Apuntes de campo es el blog donde los estudiantes de Estudiantes en Acción con Campesinos (SAF) comparten historias de su trabajo directo en el campo con los trabajadores, el trabajo organizativo de base y las actividades de defensoría. Y también donde los trabajadores agrícolas comparten sus propias historias y esperanzas de cambio, escribiendo en el lenguaje que les resulte más cómodo a cada uno.
Messages of justice, confidence, and hope
– Nathaly Trinidad Flores, Solidaridad intern When I learned about SAF and the current conditions farmworkers work in, I was mainly confused on why this is a topic that was never mentioned in my almost 8 years in agricultural education. Especially considering how in North Carolina children as young as 12 are able to work in the fields and then be a student in a horticulture class at their local high school. In a curriculum designed to build agriculture advocates, how could that advocacy not extend to the people in the fields? My goal this year was to learn more…
All of life is connected.
Tony Nguyen, Solidaridad intern All of life is connected. That is what I will take with me after I finish my time here with SAF. Human beings, farm work, workers’ rights, land, land ownership, sustainability, and ethicality—it’s all connected. I came into SAF with a background in sustainable agriculture and Christian ethics. I already knew in many respects that farming was a deeply ethical issue. But I was surprised to find out just exactly what kind of ethics SAF was dealing with. We were not talking about ethics and sustainable agriculture in terms of carbon emissions or water pollution (although…
The big issue that was revealed to me: Heat Stress
Jazlin McDowell, Solidaridad intern As a Solidaridad intern with SAF this year, the big issue that was revealed to me was heat stress. Concerns about the health and safety of working populations have grown as global temperatures and heat waves continue to rise as a result of climate change. Among farmworkers, heat stroke is the leading cause of work-related death. These health and safety issues could be mitigated by having a heat standard. Only California, Oregon, Washington, and Minnesota have heat-standard laws that are meant to monitor heat and protect workers from the risk of heat illnesses. Until heat standards…
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Our stories and ideas matter
Julianna Rennie, Solidaridad intern Through working with Student Action with Farmworkers this year, I learned that the farmworker justice movement needs everyone! It’s normal to feel too small or unimportant to contribute to a cause. But when we come together, we become unstoppable! I began to internalize this realization during the final retreat for the Levante youth and Solidaridad interns. A group of high school and college students may not seem very powerful, but our stories and ideas matter. If everyone boycotts, lobbies their representatives, and spreads the word, our movement will succeed. And when we take action as a…
Union. Support. Fuerza. Poder. Empowerment.
Ana Rojas-Gabriel, Solidaridad intern Union. Support. Fuerza. Poder. Empowerment. These are words that I associate when I think of Solidaridad both as a term and a program. My participation in Solidaridad this year has allowed me to continue advocating for social justice while also providing space to learn about educational equity. It has been incredibly rewarding working with Levante youth and other SOL interns; throughout the year I have witnessed much growth. We have created a space to empower one another and share our personal journeys. In doing so we have been able to teach and inspire each other through…
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The actions we take matter
– Nathaly Trinidad Flores, Solidaridad intern This poster can be found in the hallways of the W.G. Pearson Center, home of SAF's office. Every week when I go get my lunch from the kitchen I pass by it and most times I stop to re-read it. ‘Hayti’ is a central part of history in North Carolina. It was a rich and vibrant district made by and for the Black community of the area. The unjust removal process of key structures that attempted erasure of this vigorous community was due to the high presence and tolerance of white supremacist values. The…