NAACP
Alan Lubin, Executive Vice President, New York State United
Teachers
Stuart Appelbaum, President, Retail, Wholesale and Department
Store Union
Richard J. Whalen, International Vice President and Director,
UFCW Region 1-Northeastern
George Gresham, President, 1199
SEIU
Phillip H. Smith, President, United University
Professions
Barbara Bowen, President, Professional Staff
Congress
Edgar Romney, Secretary-Treasurer, Workers
United
Terry Melvin, Director, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Region
1
Sonia Ivany, President, New York City Labor Council for Latin
American Advancement
Guillermo Perez, President, Capital District Labor Council for
Latin American Advancement
Zina Myrick, President of the American Federation of Teachers
Black Caucus, New York State Chapter
Dafny Irizarry, President, Long Island Latino Teachers
Association
Anthony Harmon, President, New York City A. Phillip Randolph
Institute
Shelvy Young Abrams, President, New York City Coalition of Labor
Union Women
Arthur Cheliotes, President, CWA Local
1180
Bruce W. Both, President, UFCW Local
1500
Frank C. DeRiso, President UFCW Local
One
Richard Abondolo, President, UFCW Local
342
Bob Mantello, President, Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers
Local #2
Dan Cantor, Executive Director, Working Families
Party
Peter Fontanes, NYS Director, League of United Latin American
Citizens
Chung-Wha Hong, Executive Director, New York Immigration
Coalition
The Rev. Richard Witt, Rural & Migrant
Ministry
Rabbi Michael Feinberg, Greater New York Labor-Religion
Coalition
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Youth Arts Group Report
by Andres ChamorroOur new program year is off to a good start! We now have an active and strong group
of 18 'old' and new members ready to begin their work for social justice. I
would like to thank all our YAG parents for entrusting their children to us in
the YAG program. It is a
responsibility that the RMM staff and I take very seriously, and we strive to
do our best to create a safe environment for our members; we also work hard to
support your children and help them to grow and learn to be good leaders and
achieve their goals.
Accomplishments: · On
Oct. 16, YAG hosted a vigil to support farmworkers in their struggle to
obtain equal rights at Webb Horton Memorial Presbyterian
Church, 50 E. Main St., Middletown.
· On
Oct. 18, YAG participated a vigil to support farmworkers at St. Johns Church in Monticello.
· On
Oct. 23 and 24, YAG had our first overnight trip to New York City. It was a great blend of educational and
inspiring workshops and lots of fun. We were hosted by Jeanine Otis and Gina
Figueroa from St. Mark's Presbyterian Church in the Bowery.
· Rev.
Richard Witt led an important and wonderful workshop about Understanding Power
and Decision-Making.
· Also,
YAG participated in a creative and interactive workshop about the Theater of
the Oppressed, led by Jeremiah Drake at the
Riverside Church. These workshops provided YAG
with the opportunity to reflect, learn, and talk about important issues such as
farmworkers' rights.
Finally, our YAG Bank Committee has been working hard
organizing and making important decisions about the Bank.
Future Activities:
· We
are now preparing for the RMM Annual Dinner, where YAG will be doing a presentation.
· Our
Bank Committee will do a presentation to the entire group and at the RMM Board
meeting.
· We
will have the following workshops:
· Organizing
101
· College
applications
Congratulations to all our members for their commitment to
create change!
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Sowing the Seeds for Justice
Dinner and Auction Thursday!
 Thursday, November 12
The Riverside Church, New York City
Beginning at 6 p.m.
Enjoy a
three-course dinner, open bar, guest speakers, artists
and silent auction. The Online Auction at www.sowingseedsforjustice.cmarket.com
ends soon, but you can visit our Auction at
www.sowingseedsforjustice.org and e-mail or call in your
bids!
For more information, call (845) 485-8627 or e-mail rmmllecour@optimum.net or visit our website at www.sowingseedsforjustice.org.
This year's honorees include Kerry Kennedy, founder of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights; New York Duck Workers; and the Rev. Jim and Louise Palm, long-time volunteers with RMM and former leaders of the Stony Point Conference Center.
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Unlock Your Destiny 2009
Rural Women's Conference
December 4 & 5
 Rural & Migrant Ministry and Sisters of Sarah are pleased to welcome Millie Johnson, Executive Director Govans Economic Management Senate and Dr. Roja Singh, president of the Dalit Solidarity Forum to UNLOCK YOUR DESTINY - our 5th Annual Destiny Rural Women's Conference on Dec. 4 and 5 at the Holiday Inn in Binghamton, New York -- a gathering for more than 200 rural women and their allies from across New York State working for change. Come join us and women of faith, congregations, agencies, organizations and student groups for two days of networking and education. Workshop topics include Domestic Violence, Trafficking, Community Building, Strength & Spirit, Family & School, Women's Health Care, Career, Youth and Diversity. Spanish translation and daycare provided.
For Registration / Sponsorships / Underwriting opportunities / Vendor and Educational tables, or for more information, please call Ruth Faircloth or Laura LeCour at ( 845) 485-8627 or visit our website for Registration and
Sponsorship
forms www.ruralmigrantministry.org.
Scholarships are available |
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Vigil December 10 ... Come and make a difference
In honor of Honor the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
On Thursday, Dec. 10, the Kairos Project of
Sulli van County will host the second annual Vigil in Honor of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This vigil will commemorate the 61st
anniversary of the passage of this historic declaration, which was adopted by
the United Nations General Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948. The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church, 15 St. John's Street in Monticello. Refreshments will be provided after the
ceremony.
It was Eleanor Roosevelt who said: "Where, after all, do universal human rights
begin? In small places, close to home -
so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual
person: the neighborhood he or she lives in, the school of college he attends,
the factory, farm or office where she works.
Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal
justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity, without discrimination."
For more information, please contact Dan McCormack, Kairos
Project Coordinator at (845) 665-9167.
Come join us in one of those small places, close to home where you can
make a difference in the larger world.
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RMM and Little Theater present...
Harvesting Justice Film Series
RMM is pleased to announce, in collaboration with the Little Theater,
the second annual Harvesting Justice Film Series. The series will
begin on Monday, Dec. 14 at the Little Theater in downtown Rochester
with the screening of the Academy Award nominated film "The Visitor."
Joining us to speak at the film will be
David Fraccaro. David is coordinator of Sojourners Visitation
Program with Detained Immigrants and Asylum Seekers. David graduated
from Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University, with a focus in
religion and human rights. He is an ordained minister in the United
Church of Christ, and represented the UCC at the United Nations for three
years. He has worked for the National Council of Churches, USA and
World Council of Churches, and currently works for the Interfaith Youth
Core working on interfaith collaboration around "welcoming the stranger."
David has volunteered with No More Deaths on the US/Mexico border,
and volunteered internationally in Bolivia, Kenya, and East Timor.
For
more than 10 years, the Sojourners Visitor Program, a social justice
ministry of The Riverside Church in New York City, has recruited, trained
and transported volunteers, matching them for one-on-one friendships with
detained immigrants and asylum seekers. Each
week, members of Sojourners volunteer corps, students, nurses, artists,
business people, scientists and others, travel together in a church van from
Manhattan to visit the Elizabeth Detention Center, a windowless building located
on a dead-end street in a warehouse district near Newark
Airport. The Sojourner Program played a critical part in the
development of "The Visitor."
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Christmas is for giving...
RMM, Daughters of Sarah gear up for annual sale
Reminders
of the holidays are all about us. It is
the time when we are reminded of our many blessings and remember those who are
less fortunate. For over 30 years Rural
& Migrant Ministry and the Daughters of Sarah have hosted an annual holiday
store and Christmas party.
What parent
doesn't find joy in choosing the gift(s) that they know their child(ren) have
been wishing for? For many rural and
farmworking families, this year will be even more difficult. To assure that these families will have a
joyful Christmas, we need lots of gifts to fill our store.
Gifts MUST
be NEW, and the original price tags should be left on. Please do not wrap them. Suggested gift items:
·
Sports Equipment: Basketballs, Baseballs/Bats,
Soccer Balls
·
Dolls (especially of African-American and Latino
Heritage)
·
Clothing for All Ages: Please send clothing that is appropriate to
the season (Sweaters, Sweat Shirts, Dressy
Tops for girls, Shirts for boys)
·
Sports Apparel, Socks, Tights
and Hairbows)
·
Books
(African-American stories and Latino Heritage in addition to books in
English)
·
Toys
and Games appropriate for toddlers thru age 14
·
Items
for teenagers: Watches and Gift Cards are especially popular
Families are treated to a wonder Holiday
Dinner (turkey and ham) and children participate in holiday activities while
parents shop. The singing of carols add
to the festivities. Proceeds from the
Christmas store help support a special weekend retreat for the Daughters of
Sarah and rural women across the Hudson
Valley.
Here are
some other ways you can help in addition to collecting gifts:
·
Donate
a turkey or ham
·
Donate
potatoes, vegetables, rolls/butter, cookies, etc. for the dinner
·
Do you
have a youth or children's choral group that would like to sing? Dance?
·
Do you
or someone you know, play the piano or a musical instrument that could
play carols and lead the singing?
·
Do you
have a Girl Scout Troop, Youth Group, Sunday School class that would put
together small seasonal goodie bags for the children who come?
This year's
Christmas Store will be on Saturday, Dec. 19 (snowdate:
Sunday, Dec. 20) 5 to 8:30 p.m. at the New Hurley Reformed Church,
Wallkill. YOU are invited to join us!
Gifts
must be delivered to the RMM Office by Wednesday, Dec. 16. If you need directions, have questions, are
willing to help in any of the ways listed, please call Jane at 845-495-8627
(RMM) or 845-297-5864 (home).
-- Jane Konitz. RMM Board
Volunteer Coordinator of Special
Projects
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Workplace Education Center
Takes Shape in Sullivan County
Steering Committee to Provide Leadership
Recently the seven partners that make up the Workplace Education Center
met for the first time in order to form a steering committee to provide
leadership for the new center. Sandy
Oxford represented the United Food and Commercial Workers International, Dave
Rodriguez represented the UFCW Local 32, Brian O'Shaughnessy represented the
Labor Religion Coalition, Milan Bhatt represented the Workers Rights
Law Center,
and the Rev. Richard Witt represented RMM.
Also present were Diana Vazquez, WRLC staff and Rev. David Montanye,
Social Justice Education Coordinator for RMM.
The other two partners involved in the founding of the WEC are the
Kairos Project and St. John's Episcopal Church
in Monticello.
The first organizational meeting focused on exploring what
membership might mean in an organization like the WEC, creating and developing
new programs, planning how best to raise funds for the new center, and working
out a structure for the center that is both effective and democratic. The partners also developing a partnership
agreement that will outline the working structure of the WEC in Sullivan County.
The seven partners also approved a new logo for the Workplace Education Center. Designed by Matt Mally, a graphic designer
from New Paltz, New York, the logo will be
used in all our publicity, on our stationary, and eventually will form part of
our image to the Sullivan
County community.
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MIGRANT STORIES
Copies now available; get yours today 
Speaking of Christmas .. what better gift is there than RMM's educational
bulletin 'Migrant Stories,' a collection of stories describing the
lives, hopes, fears, and dreams of 13 New York State Farmworkers.
These stories were recorded and transcribed by one of our 2008 summer interns, Tara Garcia Matthewson, as well as by members of our Youth Arts
Group.
Copies are available for $7.95. Please make your checks payable to RMM or contact us for further information.
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Meditation
A good motivation is what is needed: compassion without dogmatism, without
complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and
sisters and respecting their human rights and dignities. That we humans can
help each other is one of our unique human
capacities.
-- H.H. the Dalai Lama
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Our Mission
Rural and Migrant Ministry works for the creation of a just rural New York State by: * Nurturing leadership
* Standing with the disenfranchised, especially farmworkers and rural workers
* Changing unjust systems and structures |
Rural Migrant Ministry
P.O Box 4757
Poughkeepsie, New York 12602
rmmjustice@gmail.com
845-485-8627
http://ruralmigrantministry.org/ |
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