Social Justice

Enrique Balcazar en compañia de Yesenia Hernandez-Ramos, líder de Justicia Migrante, hablan todo sobre la marcha de 13 millas para demandar a B&J a firmar el acuerdo de Leche con Dignidad. Esau y Yesenia acaban de ser liberedos bajo fianza despues de ser arrestados por la patrulla fronteriza el mismo dia que marcharon las 13 millas con Justicia Migrante y hoy nos cuentan su experiencia. Invitan a la comunidad a participar en dos eventos emocionantes, El Gran Torneo de Futbol! y Asamblea Addison! ¡Miren el programa y únanse con la lucha por los derechos humanos con Justicia Migrante!

Enrique Balcazar, in the company of Yesenia Hernandez-Ramos, leader of Migrant Justice, talk about the 13-mile march to demand B&J to sign the Milk with Dignity agreement. Fellow Migrant Justice member Esau and Yesenia were just released on bail after being arrested by the border patrol on the same day that they marched 13 miles with Migrant Justice and today tell us their experience. They invite the community to participate in two exciting events, The Great Soccer Tournament! and Addison Assembly! Look at the program and join the fight for human rights with Migrant Justice!

For more information visit: http://migrantjustice.net/

Neighborhood Planning Assemblies (NPAs) are grassroots, neighborhood organizations that were established in each of Burlington's seven Wards to empower citizen participation in City government. Working as neighborhood advocacy groups, Neighborhood Planning Assemblies facilitate communication between the citizens of Burlington and city government through regular meetings scheduled in each Ward. Wards 4 & 7 meet the fourth Wednesday of the month.

Meeting place: Robert E. Miller Community Center 130 Gosse Court.

Using excerpts from Ethan’s writings, Jim Hogue makes a case that Ethan’s vision for Vermont was that of a sovereign state where reason and science would find a welcome, and where international trade and cultural exchange would bring peace, prosperity, and understanding.

In the early morning light, at 7am on Saturday June 17th, nearly 150 farmworkers and supporters gathered in front of the Vermont State House gearing up for what would be an historic day. Nearly two years to the day when Ben & Jerry’s made its still-unfulfilled public commitment to Milk with Dignity, Farmworker organizer Enrique “Kike” Balcazar kicked off the action:

“Today, we are marching 13 miles to Ben & Jerry’s to make sure they make good on their promise they made two years ago to join and implement the Milk with Dignity Program, because our human rights cannot wait a single day longer.”

The march meandered through Vermont’s iconic working landscapes, through sleepy towns where more marchers joined in as it progressed (see pictures below). By the time the colorful caravan rolled its way through Waterbury and poured into Ben & Jerry’s factory under the hot afternoon sun, the crowd had doubled to over 250 people, chanting: “Get up! Get down! Milk with Dignity is Coming to Town.” After a roving picket line at the factory, Vermont dairy workers, standing shoulder to shoulder with national farmworker rights leaders Lucas Benitez (co-founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers) and Librada Paz (RFK Human Rights Laureaute), delivered a huge letter of support to Ben & Jerry’s CEO Jostein Solheim signed by 15 prominent Human Rights organizations, including the ACLU and Human Rights Watch. Solheim addressed the crowd:

“We have all the key pillars of this program defined and clear. We’ve incentivized it. We’ve got the right incentive structures for workers and farmers and we’re ready to go. Ben & Jerry’s is ready to go.”

Farmworker leader Wilmar then told the crowd, “After a long hard day of marching in the sweltering heat, with many of us workers skipping meals and sleep between our 12 to 14 hour days in order to be here, it is great to hear these words from Ben & Jerry’s. But as we have learned in this process, we must keep up the pressure until we have a signed agreement committing Ben & Jerry’s to source its milk in compliance with the human rights of dairy workers by joining the Milk with Dignity Program.”