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 Jimmy
Carter
November
20, 2003
To
Lucas Benitez, Julia Gabriel, and Romeo Ramirez
I
commend the decision of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial
Center for Human Rights to honor you as its human rights
laureates for 2003. Along with your colleagues in the
Coalition of Immokalee Workers, you have shown great
moral clarity and bravery as you work to improve sub-standard
working and living conditions for farm workers. Through
this award and the growing support of others, I hope
that you will continue your efforts with success.
President
Bush has highlighted the horrible practice of human
trafficking throughout the world, calling it a "challenge
to our conscience." Your actions and this award
raise awareness of such human rights abuses, also existing
within the United States. The State Department estimates
that 18,000-20,000 people are sold into the United States
every year. Many are sent to illegal agricultural work
camps, far away from public view, where their labor
feeds our families.
Your
efforts have led to successful local slavery prosecutions,
but the problem is not simply one of a few bad actors.
An industry-wide system and ethos rewards the lowest
possible costs, with massive cooperative purchasing
mechanisms driving wages below anything that could be
considered minimum. In the absence of adequate protections,
grave human righs abuses become possible.
It
is time for corporations to acknowledge their opportunity
and responsibility to take all reasonable steps to ensure
that their supply chains are free from substandard pay
or conditions. Your efforts have done much to highlight
these farm workers' situation and bring to our attention
the systems that allow them to continue.
Sincerely,
Jimmy
Carter
Mr.
Lucas Benitez, Ms. Julia Gabriel, and Mr. Romeo Ramirez
Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Immokalee, Florida
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