AGRA Watch

TIMOTHY A. WISE - AGRA Exposed for Censoring Criticism of its Green Revolution - The Elephant The Gates Foundation and its Nairobi-based agriculture initiative paid public relations consultants to remove critical content from AGRA’s Wikipedia description.

We are heartbroken today for the women who have come forward sharing their experiences of abuse and are outraged at the violence they suffered at the hands of Cesar Chavez. We stand in solidarity with them, and hope that they find vindication and justice for the hurt they endured.

We remain firmly rooted in, and proud of, the farmworker community who worked by the millions to move farmworker justice forward. We remain unwavering in our commitment to farmworker organizing, and self-governance, including the right to form and join a union, even in the face of the violence meted out on our communities.

Idolizing leaders overshadows the work of thousands of organizers whose collective effort is our true strength. We are all human and no one person in our movements is so important that they cannot be held accountable for harms they are causing, even figures as revered as Cesar Chavez. Workers understand that his actions disgraced the dignity of all workers seeking to hold up each other with solidarity and unity, for the ultimate goal of a just, dignified, and sustainable food system. Our victories stand on the shoulders of women who, because of patriarchy, have been forced to sacrifice their wellbeing, safety, and at times their dignity to fight for justice for others. The world we are working to make real is one where everyone’s safety, dignity, and power are actively affirmed and protected.

As an ecofeminist organization we commit to zero tolerance for sexual harassment, assault, and all interpersonal violence in our spaces and processes.

C2C is removing images of Cesar Chavez from our social media, communications and spaces, and will no longer hold him up as a model for justice. We will continue to trust in the courage of people who organize themselves and each other for structural change, and who commit to do so without violating the dignity of another compañera/e/o.