US bishops' award highlights plight of Florida agricultural workers-- including slavery

November 11, 2009

In presenting their Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award to Brigitte Gynther, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is highlighting the plight of Florida agricultural workers-- a plight that shockingly has included modern-day slavery. The 27-year-old activist coordinator of Interfaith Action of Southwest Florida has combated slavery and human trafficking while supporting restaurant boycotts that eventually led to the near doubling of wages for local tomato pickers.

The award is being given under the auspices of the controversial Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). “Brigitte’s commitment to standing with the Immokalee workers is a powerful illustration of CCHD’s work to empower low-income people to address the root causes of poverty in their communities,” said Auxiliary Bishop Roger Morin of New Orleans, under whose leadership CCHD ceased to fund the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). “Her support for the farmworkers’ struggle to ensure that human dignity and basic rights are protected is an illustration of the Gospel call for the faithful to stand in solidarity with those who are vulnerable.”

 

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Further information:

• Florida Young Adult Receives National Award For Efforts To Support Farmworkers (USCCB)
• Brothers receive 12-year prison terms in Immokalee human slavery case (Naples Daily News)
• PC(USA)-backed farmworkers help bring slave bosses to justice (PNS)
• Five recent cases with slavery convictions (Palm Beach Post)
• Interfaith Action of Southwest Florida
• Bishop discusses reasons behind cutoff of ACORN funding (CWN, 11/14/2008)