SFA is a national network of students and youth organizing with farmworkers to eliminate sweatshop conditions and modern-day slavery in the fields. We work in alliance with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers(CIW), a Florida-based, membership-led organization of mostly Latino, Haitian, and Mayan Indian low-wage workers. We understand our work—which formally began in 2000— as part of larger movements for economic and social justice.
Following a season that saw the initial implementation of the Fair Food Program in fields across Florida, another hard-fought victory in the Campaign for Fair Food as Trader Joe’s became the 10th corporation overall to agree to work with the CIW, and the continuing escalation of the supermarket and Chipotle campaigns — all signifying a crucial turning point in our work — this year’s Encuentro is set to be the best yet!
…Will YOU be there?
This September 13-16, one of our most important traditions will continue as students and youth from across the SFA network converge in Immokalee, Florida — the birthplace of one of the most successful movements for dignity and justice that our generation has seen — for the annual SFA Encuentro: an in-depth weekend of relationship-building, training, strategizing and reflection.
The opportunity to meet face-to-face at this year’s Encuentro will be integral to our organizing as we map out how to take the campaign to new heights and how to make SFA a stronger and more sustainable organization as we continue our fight for a more just food system. So come on out, whether you’re an SFA “old-timer” or just beginning to get involved.
In addition to strategizing, making campaign plans, and sharpening our organizing skills, we hope to provide a space for discussion and reflection about the nature and significance of our work: What are the meanings of “solidarity” and “alliance” in the 21st century? What are our global and local contexts, and what does this mean for our campaigns, strategies, and tactics?
As always, we know the Encuentro will serve not only as an inspiration but as a springboard for action for social change throughout the next year and beyond!
A note on the application process: Due to limited resources and the logistical constraints of holding such a gathering in a place like Immokalee, we can only accept a limited number of participants. The application process ensures that those who attend the Encuentro are representative — in many senses of the word — of SFA and the campaign.
Don’t miss your chance to join us this September 13-16 in Immokalee- apply today! Final deadline is Wednesday, August 15th. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
2012 Encuentro background…
- Fair Food Standards Council oversees compliance in order to protect tomato pickers (Fort Myers News-Press, 6/16/12)
- Making tomato farming less brutal(Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 4/20/12)
- Fast for Fair Food
- Chipotle’s Top Ten Falsehoods and Fabrications
- In the news: The Campaign for Fair Food
- Why your local grocery store makes farmworkers poor
- Pressing grocery chains, Florida tomato pickers start to feel gains
Reports from previous Encuentros & gatherings in Immokalee…
