Dear ,

COVID-19 has drawn attention to the unfair treatment of migrant workers in Canada and the systemic problems with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The precarious situation of migrant farmworkers in particular has been in the news , with several workers dying from the virus and numerous workers vulnerable to contracting it.

The food system in Canada relies heavily on migrant farmworkers, who regularly face exploitive conditions. Join Inter Pares for a webinar discussion on migrant workers’ rights with activists Min Sook Lee, Gabriel Allahdua and Karen Cocq. Express solidarity with migrant workers and hear how you can support their rights.

As background for the discussion, we encourage all participants to watch Min Sook Lee’s award-winning documentary Migrant Dreams ahead of the event. Inter Pares financially supported the film from its inception, believing it to be an invaluable tool in raising awareness about farmworker conditions and in pressuring the federal government for change.

Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Time: 7:00 to 8:15 pm ET
Panelists
Min Sook Lee is an award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter and community activist. She has directed numerous critically acclaimed documentaries, including, on the theme of migrant worker rights: El Contrato (2003), nominated for the Donald Brittain Gemini, and Migrant Dreams (2016). Min Sook is an Associate Professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design University where she teaches Art and Social Change. She was a candidate for the 2019 Canadian federal election, representing the riding of Toronto-Danforth.
Gabriel Allahdua is a former farmworker from St Lucia, and an organizer with Justice for Migrant Workers (J4MW) . Gabriel came to Canada in 2012 after a hurricane devastated his country, destroying the livelihoods of rural farmers. As an organizer with J4MW, Gabriel has been able to support many other workers in learning and standing up for their rights at the workplace. He has given numerous media interviews and helped draw national attention to the situation affecting migrant workers in Canada.

Karen Cocq is Campaigns Coordinator for the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change . She has been active in migrant justice, workers' rights, and anti-poverty organizing for almost two decades. Karen was program manager for Central America at Inter Pares from 2007 to 2011.
I hope you will be able to join the conversation about migrant worker rights on July 29!

In solidarity,

Lorraine Hudson
Community Engagement Manager