When I was in kindergarten for May Day we learned about the May Pole dances people do on the first of May in some cultures and we made baskets out of construction paper to fill with flowers for our families. That is the only specific memory I have related to actually celebrating the first of May. That and an awareness that is also (not coincidentally) recognized by the Catholic Church as the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.
Yesterday at the school where I work on Mondays, the sister who directs the school spoke to the children after they raised the flag. She reminded them that there would be no school today and encouraged them to do work in their gardens, yards, and houses. The years I worked at the orphanage, today was just another day that we were busier than usual because the children did not have school; honestly, this holiday just sort of slipped by me essentially unnoticed.
In Haiti today is Agricultural and Labor Day. It is a holiday; normally I would be teaching an English conversation class right now, but instead, since there is no school, I am writing this. Last night I did a little research on the internet because I recognized my own lack of knowledge regarding the significance of the first of May. It has a rich history including various themes, traditions, and spanning many cultures including traditional Celtic Spirituality(I will try to stay focused and simply offer this link that I found.)
In church this morning, the parish priest spoke about this day, recognizing that so many people lack jobs in this country and the problems related to the agricultural situation here. When I got home and opened my Facebook feed this morning I saw several posts about the first of May; one with similar sentiments to what the priest had shared.
How do you celebrate labor and agriculture when there is a lack of available work and the country does not meet its agricultural potential?
According to Index Mundi About 2/3 of people do not have formal employment in Haiti. Many people who do work are not paid wages that are high enough to lift them out of poverty. Teachers are not paid here even close to what would be considered minimum wage in the United States. It is interesting to read articles about social justice issues in the US, such as this one I came across this morning by Network in honor of St. Joseph the Worker. The needs in the US are real; it is important that they bring attention to the plight of US teachers as this article does, and yet when I read such articles while I am here, I often think of how same general problem is so much worse in Haiti.
The United States is at least partially to blame for some of the agricultural problems here. The US continues to export to Haiti heavily subsidized American rice which is sold for less money than those who grow it locally are able to sell it for. Many wonderful fruits, vegetables and grains are grown here. Sometimes it seems that too many of the same things are available at the same time; at the height of mango season, you can see many merchants sitting side by side all trying to sell mangoes along the roadside. When I see that I wonder, do any of them actually sell enough to adequately meet the needs of their families? Often it appears that there are many more sellers than buyers.
So many people here are working so very hard, simply to survive. People who are equally as deserving as any of us, to the possibilities, rights, and opportunities to thrive.
Whether you are dancing around a may pole,doing yard or housework, making construction paper baskets to fill with flowers, or working today, let us be aware of the justice issues related to work and agriculture and allow that awareness to move us to work for change until the last sentence in the Network article becomes a global reality. Then, we will all really have something to celebrate!
"All workers deserve dignity, fair compensation, and safe work environments that allow them to shape our shared future and contribute to the common good." -Mary Cunningham April 30, 2108 (https://networklobby.org/201804302918work/)
Happy May Day! Blessed Feast Day St. Joseph the Worker! Bon Fèt Agrikilti ak Travay! Happy International Workers' Day!
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