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Greetings!
Since 1999, Pax Christi USA has been a supporter of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), their struggle on behalf of justice for farmworkers, and their campaign to provide "fair food" for all of us. Beginning today, farmworkers and their allies are fasting outside the headquarters of grocery giant Publix Supermarkets in Lakeland, Florida. This "Fast for Fair Food" is aimed to encourage Publix to support the groundbreaking new partnership between Florida's tomato growers and farmworkers and demand that Publix support fundamental human rights for farmworkers. Fifty farmworkers and their allies -- faith leaders, students, and community leaders from across Florida and across the country -- will come together today in a six-day fast, their sacrifice undertaken in the hope of raising awareness of Publix's role in blocking progress in the fields and expanding the rights of the farmworkers who harvest the nation's food. 
Publix has turned its back on farmworkers' rights for far too long. From their belated public response to the finding of forced labor in their supply chain, to their cold-hearted disavowal of responsibility for labor abuse on their suppliers' farms generally -- "If there are some atrocities going on, it's not our business" -- to their unconscionable indifference in response to the Campaign for Fair Food, Publix has stood in the way of progress long enough.
This Lent, Pax Christi USA calls on its members to support the cause of our brothers and sisters who toil in the fields of Southwest Florida and throughout the nation. We stand with them, recognizing in their struggle the promise of our own liberation as well, and another step along the path that leads us to a society where justice and peace are enjoyed by all. We hope that you, your church and school, and your local Pax Christi group, will take time this week to register your support of the CIW. See the information below for how you can pray, study and act for farmworker justice this week. In peace, Johnny Zokovitch Director of Communications, Pax Christi USA |
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PRAY:
You have called us to walk in solidarity...
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By The Reverend Jim Boler
God of love and justice, we come seeking your presence and guidance. You ask us to walk with our brothers and sisters and tell us there are no strangers among us. Yet, we still turn against you and do not love one another as we love ourselves. We have sometimes failed to be generous with our time and resources, and have neglected opportunities to treat others with human dignity.
God, in prayer we remember those who today are struggling and organizing for a fair wage for the work they do; those who demand more respect on the part of their bosses and the industries where they work. We join those who seek stronger laws and stronger enforcement against those who would violate workers' rights; and we pledge ourselves to work to end indentured servitude in the fields.
Remind us that you have called us to walk in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who work in the tomato fields in Florida. We are thankful for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and all other organizations fighting for farmworker rights and dignity.
Hear our prayer, O God. Forgive us and hold us in your loving arms as we seek peace, build community and establish justice on earth. Amen.
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STUDY:
Reflections in support of the Fast for Fair Food
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A number of religious leaders, authors, and others, have contributed short reflections in support of the Fast for Fair Food and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. The reflection below is from Professor Carol Anderson of Emory University.
The decision to fast, to deny one's body essential nourishment, to turn away from the very sustenance that gives life, can only happen when faced with a soul-crushing oppression that has rendered that very life precarious in the first place. Freedom fighters from Mahatma Gandhi to Anatoly Marchenko fasted to expose brutal systems of oppression. They fasted to make clear that there were no chains, no jails, no retribution strong enough to shackle the quest for dignity and human rights.
The Campaign for Fair Food is in the same spirit. Martin Luther King, Jr. summarized it best. In his journey to shine a klieg light on the horrific labor conditions endured by the sanitation workers in Memphis, King observed, in the last speech of his life, that "When people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory." That is the core essence of the Campaign for Fair Food and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
Click here to read more reflections in support of the Fast and the CIW.
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ACT:
Three ways to be in solidarity this week
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1. Send messages of support to fasters. You can send messages of support to fast@ciw-online.org with "solidarity message" in the subject line. Each afternoon of the fast, statements of support will be read to the fasters outside Publix corporate headquarters.
2. Fast in solidarity. No matter where you are, you can fast in solidarity throughout the week of March 5-10. Fast one day, fast all week--whatever you are able to do. And please let the CIW know by sending an email to fast@ciw-online.org.
3. March on Saturday, March 10, in Lakeland, Florida. If you're in Florida, join with the CIW and their allies in a march to Publix corporate headquarters. Click here later this week to see more details.
For more information, additional actions, and more, check out the CIW website by clicking here.
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