NISGUA has embarked on a new collaboration with the Coalition of Immokalee Worker's Radio Conciencia in Florida. Oscar Otzoy, one of the broadcasters from the multilingual radio station explained, "The program is very important to the work we are doing and...the interviews with people from Guatemala have been very important for the community".  

Last month's interview with Guatemalan activists from the Ixcán region reached thousands of workers from Guatemala and other areas of Latin America who are currently working in the Immokalee community and listeners called in to express concern about the planned construction of the Xalalá dam. Approximately 20-25 thousand agricultural workers arrive in southeastern Florida for the tomato harvest every year.

Upcoming shows will include interviews with former NISGUA tour speaker Pascual Bernabe, to discuss the issue of mining and community referendums in Huehuetenango, and with a representative from the Association for Justice and Reconciliation (AJR) to talk about the work of genocide survivors.

Oscar is currently on tour in the U.S. with the "Modern Slavery Museum" travelling exhibit.  "The museum presents the story of slavery in the country," Oscar told us from on the road, "This truck brings the story of the past, but also the story of the present."  Different cases of modern day slavery in the U.S. are presented in a cargo truck similar to the one in which Guatemalan and Mexican agricultural workers were imprisoned, forced to pay rent for the truck in which they were locked and then forced to pay $5 for a bucket of water.  "We are letting people know about the problems in the industry but we also have solutions and are presenting photos from our 'Campaign for Fair Food'.  We demand a 1 penny per pound raise for tomatoes, zero tolerance for slavery, and a voice for the workers on the job."   

CIW's Campaign for Fair Food has managed one historic victory after another in its campaigns to obtain a penny-per-pound raise and improved working conditions for tomato growers.  CIW has also entered landmark negotiations with fast food chains like Taco Bell, McDonald's and Burger King, institutional food service companies like Sodexo, supermarket chain Whole Foods and, most recently, the powerful trade association Florida Tomato Growers Exchange.

If you are in the Immokalee region, tune in to Radio Conciencia at 107.9FM.