“Let them know that reconciliation is possible!”…

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Awash in the light of the new day in Immokalee this morning, Wilson Perez (right) and his wife and 9-month-old baby boy listen to Pastor Miguel Estrada as he bestows an Ash Wednesday blessing (below) on dozens of farmworkers and their allies before they embark on the first leg of the Now Is the Time Tour.

Over 60 farmworkers and their allies head out from Immokalee at dawn, launching their 10-day, 10-city journey as “Now is the Time” Tour hits the road!…

In the cool, early hours of a beautiful March morning in Immokalee, farmworkers gathered at the CIW community center ahead of the launch of the Now Is the Time Tour with a To-Do list almost as long as the 2,800-mile tour itself.

After many weeks of preparation, a veritable mountain of signs and banners for the protests, hand-painted props for the tour theater piece to be performed at community meetings along the way, and food, drink, and medical supplies for the long days on the road had accumulated at the CIW office. Before the tour crew could head north, all those materials had to make their way onto the bus and into the many vehicles of the trailing caravan, and the front door of the CIW headquarters was swinging throughout the morning as members carried box after box…

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to the tour vehicles parked outside:

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Amidst the buzz of packing and last-minute preparations, men, women, and children poured into the office, ready for the 10-day trek. Spirits soared among the group as the day broke…

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and the time for departure approached:

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But before we could hit the road, it was time for one final item on the tour launch To-Do list — a blessing from Immokalee’s own Pastor Miguel Estrada of the Presbyterian Church. This morning marked not only the launch of the tour, but of the Lenten Season as well, and to celebrate, CIW members were treated to a special reflection on the meaning of Ash Wednesday and a blessing for their safety and success on the tour.

Always inspirational, Pastor Miguel sent the tour crew off with a message that captured the tremendous significance of the day, and of the movement that was born in the dusty streets of Immokalee over twenty years ago. Here is an excerpt of his powerful words this morning:

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You are the couriers of a fundamental message amidst the reality in which farmworkers find themselves. The need for justice is essential, and the need for others to still join this effort continues. And so we will continue to invite Publix and Wendy’s to come and reconcile with farmworkers so that they understand that they are a necessary part of bringing justice to those that work in the fields. And today, we ask that they repent… that they repent for the reality that they have fostered where there is no justice. And that is the message you bring today.

When you ask them to repent, you are not condemning them. As we have always said, we are not here to fight them. And in fact, it is quite the contrary. But this is something they still have yet to recognize. We know that this is something that will benefit them as well… it is an invitation to the entire industry to recognize that benefit. 12 corporations have already come to understand that new reality. That is why they have joined and become a part of the Fair Food Program. They understand that it is not the individualist or egoistical struggle of farmworkers, but rather an invitation to, together, do what is right.

And so take this message. Bring it to the ten cities in which you will arrive. Let them know that reconciliation is possible… We know that a true message is not simply material, but it is something that we carry with us in our hearts. And if you believe that truth, it will be a powerful message.

And so the tour crew rode north on its mission, faithfully carrying this message of respect for fundamental human rights to millions of consumers along the route of the 10-city tour, and letting Publix and Wendy’s know that reconciliation is not only still possible, it is just, and it is necessary:

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As CIW member Wilson Perez (pictured at the top of this post) said recently of the Fair Food Program, “I have lived something that someday children will read about.”

Today, he and his family, along with dozens of his friends and co-workers, are adding a new chapter to that book, and are looking forward to the day when Publix and Wendy’s help make history — together with workers from Immokalee, the Florida tomato industry, and 12 other major retail buyers of Florida produce — rather than continue to stand in its way.

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