Pilgrimage to Freedom

From September 4th to October 2nd, 2011 Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW) expanded the historic 2010 “Pilgrimage to Freedom” when we walked for 12 hours from Leamington to Windsor, Ontario and took to several rural townships where migrant farm workers live and work. Together we traced several stops of the Underground Railroad with migrant farm workers and contemplated history with the present.

We explored how these rural towns were once settled by former Black Loyalists and “runaway slaves” and how Canada, further north, symbolized freedom and hope. We discussed if this reigns true for migrant farm workers participating in Canada’s growing temporary foreign worker programs. We also held the awareness and recognition of Aboriginal Peoples’ right to the land where we all now find ourselves and came to understand various contradictions of our presence here as marginalized and colonized peoples ourselves. This video features our last stops in in the Pilgrimage to Freedom Caravan, including Toronto where we concluded with migrant farm workers who joined us from diverse rural townships and “home” countries.Caravan stops and dates:
September 4, 2011
Niagara on the Lake, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls
September 25, 2011
Windsor, Leamington, Chatham and Dresden
October 2, 2011
Simcoe – Brantford – Hamilton – TorontoFollow us on twitter @j4mw
http://justicia4migrantworkers.org/Special shout out and appreciation to No One Is Illegal Toronto for producing this powerful film and to all the migrant workers who made this Pilgrimage possible…

Produced by: No One Is Illegal – Toronto / Justicia for Migrant Workers

Music by: “Come Clean” by Jeru the Damaja