Protests scheduled for Publix stores on both Florida coasts this weekend…
On December 10, 1948, in the aftermath of the bloodiest war the world had ever known, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. Today, 63 years later, people across the globe will commemorate that day in celebration of Human Rights Day. Here below is a short explanation of Human Rights Day from the United Nation’s website:
|
“Human Rights Day 2011 This year, millions of people decided the time had come to claim their rights. They took to the streets and demanded change. Many found their voices using the internet and instant messaging to inform, inspire and mobilize supporters to seek their basic human rights. Social media helped activists organize peaceful protest movements in cities across the globe – from Tunis to Madrid, from Cairo to New York – at times in the face of violent repression. Human rights belong equally to each of us and bind us together as a global community with the same ideals and values. As a global community we all share a day in common: Human Rights Day on 10 December, when we remember the creation 63 years ago of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On Human Rights Day 2011, we pay tribute to all human rights defenders and ask you to get involved in the global human rights movement…” read more |
If you live in South Florida and would like to get involved this weekend in the global human rights movement right here at home, the Campaign for Fair Food has not one, but two great actions for you.
On Saturday, December 10th, the fine people of Occupy Naples are organizing a protest at a Naples area Publix. Here are the details:
|
DECEMBER 10, SATURDAY — HUMAN RIGHTS DAY AND GLOBAL DAY OF PROTEST FOR THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT 12:30-1:30PM: Picket Publix, Riverchase Plaza, (NE corner of US 41 & Immokalee Road) 1:45-5:00PM: Caravan from Riverchase Plaza to Centennial Park for the Ft. Myers Edison Bridge Occupy March that begins at 3:00PM December 10—Human Rights Day—will be a Global Day of Protest for the Occupy Movement. Join us for a consumer-led picket of Publix, a major buyer of Florida tomatoes, who refuses to use its power to make meaningful changes in the fields. Tomato pickers face grueling work conditions, subpoverty wages, and in extreme cases, modern-day slavery! Workers rights’ are human rights. We call on Publix to support human rights for Florida farmworkers by signing onto the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ (CIW) Fair Food Campaign. The CIW is one of the leading human rights organizations in the world. It’s an honor to join them in their struggle. They have been written up in National Geographic and The New Yorker and also received the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award for their work against slave wages and modern-day slavery. They’ve challenged corporate giants—and won. Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, Aramark, Bon Apetit and Whole Foods have signed their agreement; Publix will eventually capitulate. |
You can contact Karen Dwyer for more details on the Naples protest.
Then, on Sunday, Fair Food activists on Florida’s east coast can join workers from Immokalee for a huge Publix protest also in celebration of Human Rights Day. The details for Miami can be found in the flyer at the top of this post.
And if you need any further inspiration to get involved, take a moment to read a great short article on the Campaign for Fair Food from the Ohio-based blog, “two dancing buckeyes… reclaiming the food we eat”. The post, entitled “The Florida Tomato Industry and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers”, was written by Margaret Gleeson, who worked for three years in Immokalee with Interfaith Action of Southwest Florida. Here’s an excerpt:
|
“… While these exciting changes give us hope for a more humane, more sustainable agricultural industry, they are still new and therefore very fragile. With the commitment of fast-food and food-service leaders, the last remaining sector of the food industry to put its support (and purchasing power) behind the Campaign for Fair Food is the Supermarket Industry. At this critical point in Florida Agriculture, it is vitally important that the supermarket industry commit to fair wages and working conditions for those who work in their supply chains.” read more |
See you in the streets, in the fight for human rights!