It was an article in the Christian Science Monitor that inspired me to act.  This article made clear that Chiquita was not only paying protection payments, but it might have actually been providing actual physical support by transporting over 3,000 assault rifles.  It also made the human costs of funding paramilitary organizations very clear to me.  Since reading this article I have become even more convinced of the necessity to raise awareness about this injustice and take action.

I'm not going to play any games in this post.  The primary reason I think it is important to act on this is because I believe this case illustrates global inequity more than any other.  This inequity that is not only tacitly accepted, but is actively enforced by the governments of our nations.  The citizens of different nations are not born equal and I believe this campaign has the potential to bring this reality to light and inspire people to do something about it.

But there is so much more that is great about this campaign.  In an increasingly polarized world, discussing an increasingly polarizing subject matter, people of vastly different political persuasions can come together and agree on this injustice.  Just like I think people can agree that the only way that we're really going to solve migration problems on this globe is if we start giving people a reason to stay. 

Recent occurances lead me to believe that this campaign isn't a pie in the sky endeavor, but there is actual political and legal support behind claims for justice in the case of Chiquita.  The media has been excruciatingly slow to cover this but if the media choose to wake up justice will roll down like a roaring waterfall instead of a trickling stream.  There is a possibility for real change here and I am pleading with everyone that is reading this to take a more active role in this campaign.

I'm not going to ask for anything concrete, yet.  I think it's better to continue with my modest goal of getting a hundred blogs to cover this ten at a time.  Still, email me at kyledeb at gmail dot com if your interested in getting involved further.  Something as simple as getting another blog to cover this is extremely helpful. 

I've already been criticized from both sides with this campaign.  I've been accused on the right of being unrealistic and of not taking into account the concerns of U.S. citizens.  On the left I was sent an email that accused me of being patriarchial.  Of arrogantly coopting others causes into my own when I should be supporting others instead of trying to assume a leadership role.  I won't comment on either criticism here except to say that I appreciate them because they help make me stronger, and to say that only God can judge my actions and I can only do what I believe is right in the meantime.

Taking into account these criticisms along with the posts of so many others I'm going to outline actions that I think we should take.

1. Raise Awareness

At this point in time this is really the most effective step that anyone can take.  I've been publicly trying to get blogs to cover this issue, but there is so much more to this course of action.  I've been regularly writing media outlets asking them to cover our campaign.  I've been talking to grocery store managers asking them to talk Chiquita bananas off the shelves.  I've been talking to individuals to educate them about the heinous crimes that have been committed to bring cheap bananas into our stores.  This can be done right now with relatively little effort and I encourage you to email me at kyledeb at gmail dot com if you want to help out.  Things like setting up a website, a petition, and designing fliers for people are definitley things that I'm looking for people to help me out with but I can't do it alone.

2. Buy Fair Trade Bananas -- Boycott Chiquita

There's a lot to be said about the effectiveness of boycotts but I think this specific case merits a call for a boycott.  The fact that Chiquita's revenue went up 3% this last quarter is unnacceptable considering they just plead guilty to supporting organizations responsible for the death and suffering of so many people in Colombia.  Some people have suggested not eating bananas at all but I think the most helpful route is to buy fair trade bananas.  Here's a Boston Globe article on fair trade bananas, and this is my favorite fair trade banana company, Oke USA.

3. Seek Justice

I've used the battle call "Extradite Chiquita Executives" in this section just because I believe it is shocking enough to grab people's attention.  Recently, though, I've had reason to believe that there might be some actual progress in this area.  There is definitely more on this to come but in the meantime I suggest you support two different things that have the potential to be really explosive.

Lawyer William J. Wichmann is helping 22 families sue Chiquita on behalf of family members that died in the conflict in Colombia.  We should support this in anyway that we can.

Congressman Bill Delahunt recently chaired a committee inquiring into U.S. business ties in Colombia and I suggest we support his efforts in anyway that we can.

I really think we can make a difference here and I appreciate any help I can get with this.  The following are the first 20 blogs that have spoken out against Chiquita, directly or indirectly as a result of this campaign.

1. Burnzpost
2. Jottings
3. Video Store Blues
4. Eleanor Duckwall
5. Blog4Brains
6. Elevator Up
7. One Step Closer
8. Islamophobia Watcher
9. The Garlic
10. aTypical Joe
11. Vox Ameliae
12. NoisyRoom
13. Samadhisoft
14. Writeous Sister Speaks
15. Chromed Curses
16. Lucky White Girl
17. Foreign Perpectives
18. Desde Kinshasa
19. Why Am I Not Surprised
20. Crooks and Liars