Upcoming Events

Visit our website for additional information on the following events or the mark your calendar section in this newsletter: 

• Arm of the Sea Puppet Theatre production March 31st
  
• ROCLA monthly meeting April 4th
  
• Annual Public Libray Luncheon April 21st
  
• Just Us Jump Off April 28th 
  
• Concert at Riverside church in NYC on April 22nd
  
• Rural Sunday June 3rd

Sister Organization Links
 
Farmworker Legal Services of NY
NYS Labor-Religion Coalition
Justice For All
 
Contact Us
 
Email: hope@ruralmigrantministry.org

Address:
P.O. Box 4757
Poughkeepsie, NY12602

Phone: (845) 485-8627
Fax: (845) 485-1963

• We give thanks to the Hudson River Presbytery which will re-affirm their Covenant with Rural and Migrant Ministry on March 24th. What a remarkable ally the Presbytery has been through the twenty six years.
  
  
• It was a wonderful Black History Dinner, sponsored by the Daughters of Sarah on February 24th at the New Hurley Reformed Church. Highlights of the evening included: a delicious dinner with music, storytelling and other great performances.
   
• We give thanks to the rector of Trinity Parish (Episcopal) in New York City, who is hosting a house party in celebration of Trinity's partnership with RMM
  

ACTION STEPS 

Help farmworkers get equal rights.

Let your State Senator know that you want New York State Labor law to stop excluding farmworkers from human basic rights afforded others (including a day of rest, overtime pay and protections when bargaining collectively) Send an email or better yet, a letter to your State Senator (you can get their contact info, by going to: State Senator Information. 

Contact New York State Lawmakers and ask them to opt out of the federal mandate to make NY licenses federal identifications.  
 
Governor Eliot Spitzer is close to making a decision about whether or not New York should follow a 2005 federal mandate without an opportunity for debate or hearing. The Real ID Act requires all States, including New York, to turn their Driver's Licenses into a national ID card.
 
New York Civil Liberty Union estimates the Real ID Act will cost New York $1.05 billion over ten years to implement, will send driver's license fees soaring, cause numerous bureaucratic hurdles, raise the risk and consequences of identity theft, invade New Yorkers' privacy.  This effort will fail to do anything to keep New Yorkers safe.
 
Along with the risk of losing their licenses, many people would run the risk of losing their jobs due to a lack of transportation. The livelihood of thousands and thousands of rural families is at stake. The mandate would also increase the vulnerability and susceptibility to exploitation of undocumented workers by making them more dependent on their contractors. Furthermore, as more people lose their licenses, we will have increased numbers of uninsured, unregistered drivers on the road. This is a danger to all New Yorkers and a situation that will lead to higher insurance rates statewide.
 
Please call Governor Spitzer's office at or contact your state lawmakers about this issue and tell them "I support efforts to have New York opt out of Real ID."
 
To contact Governor Spitzer call 518-474-8390
To find your state Assembly member click here: State Assembly. To find out your state Senator click here: State Senator
For more information contact Ari Rosmarin, New York Civil Liberties Union at (212) 607-3358 or arosmarin@nyclu.org.

Speak out against Human Trafficking
Increasingly men, women and children are being held in bondage (including farmworkers) Here is a draft of a letter for you to modify to your State Senator.

Dear (NAME OF LEGISLATOR):

As an advocate of farm workers' rights, I have heard far too many stories of the exploitation of laborers who are doing the most back-breaking job of bringing food to our table. Among the most distressing of situations is of those caught up as victims of human trafficking.

I am very eager to see legislation passed in New York State that would ensure stiff penalties for those who prey on other people in this way and that would provide needed services for victims.

New York needs legal definitions and penalties related to the specifics of trafficking. Effective legislation would:

·

• Contain meaningful penalties: trafficking should be classified a C violent felony or higher to make sure perpetrators receive jail time
  
  
• Include a comprehensive definition: traffickers use a variety of means of force, coercion, fraud and intimidation and passport theft to control victims. There needs to be a broad enough definition to respond to these realities.
  
  
• Address demand: raise penalties on those who patronize illegal commercial sex
  
  
• Include sex tourism: whatever the status of prostitution in other jurisdictions, sex tour businesses should be prohibited from operating here
  
  
• Provide a defense for victims: a person's status as a trafficking victim should be a defense against prostitution charges
  
  
• Provide services for victims: survivors need a comprehensive set of immigration and social services, especially as they await federal benefits coverage
  

The Legislature has failed to reach a compromise on proposed bills the past two years. It is unacceptable that, as each year we hear of more and more cases of human trafficking in all corners of our state, perpetrators are going unpunished and victims are languishing without support. I will be joining many others in closely monitoring progress on legislation on this issue and holding you and our statewide leaders to account.

Sincerely,
 
---------------------------

Up-Coming Lobby Days for some of our sister organizations:

• March 26th New York State Council of Churches (For more info 518-436-9319).
    

 
MARK YOUR CALENDAR 

The fourth annual JUST US JUMP OFF - a gathering for youth and youth leaders, will take place on Saturday April 28th at Webb Horton. This day long event will feature exciting work shops, an open mike and great activities for middle school and high schools students. For more information Please review the Just Us Flier and Registration Form. The gathering is put together and led by the members of the Youth Arts Group of RMM.

Saturday April 21st at 9:00 am 6th Annual Public Policy Luncheon "Fear of The Other Working Toward a Just Immigration Policy", St Michaels 23 Main St. Geneseo, NY.  For more information contact Marilyn Wienk at marirose@frontiernet.net or Scarlett Emerson semerson@frontiernet.net.  
 
 
A concert featuring Ecumenical choir "Cantico Nuevo" at Riverside Church on 91 Claremont Ave between 120 and 122st New York, NY 10025.  This event will be held on April 22nd at 4pm.  Suggested donation is $10.00.
 
Justice For All speakers forum will be held on May 20th at 4pm at Pleasant Plains Presbyterian Church, 2 Fiddler's Bridge Road Staatsburg, NY 12580.  Chung Wha-Hong presents "The Current State of Immigration Reform?" 
 
Thanks to the leadership of the wonderful folk at Cornwall Presbyterian Church, we will be joining folks in eastern Orange County for a celebration of Rural Sunday on June 3rd. If you would like to join in, let us know and we will get you the information.
 
 
This year Farmworker Advocacy Day will be a virtual day!  We are putting together a complete farmworker advocacy day via the web!  You can join in and save time and money since you won't have to actually go to Albany.  It will work like this: You can join hundreds of others and listen to testimonies, songs and chants on line and you can even visit your legislator!  As soon as we get this set up, we will let you know!  Our goal is to have the virtual FAD sometime in May.
 

SUPPORT US 

We are beginning to put together the summer camps and other programs for our youth. this year we are pleased to announce a new day camp in Pine Plains that will serve northern Dutchess and southern Columbia county. Unfortunately the costs of offering a great summer camp are going up. If you would like to make a donation to support the children please call us at (845) 485-8627 or you can make your donation by mail P.O. Box 4757 Poughkeepsie, NY 12602

Do you know a College student who is looking for a great internship? Applications for Summer Internships are now being accepted - Visit our web-site for more info:

• Volunteers to help out part time in the office
  
• Drivers for our Youth Program (to ensure safety for everybody - we do background checks)
  
• Help with our Internet newsletter
  
• Journalists
  
• Donation of a relatively new vehicle with low mileage and in good working condition
  

Give Janaira a call in the office - if you are able to join us!
845-485-8627