IVAW sends support to "Fast for Fair Food" with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Student Farmworker Alliance.

I’m writing from day 3 of 6 of the “Fast for Fair Food” in Lakeland, Florida. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), Student Farmworker Alliance (SFA), and other allies are coming together to hold Publix grocery store chain accountable for the unfair working conditions that exist in the tomato fields that supply Publix.

While the grocery giant says it is not responsible for worker abuse and poverty wages that persist in the tomato fields of Florida, we know that large buyers can make dramatic changes in conditions and wages for workers if they simply agree to buy from growers that are doing the right thing.

I am proud to come here, join in the fast, and support this cause as a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. There are many threads that tie our struggle together with the movement for farmworker justice and I want to take a moment to highlight a few. The CIW and the SFA have been an inspiration to our membership as we have built an organizing force in IVAW.

Back in 2010 SFA member/organizer Marina del Mar came to Chicago and taught, facilitated, and shared with IVAW members as we developed our first strategic campaign, Operation Recovery.  She shared CIW and SFA’s story of the long struggle building the power it took to take on big corporate power like Taco Bell and win! We also learned about the relationship building and “spade work” it takes to bring people together, stand up for a common cause, and stick with it until we see the change we are fighting for.

Another thing that we have taken from CIW and SFA is the relationship that exists between members of affected communities (for them farmworkers, for us soldiers and veterans) and supporters (for them SFA for us Civilian Soldier Alliance-CSA). CIW and SFA have modeled the kind of work we want to be doing in IVAW in which those affected by war and military service speak for themselves and are encouraged to take on leadership. Like SFA our allies in CSA support the campaign and the work that moves us forward but also have an eye on lifting up the voices of the affected community.

Finally the most important influence CIW and SFA have had my work in IVAW is the continued focus on human dignity. As we have moved through the years and our work has taken on different forms, some things have become clear: war is dehumanizing, oppression is dehumanizing, and dehumanization of our selves and others causes harm.

Building community, especially with people diverse from ourselves, listening to people to really hear them, feeling solidarity with other oppressed people, and learning how we might oppress others; these are all ways to claim or reclaim our humanity and to live together in dignity. The “Fast for Fair Food” is an expression of human dignity and the ties of solidarity build here will be felt throughout this country and beyond.

The fast has a history almost as long as mankind. Fasting has been used as a tool to raise social and political consciousness, to express protest, and to get closer to the spiritual world. For me the act of fasting has been a chance to get in my body, get grounded in what I am standing for, and let go of the many distractions of day-to-day life. It is an offering of my self and at the same time a claiming of myself.

Already the power here is palpable. The feeling of the fast, now in our third day, is truly setting in, Publix officials are on the defense, and support from all over the state and beyond is growing. The resolve of the community is clear. Over forty CIW, SFA, and supporters are fasting here in Lakeland and many are fasting from afar or joining throughout the week. Publix will have to come to account with the demand that they join the Fair Food Agreement, which 10 other national corporations including Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Trader Joe’s have joined thanks to the work of CIW and SFA.

I’ll be here all week and into Saturday when this action will culminate in a 3 mile march from a local Publix grocery to the Publix corporate headquarters where we’ve been all week. Send your message of solidarity as a comment to this post and I’ll share it with everyone here.  If you want to stay posted about what’s happening with this Fast for Fair Food check out the pages of CIW and SFA or this page specifically for the Fast for Fair Food: http://ciw-online.org/fast/index.html