SL blog post 1

Janet Audette

Activism:

This week was all about some research. After our sub-group meeting, where we discussed our plan of action for hosting the symposium, we decided to split up some of the work. My portion was to contact Lake Eola (in downtown Orlando) to request a facility to host our event. We were thinking that it would be a great place to contact other demographics and help to spread our word and perhaps gather more donations. Although I finally contacted the right person (Susan of Orlando Parks and Recreations gets an extremely long lunch break), our requests were not granted. There were simply too many lop holds and snags (AH , the simplicity of local governments…). Luckily, working in a large group has benefits as well as problems. We are able to split the work further, which allows tasks to be completed in a more timely manner but communication then becomes a bit of an issue.

Reflection:

The goals we are working towards and the information we are trying to spread are very connected to all of the ideas that we are learning in class. I was struck by a sentence that helped to put things in a bit of perspective for me. “This is the world in which I move uninvited, profane on a sacred land, neither me nor mine, but me nonetheless” (Minh-ha 1). Admittedly, in the text it made much less sense, but when applied to this project I seem to grasp her concepts much easier. Understanding the situation that the farm works are in, gives the text a tangible outlet for connection making. In terms of the farm workers current economic stand point in relation to the labor demanded of them; our text simply becomes much more realistic when applied to this project.

Reciprocity:

This project is allowing me to understand something that I have not previously had any knowledge. I readily admit to being ignorant of the situations that claim millions of farm workers across our nation. I am certainly more aware of the types of produce I purchase, where it comes from and who I will be supporting with my purchases. As far as the pesticides go, I think this will be a battle of mine for quite some time. I feel like it would be a wonderful project to push for a stricter regulation/screen process for pesticide use. So, I would say that this project is giving me the inspiration to work on yet more projects concerning the farm workers. I also feel that it is an extremely easy (and disgusting) scapegoat to classify carcinogens by a simple defect in molecule boding (or lack thereof). But alas, that is for another blog entirely… A feminist comparison of my enlightenment would be just that; curing my ignorance. The processes by which we (our group) move for a change mirror the feminist fight for rights in all economic and social avenues.

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Trinh, T. Minh-Ha. Woman, Native, Other: Writing Postcoloniality and Feminism. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1989. Print.

Service Learning proposal

There are three sections, which you should label, to the SL Proposal:

· 1. Contact Information:

• The Farm Workers Association of Florida
• Janet Audette
• February 10, 2011

2. Community Partner/Global Theme Profile:

· 2. Community Partner/ Global Theme Profile
The Farm Workers Association of Florida
1264 Apopka Boulevard Apopka, FL 32703
(407) 886-5151

· The global themes that we will be working with in relation to this service learning project include, but are not limited to brining awareness to the women rights are human rights campaign. (Snyder 8) Working with woman to organize for a fight to justice and knowledge. Margret Snyder states in Global Feminism Transnational Women’s Activism, Organizing, and Human rights that “Global issues are women’s issues, and the two are interwoven as threads in a fabric” (48).

· Our groups is working to bring awareness to the working and living conditions of the Farm Workers. Our course text, Global Feminism Transnational Women’s Activism, Organizing, and Human rights says that “Feminism is a goal a target for social change, a purpose informing activism, not a constituency or a strategy” (6). We plan to reach this goal by dividing in to sub groups in which we will reach out to the public and work with the women directly. Each of us has devised specific ways in which we feel it would be best to accomplish both of these tasks. We hope to assist the Farm workers association “by building a strong, unified force that gives voice and power to the farmworkers” (http://floridafarmworkers.org/about us).

3. The Project Proposal:

· Most, if not all, of the people working in our local farms are forced to do so under deplorable conditions. These farm workers are constantly exposed harmful (sometimes deadly) chemicals, excruciatingly long hours, and labor intensive days all for wages that keep them well below the national poverty line. Many of these women are not aware of their legal rights in regards to their safety. Their children do not have the proper access to education and healthcare. These workers and their families are being exploited on every possible level and many people directly participate in the grotesque oppression of these individuals without the slights knowledge. , Global Feminism Transnational Women’s Activism, Organizing, and Human rights says that “Human rights is seen as the central focus of sustainable human development: it offers the means, the ends, and a framework for assessing sustainable development and for guaranteeing a full array of rights that went well beyond those found in legislation and constitutions” (63). I too was a member of this group until just recently. Our course text, Global Feminism Transnational Women’s Activism, Organizing, and Human rights also states that “Feminist mobilizations often intersect with other forms of transformative struggles. Activists originally inspired by feminism may expand their goals to challenge racism, colonialism, and other oppressions…” (8).The vast lack of knowledge in the local community in regards to the lives of these farm workers needs to and will be eradicated.

· Our plan to work with the public community and directly with the farm working community has lead to the development of sub groups. Since everyone in the class has ideas of how to better our cause we have developed many plans of action. In attempts to access our local community, Heather and I have been discussing the idea of working local farmers markets to spread knowledge through flyers/pamphlets/information packets. Heather as also discussed the idea of traveling to my home town of Vero Beach and work alongside women in community gardens. Gumbs and Atena have developed an idea of hosting a symposium. Our class has also discussed the idea of holding fundraisers at all of these events. Since the farm workers earn such low wages, they are in constant need of certain items and we would be working to find out exactly what they need and seeking donations for those items. Some of these items will include food, clothes and hygiene products. We will also be attending a W2W conference in which we will be assisting in the mechanics of the seminar.

· I plan to work a lot with the local community and bring awareness to the conditions that these individuals are forced to work. I plan to create informational packets or flyers that provide information that the local community is not aware of. I am fortunate enough to have some knowledge of chemicals and their effects on environments and human bodies. I plan on contacting scientists who work with the pesticides used in these farms to gather more information. In order to create these flyers I will need to further my research on the pesticides used in the fields. I definitely plan to consult my fellow group members and devise some all inclusive information packets that will allow a plethora of information on these farm works. In my opinion, it is paramount to involve our local community and bring attention to the conditions that the farm workers endure. I plan to work in the community gardens with Heather to gain a better understanding of the effort involved in supplying the produce that so many of us take for granted. I also plan to assist Gumbs in her action to organize an event to spread awareness to the local community. Finally, I will also help in a means to fundraise for needed items for the farm workers.

· This time line is preliminary and will change once our dates are more concrete and our work has started

• February:
• Tour Apopka Farms
• Contact Service Learning coordinator and determine Farm worker needs for fundraising purposes
• Establish venue for symposium
• Create fliers/informational packets
• Locate time and places of farmers markets
• Work with public to raise awareness
• March
• Work in community gardens
• Work with public to raise awareness
• Collect donations
• April
• Work with public to raise awareness
• Collect donations
• Host event

Works Cited:

Ferree, Myra Marx., and Aili Mari. Tripp. Global Feminism: Transnational Women's Activism, Organizing, and Human Rights. New York: New York UP, 2006. Print.

The Farm Workers Association of Florida. 2011. 9 February 2011 .

"MSDS Methyl Iodide." ScienceLab: Chemicals & Laboratory Equipment. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.

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