Live Son Jarocho Music/Taco Bell Boycott Victory Celebration

*Please RSVP to info@oaklandinstitute.org.

LIVE SON JAROCHO MUSIC AND CELEBRATION

SPECIAL GUESTS:

* SON DEL CENTRO, a spirited Son Jarocho music group out of Santa Ana, CA

* GERARDO REYES CHAVEZ, member of the COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS (Florida-based grassroots farmworker organization)
Gerardo has worked in the fields since age 11, first as a peasant farmer in Zacatecas, Mexico, and later in the fields of Florida. He joined the CIW shortly after his arrival in the U.S. in 2000 and has become a dynamic community organizer and nationally-recognized human rights leader.

BACKGROUND:
After nearly four years of a tenacious and growing national boycott, Taco Bell and its parent company, Yum Brands, finally agreed to take responsibility for the sweatshop conditions in their supply chain. On March 8th of this year, Taco Bell signed an historic agreement to "work with the CIW to improve working and pay conditions for farmworkers in the Florida tomato fields."

This ground-breaking agreement set several important precedents, including the first-ever direct, ongoing payment by a fast-food industry leader to farmworkers in its supply chain; the first-ever enforceable Code of Conduct for agricultural suppliers in the fast-food industry (which includes the CIW as part of the investigative body for monitoring worker complaints); and market incentives for agricultural suppliers willing to respect their workers' human rights, even when those rights are not guaranteed by law.

The boycott victory was celebrated by supporters from former President Jimmy Carter to former guitarist for Rage Against the Machine, Tom Morello, who said of the agreement, "This is a major victory for the workers and demonstrates that by standing up and standing together, we can overturn any injustice. By standing up and standing together, we can change to world." The US. Congressional Hispanic Caucus remarked, "This is a truly historic agreement, marking perhaps the single greatest advance for farm workers since the early struggles of the United Farm Workers."

Come hear the story of how farmworkers from one of the country's poorest towns took on a corporate giant larger than McDonald's...and won! Learn how they organized an aggressive national campaign of creative actions and mass mobilizations that never wavered, grew stronger with the commitment of youth, religious and union allies, and finally convinced the world's largest restaurant company to change the way it does business forever.

Join Son del Centro and the Bay Area community to honor the CIW's innovative work and celebrate this important victory for human rights.

Live community music - a "fandango" - will follow the CIW presentation. Bring your musical instruments if you have them!

For more info. on the CIW's campaigns, visit http://www.ciw-online.org.
For more info. on this event or to R.S.V.P., please contact info@oaklandinstitute.org.

DIRECTIONS FROM 19th St. BART: Exit station at 20th St., walk down 20th St. (Thomas L Berkley Way) towards Lake Merritt (you'll cross Franklin St. and Webster St. before arriving at Harrison). Turn left on Harrison St. and walk up to 2501 Harrison (at 27th St.) Church will be on your left. 8-10 minute walk. If needed, shuttle can be provided back to BART following the event. Free parking in back of church. ** ENTER EVENT AT BACK OF CHURCH THROUGH BLUE DOOR. **

Sponsors include KPFA, the Oakland Institute, Bay Area CIW Allies, and the Alliance for Fair Food.