Scores of students, youth to kick off 2018 by converging in Ohio at annual strategy and community building weekend for Wendy’s Boycott…

Hurricane Irma left more than felled trees and splintered roofs in her wake.

Some may remember that the 2017 Student/Farmworker Alliance Encuentro was originally scheduled for September, for the very same weekend Hurricane Irma crashed into the state of Florida, in fact.  And, in what was an agonizing — but ultimately very well-advised — decision, the SFA postponed its annual gathering and focused instead on hurricane preparation and recovery in Immokalee.

But, in the words of the much-beloved Fair Food Nation protest chant — “¡Ni lluvia, ni viento, detendrá el movimiento!”  Neither rain, nor wind, will hold back the movement… and the Encuentro will go on!

The Student/Farmworker Alliance network has set a new weekend to gather over 80 students and youth leaders for a weekend packed with strategy sessions, discussions, theater, and intensive planning — and this time, they’ll be doing it in Wendy’s own backyard, at the heart of the national Wendy’s Boycott, Columbus, Ohio.  Indeed, this special edition of the SFA Encuentro will take place at Ohio State University, where 19 courageous students fasted for seven days back in March to demand that OSU cut its contract with the fast food giant, sparking a nationwide rolling fast on campuses across the country.

Now, those students are going to be in the same room for a full weekend, planning an amazing 2018!  Here is the full scoop from SFA itself:

Spend MLK weekend building strategy and community in the struggle for farmworker justice at the SFA Encuentro!

Apply today to join over 80 young organizers from across the country in crafting the next phase of the Wendy’s Boycott at SFA’s annual student gathering.

The Fair Food Nation has been on the grind in the Wendy’s Boycott this fall… and we’re only getting started!  Hot on the heels of a gorgeous farmworker women-led march through Midtown Manhattan earlier last week, demanding accountability from Wendy’s Board Chairman Nelson Peltz for the rampant gender-based violence in the company’s supply chain, plans for the upcoming annual Student/Farmworker Alliance Encuentro are now in full swing. 

From Jan. 12-15, coinciding with the weekend our country celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy of creative nonviolence in the face of social injustice, the SFA network will come together for a gathering like never before… and you will not want to miss out on it. 

If you remember, the big Encuentro convergence was set for Sept. 7-10 but was postponed due to Hurricane Irma making landfall over Southwest Florida that same weekend. Following an action-packed fall, we’ll be hosting the Encuentro at The Ohio State University, one of the Boot the Braids campaign hotspots.  Another exciting announcement accompanying the big news is that we’re re-opening the Encuentro Application for those who didn’t get a chance to apply the first time around and are interested in attending! 

Throughout the long weekend, participants will spend time learning from the tremendous history and leadership of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and creating broad-based strategies with brilliant young organizers to take the national Wendy’s Boycott to new heights. The Encuentro offers skills trainings and organizing workshops, and a space to build community with like-minded individuals who share a vision for a world free from the bounds of corporate greed and impunity. 

APPLY TODAY!