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DOCUMENTSCommemorating International Migrant Day (IMD) in the U.S., the Boston Area and Massachusetts Thursday, November 29, 2007.- This is an open invitation to all organizations working for migrant workers rights in the Boston Area and in Massachusetts to hold a public event on Tuesday, December 18, 2008 to commemorate International Migrant Day. Unfortunately, there is not much time to organize a large event, but at a minimum the Boston May Day Coalition suggests holding an event at Encuentro5 in Boston from 7pm to 9pm. We would also support an event either in Chelsea or East Boston. If we think that we have the energy to organize a joint rally we would support that too. HISTORY OF IMD In 1997, Filipino and other Asian migrant organizations began celebrating and promoting the 18th of December as the International Day of Solidarity with Migrants. This date was chosen because it was on 18th December 1990 that the UN adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrants Workers and Members of Their Families. Building on this initiative, December 18 - with support from Migrant Rights International and the Steering Committee for the Global Campaign for Ratification of the International Convention on Migrants' Rights and many other organizations - began late 1999 campaigning online for the official UN designation of an International Migrant's Day, which was finally proclaimed on December 4th, 2000. The UN proclamation of the International Migrant's Day is an important step, offering a rallying point for everyone across the world who is concerned with the protection of migrants. The UN invited all UN member states, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to observe this day by disseminating information on human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants, sharing experiences, and undertaking action to ensure the protection of migrants. THE U.S. MUST SIGN AND RATIFY THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF ALL MIGRANT WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES The United States and the members of the European Union have not signed nor supported the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families. For these wealthy countries, this is consistent with their policies of encouraging undocumented immigration in order to super-exploit the labor of an underground working class. It is also ironic that one of the main reasons of forced migration of workers from their countries of origin has to do with the policies and actions of wealthy countries over Third World countries. The United States alone allowed the entrance of nearly 12 million undocumented migrant workers in 10 years, who have contributed billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. Now, the two parties in power, democrats and republicans, refuse to provide a legal solution to undocumented migrant workers, choosing instead to step up the repression of undocumented workers through raids, detentions, deportations and a systematic campaign to present undocumented migrants as criminals. In fact, the Bush administration has declared an all-out war against immigrants. RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MIGRANT WORKERS IMD is therefore an opportunity to recognize the contributions made by millions of migrants to the economies and well being of their host and home countries, to promote respect for their basic human rights, and to demand a stop to the war on immigrants. We should join the global solidarity movement for the promotion and protection of the rights of migrants and to use of the International Migrant's Day to highlight publicly the contributions made by migrants and to call on the U.S. government to ratify the UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Forward with transnational unity in the struggle for migrant workers rights! Please contact the Boston May Day Coalition at: 617-290-5614 info@bostonmayday.org www.bostonmayday.org cc. * AFSC Project Voice * Brazilian Workers Center * Center to Support Immigrant Organizing * Centro Presente * Chelsea Collaborative * Chinese Progressive Association * Comunidad Maya Kiche, New Bedford * Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador * Dominican Development Center * East Boston Ecumenical Community Council (EBECC) * Jobs With Justice Immigrant Rights Committee * Latinos Unidos de Massachussets * Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition * Martin Luther King Bolivarian Circle of Boston * National Lawyers Guild - Massachusetts * Proyecto Hondureño * Roca, Chelsea * Worcester Immigrant Rights Coalition * All individuals and organizations in solidarity with the rights for migrant workers of the world (No organization has been left out on purpose) |