From the Latin America Working Group (http://www.lawg.org/):
Chocolates are great, but compassion is even better. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’ve compiled a short list of actions you can take today to spread love to those who need it now more than ever.
❤ Stand with children and families seeking protection
Tens of thousands of children, women, and men are being forced to flee their homes due to horrific levels of violence, corruption, impunity, and poverty in the Northern Triangle countries of Central America—El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. As violence continues to worsen in their home countries and as they search for protection, walls and refugee bans are not the answer.
ACTION: Sign the petition at http://org.salsalabs.com/o/625/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=21079 urging Congress to stand by immigrant communities by opposing Trump’s irrational immigration measures and unjust executive orders.
❤ Support flower workers in Colombia
Flower workers in Colombia are exposed to unabated health hazards and have been routinely denied their right to collectively organize, bargain, and strike. What’s more, from Valentine’s Day to Mother’s Day, they end up working up to 12-22 hours per day, six days a week, to meet with the high demand of the season while earning pay that is insufficient to allow them to rise out of poverty. Given that the United States is the largest importer of Colombian flowers, we must take responsibility for the unjust treatment of this industry’s laborers.
ACTION: Contact your representative (https://actionnetwork.org/letters/support-the-rights-of-flower-workers-in-colombia) and ask them to support Rep. Keith Ellison’s (MN-05) resolution to recognize Valentine’s Day as International Flower Worker’s Day to demonstrate the United States’ commitment to practices that respect labor rights abroad.
❤ Send a love letter to immigrants
In the last week, sweeping raids by U.S. immigration officials have separated hundreds of families. While officials have claimed these targeted deportations are routine, the immigrant community and its advocates are on high alert, scrambling to organize against these threats and to protect their own. While we work toward the long-term goal of comprehensive immigration reform that respects these communities rights, we must stand up for our immigrant friends now and show them that we love them.
ACTION: Join the #ToImmigrantsWithLove campaign and publicly (and proudly!) acknowledge your pro-immigrant stance. Also, don’t forget to sign the petition at http://org.salsalabs.com/o/625/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=21079 to urge Congress to support legislation that promotes comprehensive immigration reform.
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