Farmworker Justice Statement on the XIX International AIDS Conference:

On the Eve of the official opening of the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC, Farmworker Justice would like to formally reaffirm our commitment to fighting HIV and AIDS in farmworker and Latino communities in the U.S.

Farmworkers have historically been left out of most HIV and AIDS prevention efforts, making them an underserved population.  As a partner of CDC’s Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI), Farmworker Justice is working to provide farmworker and Latino organizations with the tools they need to combat this epidemic. Farmworker Justice has been involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS for almost 20 years and is determined to stay in the fight until the end.

We welcome and salute all the participants and delegates to this very important conference.  The selection to host the XIX International AIDS conference in Washington, DC provides a unique opportunity to discuss the impact of this disease domestically, while recognizing the international dimension of HIV/AIDS in transnational labor forces.

Farmworker Justice staff will be actively participating in the XIX International AIDS Conference, including a special satellite session on Responses to HIV and Migration in Western Industrialized Countries: Current Challenges, Promising Practices, Future Directions.  We hope to raise awareness of farmworkers’ needs for HIV prevention and treatment programs along with the challenges in developing culturally, socially, and linguistically competent initiatives for communities that are often mobile, disenfranchised, and living in the shadows of “mainstream” society.