As we turn the page on the hugely successful 2006 SFA Encuentro, we focus our attention on the upcoming fall season of escalating education and action as the youth and student movement in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers takes on McDonald's and more.
As we turn the page on the hugely successful 2006 SFA Encuentro, we
focus our attention on the upcoming fall season of escalating
education and action as the youth and student movement in solidarity
with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers takes on McDonald's and more.
From Sept. 21-24, over sixty young organizers and activists from
across the country gathered in Immokalee, Florida for our second
annual SFA Encuentro: three days of strategizing, skill-sharing, and
focused discussion about the struggle for fair food and building a
more just world. Check out the full report and photos at
www.sfalliance.org, and read on for some of the key next steps in the
Campaign for Fair Food.
1. Local Fair Food Networks
Delegations from the CIW and SFA have been hard at work in Denver and
Chicago -- the headquarters of Chipotle and McDonald's -- helping to
build local Fair Food Networks. But you don't need a fast-food
headquarters in your backyard to do the same. Across the country,
students, youth, people of faith, labor and community groups are
coming together to stand in solidarity with the CIW. The Alliance
for Fair Food (www.allianceforfairfood.org) and our recent work in
the Denver area (www.ciw-online.org/Denver_2006.html) provide living
examples of how to build a Fair Food Network in your community. Now
is a crucial time to build our bases and strengthen relationships
that will prove invaluable as the McDonald's campaign continues to
escalate. Contact us for more ideas and information.
2. McDonald's Mini-Tour: From Immokalee to Chicago
From October 14th to the 24th, farmworkers and their allies will
travel from Immokalee, FL, home of one of the largest farmworker
communities in the country, to Chicago, IL, home of the world's
largest restaurant chain, McDonald's. On the way, we will be
stopping in various communities and on several university campuses to
raise consciousness and join in some good old-fashioned protests.
This fall's mini-tour will visit Louisville, Carbondale, Urbana-
Champaign, Notre Dame, and, of course, the Windy City (Chicago) and
surrounding suburbs. Contact us to get involved, and stay tuned to
www.ciw-online.org for daily photos and updates from the road. If you
live in the Midwest, consider joining us in Chicago on October 20-21
for some very special McDonald's actions!
3. SFA Days of Action (Oct. 27-28) + Network Conference Call
The SFA has called for two national days of action on October 27th
and 28th, coming just a few days after the conclusion of the Midwest
Mini-Tour. The "1-2 Punch" of the Tour and Days of Action will be
crucial to demonstrate to McDonald's the broad base of support that
the CIW can call on in this campaign. Start organizing your local
action today! We'll be sending out some more ideas and resources
soon, but don't hesistate to contact us for more info. And to get
ready for the Days of Action, we will be having an open network-wide
conference call on the evening of Monday, October 9th. Contact
marc@sfalliance.org for the call-in number and access code.
4. Apply to be on the SFA Steering Committee
We're looking for dedicated and effective leaders to join the 2007
SFA Steering Committee. All the info you need to apply can be found
here: http://www.sfalliance.org/steeringapp.html. Applications are
due on Friday, Oct. 6, 2006. The current Steering Committee will
announce its selections by November 1, 2006.
In solidarity,
Student/Farmworker Alliance
__________
http://sfalliance.org
http://ciw-online.org
http://myspace.com/sfalliance
Original: Student/Farmworker Alliance Encuentro a huge success, next steps outlined!