US House Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade holding a hearing on proposed rules to protect child farmworkers from the most dangerous tasks

The US House Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade is holding a hearing entitled The Future of the Family Farm: The Effect of Proposed DOL Regulations on Small Business Producers on February 2, 2012, on proposed rules to prevent child farmworkers from taking on the most dangerous tasks. The new rules are intended to make paid farm work safer for the hundreds of thousands of children in the United States who labor in agriculture. They would not apply to children working on their parents’ farms.

“Sixteen children died at work in the US last year, and twelve of those were fatally injured while working on farms,” said Zama Coursen-Neff, deputy children’s rights director at Human Rights Watch. “The rules need to change to ensure that the most dangerous farm jobs are done by adults, not children.”

On September 2, 2011, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would make revisions to existing regulations pertaining to the employment of youths on farming and ranching operations.  Yesterday, February 1st, the DOL announced updates to the parental exemption portion of the proposed changes to better address farmers’ concerns.  The hearing will examine these rules so that members may better understand their potential effect on small business farm operations as well as youths working in or training for occupations in agriculture.

The subcommittee Chairman Scott Tipton (R-CO) issued a statement yesterday saying he believed “the rule altogether should never have been proposed” as it “would change long-standing and proven programs.”  Current child labor laws derive from the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act when agriculture was exempted from the protections given to children in other industries.  Children working in agriculture are permitted to do more work at younger ages than children working in other industries, they suffer more fatalities than they do in non-agricultural industries, and their work-related injuries tend to be more severe than injuries to children working in non-agricultural industries. Clearly something does need to change.

Witnesses include Nancy J. Leppink, Deputy Administrator Wage and Hour Division speaking on behalf of updating current child labor laws and Chris Chinn, Owner, Chinn Hog Farm testifying on behalf of the American Farm Bureau, Bob Tabb, Deputy Commissioner, West Virginia State Department of Agriculture, and Rick Ebert, Vice President, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and others speaking against new child labor protections.  You can read their statements on the Committee’s website.

Inocente – Film In Production

INOCENTE tells the story of a young Latina striving to find her artistic voice despite having no home, no role models and no legal status.  The only constant in her precarious life is her art and her determination to express herself through it.

INOCENTE is an intensely personal and vibrant coming of age documentary about a young artist’s fierce determination to never surrender to the bleakness of her surroundings.  At 15, Inocente refuses to let her dream of becoming an artist be caged by her life as an undocumented immigrant forced to live homeless for the last nine years. Color is her personal revolution and its extraordinary sweep on her canvases creates a world that looks nothing like her own dark past – – a past punctuated by a father deported for domestic abuse, an alcoholic and defeated mother of four who once took her daughter by the hand to jump off a bridge together, an endless shuffle year after year through the city’s overcrowded homeless shelters and the constant threat of deportation.  The challenges are staggering, but the hope in Inocente’s story proves that the hand she has been dealt does not define her, her dreams do.

Learn More About the Issues >>Learn More About Homelessness in the US >>Learn More About the Importance of Arts Education

Shine Global is currently seeking finishing funds for this beautiful documentary.  Please consider making a tax-deductible donation now and become a filmmaker with Shine Global.  CLICK HERE

Girls Not Brides

By Elizabeth Tornheim

Every nineteen minutes, a girl under the age of 18 is forced into a marriage. Oftentimes these girls are still trying to become educated as a way to increase their economic opportunity to escape poverty. And yet, as a Yemeni child bride explains, “it’s the men who give the order, and the women that follow.” As a result, these young girls are more likely to become victims of domestic violence, and have health problems related with early sexual activity. Girls under the age of fifteen are five times as likely to die in childbirth than women in their twenties, and child brides are at greater risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection because they lack say in rejecting unsafe sexual practices.[i]

These staggering statistics have brought together non-governmental organizations to work together to end child marriage, in a global partnership called Girls Not Brides. At the core, the organization helps facilitate collaboration between activists and NGOs to share the best practices of strategy, communication, and advocacy. By working to empower girls within their own communities, as well as by pressuring policymakers to bring attention to the issue, Girls Not Brides demands action at a local and international level.

The Elders, a group of prominent world leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela, established the organization.  In late September, the international campaign was launched at the Clinton Global Initiative, and leaders including Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former President of Ireland Mary Robinson announced the plans for the campaign. Now, organizations from across the world have joined to end child marriage including Equality Now, Save the Children UK, and World YMCA.

Girls Not Brides has already supported programs such as the Development Initiative Supporting Healthy Adolescents (DISHA); this program, based in India, has provided access to health services, increased awareness of the consequences of early child marriage, and given support to the community.  Another program called Berhane Hewan works in Ethiopia where child marriage is very prevalent, and affects 50% of young girls. Girls Not Brides has supported activists in this region working to inform young girls about relying on education rather than the men in the community.

Most importantly, Girls Not Brides emphasizes that child marriage cannot be ignored or seen as a matter of culture or tradition. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,  “marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.”[ii] Child marriage is not only a health hazard and harmful tradition; it is also a human rights violation.

You, too can stay informed about the campaign and find out the ways you can help by visiting girlsnotbrides.org. Although change is a slow process, each individual has the power to make an impact.

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[i] United Nations Children’s Fund, Early Marriage: A harmful traditional practice: A statistical exploration, UNICEF New York, 2005, pp. 12-13

[ii] The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

Eva Longoria on Executive Producing The Harvest/La Cosecha

“If you eat produce, this issue affects you,” said Eva Longoria in an interview with HuffPost LatinoVoices.

Longoria explains how many children die from heat exhaustion and lack of water. They are also constantly working in toxic environment. She said that even though the pesticide level was lowered, the level is suitable for a 160 pound person. “So if you are a child in the field you are exposed to 2 to 3 times as much as you are supposed to,” Longoria said.

The psychological effects are also most detrimental to their success, she said.

“These children don’t have an answer to ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ They feel like they don’t have any other options because they are stuck in the cycle of poverty,” Longoria stresses.

The DVD is now on sale from Cinema Libre Studio

Twitter: @theharvestdoc
Facebook: www.facebook.com/theharvestfilm

Read the full article on Huffington Post : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/17/eva-longoria-on-producing-new-documentary-the-harvest-la-cosecha_n_1016377.html

IndyKids- Newspaper by Kids for Kids

By Elizabeth Tornheim

For kids, the news can seem a bit dull. I mean, after all, its only adults watching the news every night right?

Indykids, a free newspaper written by kids, used the opportunity to report the news from a different perspective. No longer would the news consist of sitting next to your parents with your eyes glazed over, as confusing words and phrases were thrown at you. Instead, kids would be able to learn about events happening across the globe as reported by their peers.

In 2005, independent journalists, teachers, and students recognized the need to engage young kids in social change; and thus, Indykids was born. Once a month, a handful of students from the New York area produce a free newspaper about global issues. Kid reporters, ranging from ages 10 to 16 cover articles about the world, politics, science and the environment, and even book and movie reviews. In the past five years, the newspaper’s popularity has expanded, and now it reaches kids in nearly 200 classrooms across the United States. The newspaper encourages kids to take interest in world affairs and allows for kids to form their own opinions about what is happening around the world.

Teachers use the newspaper within the classroom as a teaching tool, for the newspaper provides activities to engage its readers through vocabulary development, critical thinking, and discussion. Chris Johnson, a teacher from Chicago recognizes that IndyKids has allowed students to “see that other younger people [are] making a difference in their communities” and has “encouraged…student groups to actually implement their own projects.” And yet, it isn’t just the teachers who have noticed the impact that the newspaper has had on the younger generation. Julian Rocha, a ten year old from Vancouver expresses how she “want[ed] to learn about different things happening around the world…but the way [they were] explain[ed] [in the news and newspaper was] so complicated.” Reading about world events by fellow peers provides a different angle, and has inspired kids to have a passion for social change.

Not only is IndyKids a great way for youth to become aware of what is happening worldwide, but it is also essential for the younger generation to have a enthusiasm for social activism. By encouraging kids’ curiosity about the world IndyKids has allowed for youth to form their own opinions and take their own actions towards justice and peace.

Check out the IndyKids review of Shine Global’s film THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA by IK Reporter ROBERT IVKO, age 12: http://indykids.net/main/2011/09/movie-review-the-harvestla-cosecha/

Want to join IndyKids as a Kid Reporter?
Attend one of the free, introductory workshops this Fall, where you can learn how to get started.
Saturday, October 15, 2011; 2-4pm
Saturday, October 29th, 2011; 2-4pm
Tompkins Square Library (in Manhattan, NYC)
331 East 10th Street, near Avenue B
FREE
If you can’t make the workshops, don’t worry. You can still be a Kid Reporter. Just send an email to: info@indykids.org telling them that you’re interested!

Associate Director of THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA, Julia Perez, on PBS’s Horizonte

Julia Perez, the Associate Producer of THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA, was on Arizona’s PBS show Horizonte to discuss the film and the consequences of child labor in America’s fields.  Horizonte, a weekly public affairs program, focuses on Arizona issues through a Hispanic lens and is hosted by José Cárdenas, senior vice president and general counsel of Arizona State University.

Cárdenas has interviewed a veritable who’s who of Arizona newsmakers on HORIZONTE. Governor Janet Napolitano, Congressmen Ed Pastor and Jeff Flake, Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, Mesa Mayor Keno Hawker, political consultant Alfredo Gutierrez, Arizona Attorney General Andrew Thomas, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Mesa Police Chief George Gascon, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and Arizona Supreme Court Justice Ruth McGregor have all joined Cárdenas in the Horizonte studio to discuss issues ranging from public policy to education.

Julia Perez has been advocating for many years on the issue of child labor in US fields and became involved in the film because she believed in the power of media and film to make real change–both in the stalled legislation to change child labor laws and the lives of child migrant farmworkers.

Intern with Shine Global this Fall

Shine depends on our wonderful  interns to help us complete our work.  Without them we would not be able to make our films.  We offer the opportunity to learn how our films are made and see the inner workings of both a small non-profit and an independent film production company.  Please note that we only hire college students for our internships and can work with schools to offer credit.

For all internships positions we are looking for candidates that:

• Are a student of an accredited college or university
• Have living accommodations in or around NYC
• Have at least 3.0 GPA
• Are interested in social advocacy, educational outreach, non-profit business, and/or media
• Must be able to work independently and meet deadlines with little supervision

We are currently looking for a Fall intern to start in September and work through December 2011.

GENERAL INTERN – Fall
LAST DAY TO APPLY 9/2/11

The General Intern helps in the office with research and development as well as various tasks as they come up. The General Intern also takes an active role in designing and implementing our online marketing. In the fall of 2011 we will be finishing the distribution of THE HARVEST, with Executive Producer Eva Longoria, working in post-production on INOCENTE and another possible project, developing a third documentary, and exploring the options of expanding into narrative features.

This internship offers the opportunity to be exposed to the inside workings of independent film production at a variety of stages as well as providing insight into the workings of a non-profit organization.

In addition to the qualities above, our ideal candidate would:

• start in September 2011 and be available to work the entire semester

• be familiar with MAC OS, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), social networking, and internet research

• be able to work independently

• have excellent organizational skills

• have excellent communication and writing skills

• Video editing and/or photoshop skills are a PLUS but not necessarily required.

• Spanish language skills are also helpful but not required

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Assist film producers in the office

• Help with fundraising events

• Research news stories, foundations, and potential project ideas

• Manage Shine Global’s social networking pages

• Update the Shine Global website

• Help with marketing Shine’s documentaries online

• General administrative work

• Simple editing projects

The internship is unpaid but we are happy to work with you to earn credit at your school.

TO APPLY

Please send a cover letter and resume to alexandra (at) shineglobal (dot) org detailing your qualifications, past experiences, and interest in film/non-profit work that make you the ideal candidate for this position.

General Motors joined Eva Longoria to screen The Harvest/La Cosecha in DC

General Motors supported Shine Global and the child migrant farm working community by sponsoring a screening of The Harvest/La Cosecha in Washington, DC.  The event was hosted at the Capitol Visitors last Thursday, June 16^th, by Eva Longoria, Shine Global, and GM.  GM’s support of the screening enabled Shine Global to show The Harvest/La Cosecha to members of Congress and their staff and aides as well as key activists and political organizers to illustrate the lives of the child farmworkers in the US who work to feed us all.  Earlier in the day, Eva Longoria joined Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard and other activists for children’s rights to introduce the CARE Act , which aims to raise the minimum age for children working in agriculture and offer them more protections than they have under the Federal Labor Standards Act of 1938.

Roybal-Allard joined Eva Longoria at the screening and spoke again about the need to provide greater protection for farmworker children.  “I simply do not believe that our child labor laws reflect how we as Americans value our children,” she said.  Dolores Huerta, the co-founder of United Farm Workers of America and activist for farmworkers’ rights, also attended the screening.  She has worked tirelessly to ensure that all farmworkers have rights and was brought to tears by the film.

General Motors is committed to building a healthy global community. The GM Foundation focuses on four key areas: education, health and human services, environment and energy, and community development. The foundation consistently serves as a leader in educational support within corporate giving programs. In health and human services, they provide support in research, prevention, and treatment of various conditions. In the area of environment and energy, the GM foundation is dedicated to providing support to organizations that aid in the protection of human health, natural resources, and the global environment. Within community development, the GMF supports programs that strengthen community awareness and improvement.

Their combined efforts within these four areas work towards the broader goal of building a healthy global community. The foundation works not just in the US but globally, funding programs in over 200 countries around the world. The diversity of their commitment allows the foundation to do make remarkable gains for humanity in a broad array of issues.

Shine Global would like to thank General Motors for their support of The Harvest/La Cosecha and the rights of child farmworkers.

Directed by the acclaimed director and human rights activist U. Roberto Romano, The Harvest/La Cosecha will be coming to theaters in New York and Los Angeles this summer and 30 other communities for special one-night screenings.  Please contact us if you’d like your community to be on of them!

Visit: www.theharvestfilm.com for more info!

Refusing to Bend – Threatened by pesticides near their homes, the children of CA farmworkers launch a battle

Threatened by pesticides in the fields outside their homes, the children of Central California farmworkers have launched a ground-level battle against agribusiness

Text by Rosie J. Spinks | Photos by Rowan Byers

It’s a short walk—about five or six steps—from the neat and cozy kitchen of Carolina Rios’s family home to the edge of the strawberry fields that serve as her backyard. On a calm Monday evening in April, Carolina’s father, Sabino, stands between two rows, his crisp white sweatshirt blending with the mist hanging over the farm.

Bending down, he places a ripe berry between two fingers and, with a flick of the wrist and a firm yank, plucks it from the plant. That’s the best way to pick a strawberry, he says. Sabino would know. He and his wife have been piscadores, or strawberry pickers, for 20 years, since emigrating here to Watsonville, California, from Mexico.

The berry that Sabino has picked in his demonstration is of a certain type: fresas chiquititas, he calls them. Small strawberries. They’re small because the fields in which they grow are too close to the family’s home to be treated with certain pesticides.

Sabino points to other fields visible from where he stands.

“Fresas más grande pero más peligroso,” he says. “Bigger strawberries, but more dangerous.”

Sabino and his wife have long known that the pesticides routinely sprayed where they live and work are potentially toxic. It’s why they wash their work clothes separately from their children’s clothes. However, they recently learned that a new fumigant approved for use in California may present an even greater threat to their family’s health. They have their daughter to thank for that.

“When I came home from school and told them about it, it was the first time they had heard of methyl iodide,” 17-year-old Carolina explains. Her parents nod in agreement.

In December 2010, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) approved methyl iodide for use in the state. This despite fierce and ongoing opposition from scientists, environmental advocacy groups, and agricultural communities, who say methyl iodide poses a danger to farmworkers and residents—though not to consumers, since this particular fumigant degrades long before it can leave residue on a crop. Meanwhile, the manufacturer, Arysta LifeScience, insists it’s safe.

For Carolina and her peers, there’s no debate. They believe that if methyl iodide is used in their community, it will end up in the groundwater they drink, in the air that dries their laundry, and on the boots that their parents wear home from the fields.

In the months since methyl iodide’s approval, no growers in the Watsonville or neighboring Salinas area have applied for the permit to use the pesticide. These young activists have had something to do with that. And they intend to keep it that way.

“My house is literally surrounded by the fields,” Carolina says frankly. “We’re doing this to protect our homes and our families.”

To read the full article please visit: http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201107/pesticides-farmworkers.aspx?sms_ss=f

To learn more about farmworkers and see the dangerous daily exposure to pesticides endured by child farmworkers and their parents see THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA coming this summer to theaters.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-HarvestLa-Cosecha/113753142021299
Twitter: @theharvestdoc

Watch War Dance Returns on shineglobalwebtv.com

Don’t forget that you can still watch War/Dance Returns, the short follow up documentary to War/Dance, streaming for free at www.shineglobalwebtv.com!

In the summer of 2008, director Sean Fine, executive producer Susan MacLaury, and the original “War Dance” film crew traveled back to Uganda for the first time since “War Dance” was filmed. Finally, the people of Uganda, were able to watch “War Dance,” the film dedicated to sharing their story with the world. Approximately 7-10 thousand of people came to see the film in the Patongo camp making a lasting impression on the entire crew as well as Rose, Nancy, and Dominic.

Rose, Nancy, and Dominic have blossomed into strong and determined young adults who have become leaders in their community. They are admired for their strength and courage, and their hope shines brighter than ever.

“War Dance Returns” aired on the Sundance Channel in May 2009 and screened at:

The Maui Film Festival 2009
The Indianapolis International Film Festival 2009
The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival 2009
DocuFest Atlanta 2009
Hollywood Film Festival 2009

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