Remove Coca Cola Products from Loyola Academy

Class of 2007's Officers (continued)

2006-08-25T09:18:00.000-05:00

Due to my recent trip back to Poland, the introductions were slightly delayed. However, we are now ready to introduce the remaining members.

"My name is Andrew Paleczny. I am a senior at Loyola Academy involved with junior achievement and a member of the conservative forum. Although my political views may differ from some involved in the cause, I feel that there is a violation of human rights in Columbia and it is my duty along with both of my partners to inform people of the injustices. I heard of the campaign while attending the school presentations on April 12th. I am looking forward to working with the Killer Cola campaign at Loyola."

Our third and final officer will be introducing himself soon.

Class of 2007's Officers

2006-08-11T17:45:00.000-05:00

After almost two months, the Killer Cola selection process is now complete. We would like to congratulate all of our fifteen finalists (out of an original pool of over one hundred), but sadly only a select few could be chosen. For the next couple of days, the officers for the 2006-2007 school year will be introducing themselves. First in line, we have Nikoletta Lelis:

"Hello everyone. My name is Nikoletta Lelis. I am currently a senior at Loyola, and I attended St. Philip the Apostle in Northfield for elementary school. I first heard about the Killer Cola campaign while attending a Dumbach Scholar presentation last spring in the theater. I was shocked to learn of the human rights violations, and I decided to get involved. That's why I'm here now. Until next time...."

More officers will be introducing themselves soon.

- Dan Wozniczka

Far From Over

2006-08-06T21:11:00.000-05:00

This summer, Loyola Academy held its selection process in order to appoint students of the class of 2007 to leadership/management roles within the Killer Cola campaign. Until recently, the proceedings of the selection process had been kept strictly confidential (thus the lack of posts on the website in the past few weeks), but after weeks of nominations, interviews, and eliminations, the selection process is nearing an end. The names of the chosen students will be announced later this week. Stay tuned.

Don't Give Up!

2006-06-08T11:26:00.000-05:00

Here is an update on the Killer Coke Campaign. Two American labor unions have brought a new lawsuit against Coca-Cola. Here is information on the lawsuit from Killer Coke and the plaintiffs:

Campaign to Stop Killer Coke Alert

Below is a press advisory and a link to a copy of the lawsuit filed on June 2, 2006 against The Coca-Cola Co. and its largest bottler in Colombia, Coca-Cola FEMSA, by the International Labor Rights Fund and the United Steelworkers union. We are sending this lawsuit to Campaign supporters worldwide for your information. We hope that you will find the information useful to inform others that human rights abuses against Colombian workers and leaders by Coke continue to this day.
ILRF & USW Bring New Complaint Against Coca-Cola,
Alleging Complicity with The Colombian DAS
and AUC Paramilitaries In Killing of Labor Leader

June 5, 2006

Contact:
Terry Collingsworth (202) 347-4100, Ext. 104;
Daniel Kovalik (412) 562-2518

On Friday, June 2, 2006, the ILRF and USW filed a new Alien Tort Claims Act case against the Coca-Cola Company and its Latin American Bottler, Coca-Cola FEMSA. This new Complaint charges that managers at the Coke bottling plant in Barranquilla, Colombia conspired with both the Colombian Administrative Department of Security (“DAS”) and the AUC paramilitaries to intimidate, threaten and ultimately kill SINALTRAINAL trade union leader Adolfo de Jesus Munera on August 31, 2002. The Complaint further alleges that, despite a number of warnings to Coca-Cola management in Atlanta that the management at the Barranquilla bottler has continued to meet with and provide plant access to paramilitaries, the paramilitary infiltration of this bottling plant continues unabated to this day. Meanwhile, these same paramilitaries have continued to threaten SINALTRAINAL members and leaders with death and even kidnapped the child of one SINALTRAINAL leader to pressure him into refraining from his union activities.

These allegations come at a time when the DAS in Colombia has come under fire for collaborating with paramilitary forces. In particular, credible allegations have surfaced in recent weeks that the DAS, which has responsibility to protect trade unionists under threat has actually been creating and maintaining hit lists of trade union leaders and providing these lists to the paramilitaries to act upon. These allegations also come at a time when the Coca-Cola Company has been kicked off of numerous campuses throughout the U.S. over allegations that it has failed to adequately address such labor and human rights abuses in Colombia.

According to ILRF Executive Director Terry Collingsworth, “This new Complaint underscores the need for The Coca-Cola Company to spend more of its effort and resources in protecting the lives and well-being of its workers in Colombia in lieu of focusing on its public relations campaign to deflect the allegations of abuse being leveled against it.” There is no question, however, that it is the Coca-Cola Company that is the proper defendant in this case because it has complete control of its empire and Coca-Cola managers have been traversing the United States claiming that the Coca-Cola Compnay is taking all possible steps to address human rights violations in its bottling plants in Colombia. USW Associate General Counsel Daniel Kovalik states that “The continued assassination of trade unionists in Colombia with the complicity of the Colombian DAS and military, as well as corporate interests, calls into grave question the propriety of the U.S.’s continued commitment to aid for the Colombian military forces.”

"Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours."
-Cesar Chavez

Action Update and More News Out of Colombia

2006-05-20T09:32:00.000-05:00

As Dan mentioned in his post about our most recent meeting with the Loyola administration, there was a mutual consensus that in order to ask students to boycott Coca-Cola they had to have the opportunity to purchase another brand of drink at the counter to go with their meals. Yesterday was my last day at Loyola, but I'm happy to say that it was the first time I was ever able to purchase a soft drink not made by Coca-Cola over the counter. With the new pricing system, you can buy a non-Coke soft drink (Pepsi at the time, but because of the lack of a contract in this category, that could change in the future) for pretty much the same price per volume as you would for a Coke. This is a huge breakthrough, because you can now order other types of drinks with your meals. I cannot stress enough the importance of Loyola Academy students boycotting Coca-Cola. Signing the petition was a great first step if you did it, but in order to truly support this cause and human rights in bottling plants around the world, you must refuse to buy the product until the company cleans up the abusive conditions in Colombia. PLEASE ask for non-Coke products (Pepsi, RC, milk, etc. depending on what is there at the time) whenever you buy a meal in the caf. It doesn't take much effort, but it will go a LONG way in helping the campaign.

On a bittersweet note, Dan, Tom, and I are graduating soon. This doesn't mean that the campaign will end. In fact, we are talking to juniors (who will be seniors in about a week) who are interested in working on the campaign next school year. We already have one who, as we are very excited to announce, will be helping to run things next year. I'll let her introduce herself to you on this website when she is ready. If you are a junior and you're interested in helping out next year, it isn't too late to get involved! Contact us and we'll set you up with something!

Finally, to remind you of what is at stake, I would like to post an email update I received from the International Labor Rights Fund. Abuses continue, yet Coca-Cola still refuses to allow an independent human rights investigation into the allegations leveled against the company. Here is part of the email:

On May 15, 2006 at approximately 8:00 A.M., in the Colombian city of Barranquilla, at the headquarters of SINALTRAINAL, Secretary Yovana Rodríguez found an envelope upon entering the building that contained the following threat:

“M.A.S.

These are the names of the pamphleteers and indoctrinators who are coming and f***ing this city: Euripides Yance, Limberto Carranza, Campo Quintero Jesús Tovar, Eduardo Arévalo, Tomas Ramos, Henry Gordón, Gastón Tesillo, Carlos Hernández.

The time has come to wipe out their tentacles that grow from day to day in the trade unions, universities, and in the organizations that let themselves fall under evil influence.

Hoping that you don’t destroy this or throw it away; give it to another person so that they can discover the truth and transmit this information to your family and friends.”

Afterwards, on May 16, 2006 fellow workers Euripides Yance and Limberto Carranza received telephone calls at their homes threatening them with death.

This is not the first time that these kind of threats have been made against the workers Euripides Yance, Campo Elias Quintero, Limberto Carranza, and the families of SINALTRAINAL leaders and Coca-Cola workers, and they are occurring at times when the union is negotiating a list of demands with this company in the capital city of Bogotá.

MAS (Muerte a Sindicalistas/Death to Trade Unionists) is one of the many paramilitary death squads in Colombia’s armed conflict and is responsible for waves of political killings.

We are calling on the Colombian national government to investigate the facts, find the responsible parties, and guarantee the lives and integrity of SINALTRANAL affiliates and families.

The Breakthrough

2006-05-12T01:25:00.000-05:00

Today is a day that I will never forget. Earlier today, Joe, Tom and I met with the administrators of Loyola Academy and made our formal proposal. In a meeting that lasted for almost two hours, the future of Coca Cola in Loyola Academy had been decided.

Along with the signed petitions, Joe, Tom and I entered the meeting with a twenty four page formal proposal, which included articles, press releases, summaries of the campaign, lists of active universities, and our suggested resolutions. As we spoke with the administrators, the conversation began to change from us making our case, to discussing how to go about taking the next step in the campaign. As a Jesuit institution founded upon principles of Catholic Social Teaching, everyone in the meeting, administrators and students alike, agreed that Loyola needs to take an active role in the controversy.

The administration has officially decided to open lines of communication with the Coca Cola Corporation and begin negotiations. Depending upon the response of the Coca Cola representatives, the administration has declared that the termination of the contract with Coca Cola is a viable option. Also, after evaluating the sales of Coca Cola in the cafeteria and considering the monopoly which Coca Cola has upon the fountain drinks, the administration has decided that the pricing and menu of the cafeteria shall be changed in order to accommodate students not willing to purchase a Coca Cola product.

Although this may seem like a victory in the campaign, I feel it is important to recognize that there is still much that must be done. The ultimate goal of our campaign had not been to remove Coca Cola from the Academy, but to pressure Coca Cola into allowing an independent investigation. To this day, Coca Cola shows no signs of complying. That being said, today is a day that you can take pride in both your school, and yourselves. We belong to an institution that recognizes its role in fighting injustice, and that has held true to the Jesuit ideals with which it had been founded. Without your support, demonstrated both through petitions and the drop in Coke sales, none of this could have been accomplished. On behalf of Joe, Tom, and thousands of innocent Columbian men, women and children, I thank you for your support. Stay tuned for future updates.

- Daniel Wozniczka
Class of 2006

Rally for Human Rights in Darfur

2006-04-29T17:37:00.000-05:00

Another Magis group asked us to post this information. I think that it's a really important issue that has been largely ignored by the U.S. mainstream media.

------------------------------------
RALLY TO STOP THE GENOCIDE IN DARFUR

Make Your Voice Heard

When: Monday, May 1, 2006, 4:30 PM
Where: Federal Plaza, Chicago, IL

Featuring elected officials, religious and other community and human rights leaders.
------------------------------------

Over 400,000 people have been killed during the current genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Millions more are at risk. We need to act now to help put an end to the killing.

This rally is being organized by the Chicago Coalition to Save Darfur.

Your Efforts Have Not Gone Unnoticed

2006-04-26T15:33:00.000-05:00

We've dealt with our fair share of pessimism throughout this campaign. We have had a few setbacks and technical difficulties. Sometimes it is overwhelming to think that we are taking on one of the largest corporations on the planet. I can understand why people would question whether or not we have the power to change things around Loyola.

I have some exciting news for you: what you are doing is working! Administrators are taking notice of the student solidarity that the campaign has brought about. Your participation has caused ripple effects throughout the entire school. Nowhere is this more evident than in the cafeteria and in the vending machines throughout the school. Normally, when the school goes to restock vending machines, Coca-Cola is the better seller. The machines are emptier as testimony to the fact that Coca-Cola products are purchased more frequently than other brands.

Recently, however, Susie and the caf staff have reported a drop in sales of Coca-Cola in school vending machines and a rise in Pepsi sales. This is no coincidence. The student-led boycott of Coca-Cola is picking up steam and people are noticing.

These "people" include representatives of the Coca-Cola Company. They have noticed the drop in sales at Loyola and are preparing to respond. One representative of the company reportedly has heard of the protest and wants to come speak at Loyola. Rest assured, should a spokesman for the Coca-Cola Company set foot on campus, we will respond. And our voices will be louder than the propaganda machine. We are blasted with advertisements from companies like Coca-Cola every day in an attempt to get us to develop a brand loyalty. When consumers begin to question corporate BS as we have, companies get scared.

Just remember this: they can't shut us up! Loyola Academy does not belong to corporations looking to profit; it belongs to us. If Coca-Cola thinks that we will abandon our morals for their product, they are in for a major disappointment. Keep up the great work and keep spreading the word!

"You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind."
-Mahatma Gandhi

Reinforcements

2006-04-22T19:17:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that T, Thomas Paine, and I will graduate in less than a month. It seems like just yesterday that I was a freshman who couldn't find his English class. A reader left a comment under one of the posts concerning the future of Loyola, and what happens after my partners and I graduate. To begin, I would like to state that although we graduate soon, we will be continuing our campaign up until graduation, as well as beyond. Thomas Paine, T, and I may no longer be students at Loyola, but we will still make our presence known, especially right here on this website. I have also began interviewing several juniors who have shown an interest in being the leaders of the campaign after we graduate. We have not yet chosen anyone among the applicants, but we will announce their names here as soon as we do. If anyone from the class of 2007 or beyond is interested, there is still time to apply. Please email me at danielwozniczka@hotmail.com if you would like to be considered. The future is looking bright here at Loyola Revolution, and I promise each and every one of you that my partners and I will not be silenced, no matter where we are next year.

Hot off the Presses

2006-04-19T16:25:00.000-05:00

The local media may not be covering the Coca Cola Controversy, but at least the Loyola Prep is. Last week, the school newspaper featured my letter to the editor concerning the campaign. I am also working on getting published in some local newspapers. Those of you living in Wilmette, Winnetka, Norridge, Skokie, Niles, Mt Prospect, Mundelein, Park Ridge, and Northbrook, should check your local newspapers throughout the month of May for my articles. Due to the length of my article in the Loyola Prep, I have decided to put it in the 'comments' sections of this post, rather than post the entire thing here. The editors chose to censor certain parts of my article in the paper, but you will find the complete uncensored version here. All are free to read it, as well as make comments, ask questions, or complain in the comments section. I would like to once again repeat our policy of not deleting anyone's comments, so feel free to speak your mind. Finally, I would like to thank Teddy Powers '07 (editor-in-chief) and Mrs. Gombac (Moderator), who made the entire thing possible.

We have reached a turning point

2006-04-12T18:23:00.000-05:00

Despite some technical difficulties, our presentations today were very successful. About 750 students have signed the petition to remove Coca-Cola from Loyola Academy. That represents a third of the entire school. The Marillac Room was so full some periods that we had to turn away people because there just wasn't enough room. Thanks to all who sat on the floor and endured the heat to hear us.

Over the course of the next week and a half, Tom, Dan, and I will figure out what further steps to take. We will meet again with the Loyola administration and bring your signatures to them. This campaign has gained lots of momentum thanks to your efforts. We have the power to create change, and Coca-Cola will realize this and be forced to address our concerns.

Of course, there will always be those who try to stop what we're doing. What comes to mind are the people who wrote fictitious names on the petition. It really disappoints me that certain people didn't have the courage to speak up about their concerns and instead took the coward's route by writing false names on our petition. We're fighting an uphill battle here, in many senses, because Coca-Cola has pervaded our everyday lives. Coke products are there wherever you look. But no matter how many advertisements they buy, how many bottles they sell, or how well-known they become, you still have your own free will, and they can never take that away from you. That is why the voices of normal high school students can reach a critical volume too loud to ignore. That is what is happening at Loyola.

Thank you to everyone who came today. Keep up the good work, and have a good break.

"It's time for greatness -- not for greed. It's a time for idealism -- not ideology. It is a time not just for compassionate words, but compassionate action."
-Marian Wright Edelman

Flight 280 to Chicago

2006-04-09T18:00:00.000-05:00

I spent this past weekend in Boston for a college visit. The flight to Boston was a United Airlines flight, which serves Pepsi products, but the flight back was AirTran airways. When the flight attendant, named Tiffany, asked me what I would like to drink, I asked her for a Pepsi. She replied, "Would Coke be okay." I explained to her the situation with Coca Cola, and she was amazed at what I told her. There was nothing she could do though, as she explained that Coca Cola products were the only non-alcoholic beverages they had.

Thus, I looked at her, smiled, and said, "In that case, I'll have a Bud Light." Needless to say, I was thirsty for the rest of the flight.

A little later on, Tiffany returned to my seat with another flight attendant named Aisha (I guessed on the spelling). Tiffany had told her about the Coca Cola Controversy, and Aisha wanted to hear about it directly from me. Before I knew it, I had managed to distribute our web address to the flight attendants and a dozen passengers around me, as everyone was amazed by what I was doing at Loyola. Tiffany told me that she would tell her supervisor about the Coca Cola Controversy the next time she saw him. We may be fighting to kick Coca Cola out of Loyola, but that doesn't mean we can't kick it out of AirTran airways too.

More pictures from Tuesday night

2006-04-06T21:21:00.000-05:00

I was able to extract these from the video that Dave shot.

Pictures from the Presentation

2006-04-05T21:54:00.000-05:00

We got 108 signatures on our petition to remove Coke from the school on the first night. If you missed the presentation and want to sign, ask Dan, Tom or I and we'll take care of it. Also, if you signed up Tuesday night to receive mailings, you should have gotten a confirmation email. Just follow the instructions so that you are place on our mailing list.

Here are some pictures taken Tuesday night:

We attracted a crowd of about 125 people.

Dan didn't pull any punches with his speech.

We introduced our formal petition to remove Coca-Cola products from Loyola Academy on Tuesday night.

Answering questions.

Ignorance, the root and the stem of every evil.
-Plato

Behind the Scenes of the April 4th Presentation

2006-04-04T23:38:00.000-05:00

Normally, here at loyolarevolution.blogspot.com, we speak of serious matters in our constant search for justice. However, just for this one post, I think we can allow ourselves a bit of comedy. The presentation on April 4th to the Dumbachs was a success in every single way, but it came extremely close to being a disaster. This is the behind the scenes story that even my partners, Thomas Paine and T, have not yet heard:

To begin, Mr. McNulty was no where to be found after school. This had been a problem, because I had just learned that my laptop is not compatible with the wireless internet of the school. Thus, I began asking several teachers if they would be able to lend me their laptops. Once I finally had a compatible computer, I went to the theatre to set up, only to learn that Mr. McNulty was already there with his computer all set up. The problems did not end there though, as the videos, which we streamed off the internet, took a ridiculously long time to load. Mr. McNulty and I began freaking out, as it was only ten minutes until the presentation was set to start, and the videos were not ready. We decided to restart the process of streaming the videos, and luckily, it worked, as all the videos were ready in time.

T (Tom Clifford) had been in charge of the food, and the set up of the cafeteria. The only problem was that we couldn't set up the cafeteria, because it had been locked. We stood there waiting with the food, until finally the doors were opened for us. Also, the flyers which the Dumbachs received before the presentation, brought many problems with them. The copier which we had planned on using broke, and we were on our out to Kinkos, until Mr. Hooker helped us and made copies for us in the teacher's room.

Once the flyers, food, and videos were all ready, we had the problem of the audio with the video. We were unable to hook the computer up to sound system, so Mr. McNulty improvised and brought the extra microphone to the speaker on the computer. It wasn't perfect, but it got the job done. Seconds before the Dumbachs walked in, we were finally ready. Mr. McNulty and I may have missed dinner, but at least the presentation would go as planned.

I wish to thank all those who helped us that night, especially Mr. McNulty, Mr. Hooker, Mr. Wilda, Annette Miller, and that one junior whose name I never learned (the one who volunteered to pass out flyers). All in all, the night was a success. We're looking forward to April 12th. Help spread the word.

Individual Limitations and Focus

2006-04-04T23:14:00.000-05:00

We have encountered some questions which have been repeatedly answered. Many people ask why we are focusing on Coca-Cola, instead of the Columbian government. Now, I think Joe, Daniel, and I would all love to see major reform in Columbia. However, our power to do so as Americans is limited. However, we, as Americans, have a tremendous influence on Coca-Cola, because it is an American corporation. Thus, our efforts are going to where we feel they would be more effective.

No one person can solve all of the world's problems. Howeverm each one of us can make a major difference in the world. Working together, we can all improve the Earth. However, our limitations as individuals means we can not focus on everything. As such, Joe, Dan, and I have chosen to focus on Coca-Cola.

We are not looking to destroy Coca-Cola or to have Coca-Cola shut down all the bottling plants. We merely want an independent investigation. We simply seek the truth.

"If ignorance is bliss, then knock the smile off my face" --Zack de La Rocha

A Firestorm

2006-04-03T22:32:00.000-05:00

Wow, we have had a firestorm of comments in the past day or so, some supportive and some quite negative. We have seen an exponential increase in site traffic, so we know that somebody is listening out there.

Well, you know what I wrote in the first post on this site: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Gandhi couldn't have said it better. We started off as a relatively ignored school project. There have been plenty of people sneering and laughing at our efforts. If you don't believe me, read some of the comments we have gotten. Some people seem to think that corrupt third world governments absolve corporations of exploitation. What they may not realize is that they have the power to change such corrupt foreign governments by demanding that companies like Coca-Cola conduct their business in those countries by ethical standards. In an age of globalism everything is connected.

I suspect that we will face a fight in the near future. There are those at Loyola, on this website and in the general public that think we're a bunch of crap and would love to impede our work. If a fight is what they want, then it is what they shall receive. We have not deleted or edited any comments by posters on this website. If you disagree with us you are free to share your opinions. But know this:

I promise you: We will not give in, we will not falter, we will not compromise our morals, we will not be intimidated (especially by anonymous posters), and we will not abandon our cause. We will be passionate, we will take risks, we will be courageous, we will speak truth to power, we will raise awareness, and we will move along with our campaign. We will not be silenced.

Oppression can only survive through silence.
-Carmen de Monteflores

How can we prove Colombian paramilitaries are acting in conjunction with Coca-Cola?

2006-04-03T11:38:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, a reader left this comment, which I think is worth addressing.

maybe you could help clarify some parts of this for me, as I was just viewing the frontline clips on their website....but in colombia there was civil war, with left-wing guerrila, and right-wing paramilitaries. Now union leaders, in nature of their job, fall in the leftist wing, as they are attempting to redistribute power/rights/money to the workers. So i think then it is safe to say that the guerrilas and the union leader, although obviously attempting change through far different means, still both have their left-wing views. The paramilitaries (right wing) won a few years back. So isnt possible that since the paramilitaries (associated w/ the ruling gov.) are now in power, are just trying to get rid of all possible remains of left-wing influence in Colombia so that their power is left unchallenged?

This is a great question. The truth is - and I will be straightforward about this - it is very hard to prove that Coca-Cola has participated in these murders, kidnappings and tortures.

Here is what we do know:

1.) Coca-Cola has bottling plants in Colombia that are owned by what I would call "shadow companies". For example, Coca-Cola FEMSA runs several plants in Colombia. The Coca-Cola Co. owns the plurality of shares of FEMSA and licenses them the rights to bottle their product. Because of this, the Coca-Cola Co. holds an immense amount of power over bottling companies.

2.) Union leaders and members have been tortured and killed in Colombia by the paramilitary. One of them, Isidro Gil, was killed shortly after he sent a letter of complaint to the Coca-Cola Co. When it looked like his wife would testify against Coca-Cola, she too was killed by the paramilitary forces.

3.) There have been reports from eyewitnesses about meetings between managers of bottling plants and the paramilitary. While it is impossible to know exactly what was said at these meetings, some claim that the managers sent the paramilitary off with a large amount of their product. The question is - what did these managers receive in return?

4.) Coca-Cola refuses to allow a truly independent investigation into the allegations. They recently requested that the International Labor Organization (ILO) investigate human rights abuses in Colombia. While this might seem like progress, consider these facts:

Coca-Cola's Director of Global Labor Relations, Ed Potter, also happens to be the U.S. employer representative to the ILO. Can you imagine hiring a detective to investigate a murder if that detective had ties to one of the suspects? As long as Coca-Cola has employees in the ILO, it cannot call an ILO investigation "independent".
Coca-Cola hired a former ILO labor representative and AFL-CIO employee to help with the process. Coca-Cola is paying him a large amount of money. The oppressed workers in Colombia are paying him nothing. Who do you think he will be motivated to side with?
When the supposedly "independent" investigation shows up at the bottling plants, the managers have been instructed to allow the investigators to speak with only hand-selected employees. I get the feeling that the employees picked won't have many bad things to say about the company.

5.) Coca-Cola profits from cheap labor in Colombia and elsewhere. Cheap labor lowers the company's costs and raises their profit. When unions are broken up, Coca-Cola benefits.

If union leaders were being murdered in the United States, you can bet that there would be a tireless investigation that would not hesitate to look into the company's ties to the killers. Nobody involved in the investigation would be allowed to be on that company's payroll.

We are demanding that Coca-Cola allow a truly independent, unimpeded investigation by human rights organizations. We're tired of the stonewalling, evasive behavior of the Coca-Cola company. It's time for accountability. It's time for change. Until then, we must stand up to Coca-Cola and continue demanding change.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Some Thank-You's + Tuesday's Event

2006-04-02T15:10:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Christine, who pointed out that the front page of Killer Coke's Website now links to our blog. That's great - it makes our site more visible and brings attention to our project. So I'd like to send special thanks out to Killer Coke. They have provided us with information and help whenever we have asked for it. They even designed the flyer you can download on our sidebar. These people are dedicated to bringing about justice.

Speaking of visibility, we are excited to announce that our presentation Tuesday night may attract the attention of the local media. Dan worked with Loyola's PR spokeswoman, Ms. Hunt, to contact local media and issue a press release which we designed. We have received interest from CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX. We have also contacted a few local newspapers. That's another reason why we really need you to come Tuesday night. The more people we get, the more likely it is that the media will pick up our story.

That brings me to the agenda for Tuesday night. Dan will present information on the controversy as well as on what we are trying to accomplish at Loyola Academy. Supplementing his presentation will be the PBS Frontline documentary on the subject. After this presentation, Tom and I will field questions from the audience. We are prepared to spend as much time as you would like to answer your questions. I encourage anyone who has a question to pose it on Tuesday night, especially people who disagree with what we are doing. I will gladly debate any person who believes that removing Coca-Cola products from Loyola Academy is a bad idea. Following all of that, we will pass around petitions calling for the removal of Coca-Cola products from the school until the company cooperates and allows an independent investigation, prosecutes/fires any managers/adminitrators/executives complicit in human rights abuses, and unconditionally provides for the protection and safety of all workers and their families. We will deliver this petition to the Loyola Academy administration, so the more signatures we get, the better.

I really hope to see all of you Tuesday night at 7:30 PM in the auditorium.

Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.
-Paolo Freire

¡Sí, Se Puede!

2006-03-29T21:46:00.000-06:00

"I can't change the world!"

Can't, or won't?

If you want reform, you start at the bottom. If every person tells two others, one person becomes two; two become four; four become eight; pretty soon, the number reaches 294. And that's where we are now.

Look at the unique visitors counter on the right side of the screen. It doesn't say 294, does it? That's because, in the time since I wrote this sentence, more new faces have seen us and heard us. You're talking and people are listening. Slowly, yet decidedly steadily, we are getting through to Loyola Academy. We are no longer an amorphous mass of ideas. Our concepts have materialized into a mission. We have two presentations in two different venues lined up, with a third to follow shortly. We will be in contact with a journalist from the Chicago Tribune. We are serious. And we aren't going away.

Giving Coca-Cola the heave-ho still seems like an impossible task, doesn't it? What could be more powerful and binding than a business contract? What has the power to defeat men armed with automatic weapons and blank checks for destruction? I am quickly learning the answer to these questions. The love and support of the Loyola community can do more than money ever can. Our morals are not for sale, and neither are our hearts. Some of us are Christians, some Jews, some agnostic, but we are united in our belief in human dignity. As members of a Jesuit community, we have a thirst for justice that cannot be quenched by Coca-Cola. Many of us, probably all of us, are unsure of what we are capable of. We are filled with doubt, but during times like these, we must remember that nothing worth anything comes easily.

The first step is education. Our presentations are aimed at showing people the facts that they won't see on the back of a Coca-Cola bottle. We will reach hundreds, if not thousands, of people in the coming weeks. All it takes is a dedicated group of these people to stand up and say ,"Not in our names!" With enough support from the Loyola community, the administration will have to listen.

You are Loyola. The change must occur inside of you before it can happen around you.

Can we do it?
Yes, we can!

Dumbach Presentation Update

2006-03-28T22:59:00.000-06:00

There will be an announcement in the homeroom mail to all Dumbach Scholars about the presentation. Due to a scheduling conflict, we have moved the presentation forward one day. It will now be on April 4th, at 7:30. The school presentations on April 12th remain unchanged.

2006-03-28T22:55:00.000-06:00

As part of my application to Claremont KcKenna, I was required to fill out a supplement which included an essay. Here is the essay I wrote:

Leadership is a constant theme and emphasis at CMC. In fact, one of the ways we describe CMC students is "Leaders in the Making." Identify and discuss a person, fictional or nonfictional, who has helped shape culture and thought. You may select someone from any field: literature, the arts, science, politics, history, athletics, business, education, etc.

Respectable leadership presents an interesting paradox: in order to be valuable as a leader, one must realize that he is not valuable. Such an attitude is a prerequisite for selflessness. If one thinks of himself as more valuable than others, he will not take risks that jeopardize his safety. “Why should I risk myself, rather than John? He isn’t doing anything.” Those are the types of thoughts that will course through a mind not prepared for leadership. “Why should John be expected to take the risk? I’m not doing anything.” These are the types of thoughts that will course through the mind of a leader. He will take risks; risks that will make him uncomfortable; risks that will jeopardize his safety; risks that may change the world.
Risks filled Isidro Segundo Gil’s life. Isidro, a union leader in Colombia, acted as a leader for workers in Coca-Cola’s bottling plants. Mr. Gil did this because he knew that something had to be done about the horrendous conditions in which employees had to work. Isidro did this despite knowing that Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be a union leader; three out of every five union organizers’ murders are in Colombia (Collingsworth). Isidro acted knowing that his family’s lives would be at risk; he knew that the families of others had been in danger for years, and those families could never be safe unless he put his own family at risk. Threats were part of the job as a union leader.
In November 1996, after receiving threats because of what he wished to accomplish, Mr. Gil wrote a letter to the Coca-Cola corporation in Atlanta, Georgia, informing the corporation that the plant manager had threatened to destroy his union with a paramilitary force. Two weeks later, with no response from Atlanta, paramilitaries entered the Coca-Cola bottling plant where Isidro worked (International). Within a few minutes, they had fired ten shots at Isidro, delivering a mortal wound. In less than twenty-four hours, the paramilitaries had burned down his union’s headquarters and forced everyone at his plant to resign from the union. Soon, even his wife was killed after it was clear she intended to testify in a lawsuit against Coca-Cola. The Gil children were forced into hiding with their relatives (Coke).
A cursory glance at this story shows nothing powerful about Isidro’s leadership. Indeed, he had courage, but shouldn’t effective leadership evoke change? Looking at the short-term effects, Isidro accomplished nothing except for sealing his doom. However, Isidro’s death has motivated thousands across the country to take a second look at what they support with their purchases . Along with the fate of thousands of similar leaders, Isidro’s death is making it clearer to many across the world that something needs to be done for workers’ rights in developing nations such as Colombia. Isidro has led colleges from California to Ireland to boycott Coca-Cola until workers rights are respected. Mr. Gil was able to accomplish all of this because he did not place a high value on himself; Mr. Gil sacrificed his own life to lead others.

Works Cited

Collingsworth, Terry and Daniel M. Kovalik. “Coca-Cola (Coke) Sued for Human Rights Abuses in Colombia.” Mind Fully. 20 July 2001. 25 Nov 2005 .

“International Solidarity and the Coca-Cola Boycott.” Colombia Solidarity Campaign. 25 Nov 2005 .

“Coke Can’t Hide Its Crimes In Colombia.” Killer Coke. 25 Nov 2005 .

Just something to think on.

-T

KillerCoke.org Debunks Many Myths from the Pro-Coke Lobby

2006-03-27T11:45:00.000-06:00

I received this email two days ago from KillerCoke.org. It contains responses to several arguments against the banning of Coca-Cola products on high school and college campuses. Here it is:

Dear Leaders of the National Union of Students:

We’ve had a good response to our recent newsletter highlighting the upcoming NUS vote on Coca-Cola and we were asked to respond further to three questions and concerns that members of the board have:

1. It has been said that a ban of Coke products at NUS facilities will hurt Coke workers in Colombia.

Supporting a ban of Coke products at all NUS facilities will not hurt but help Coke workers in Colombia and workers and communities worldwide. The loss of contracts and the damage to Coke’s brand name are the key factors that have gotten the Company’s attention at the highest executive levels.

Years of so-called “constructive engagement” has not stopped Coke’s attacks on workers, but has only maintained the status quo and allowed conditions to worsen, not only in Colombia, but for workers and communities worldwide, including those in El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey. One only has to read War on Want’s (one of NUS’s affiliates) report released on Monday, March 20th, to see that Coca-Cola continues widespread labor, human rights and environmental abuses.

The Coca-Cola Co. and its biggest bottler, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), which services the UK market are scared to death that NUS will kick them out just like many of the largest universities in the U.S. and Ireland have done. And remember, Gary Fayard, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, The Coca-Cola Co., and Irial Finan, Executive Vice President and President of Bottling Investments of The Coca-Cola Co., serve on the boards of directors of both CCE and Coca-Cola FEMSA, which is Colombia’s largest bottler and a defendant in the lawsuit charging Coke’s bottlers in Colombia with the systematic intimidation, kidnapping, torture and murder of union leaders. When NUS kicks Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Enterprises off the campuses, it also kicks top policymakers of Colombia’s largest bottler, Coca-Cola FEMSA, off the campuses.

Coca-Cola has been a leader in eliminating good union jobs for workers in Colombia for more than a decade. In 1993, SINALTRAINAL represented about 1,400 to 1,500 members in the Coke plants in Colombia. SINALTRAINAL now represents between 300 and 400 Coke workers because of efforts including human rights abuses to crush the union. Another reason for the drop in membership is because Coke and other multinationals use their political clout in Colombia to pass laws that encourage subcontracting and temporary working. Because of this, about 95% of workers in the Coca-Cola System (the network of all workers producing and distributing Coca-Cola products) are considered flexible, subcontracted workers who receive low pay, meager, if any benefits, have no job security and can’t join the union. Many of these workers are mired in poverty.

SINALTRAINAL released a statement on 18th May 2005: “We commemorate the 10th anniversary of a strike on the North Coast in which, working with the complicity of the Ministry of Labour, the employer sacked twelve thousand employed workers. Now they are replaced by workers in various forms of sub-contracted slavery, to which 95% of the workforce is subject. The working conditions are inhuman, having to complete working days longer than 12 hours, without social security and on marginal wages that are not enough for a family.”

Even now, Coca-Cola has been taking out full-page newspaper ads in colleges and universities across the United States claiming that more than 30% of its employees in Colombia belong to unions. What Coke isn’t saying is that most of the workers in the Coca-Cola System in Colombia are not considered employees of the company.

2. It has been said that unions in Colombia and elsewhere do not support colleges and universities banning Coke products.

In Colombia, the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia (CUT — the TUC of Colombia), recently issued a public statement from their acting President, reaffirming their commitment and their backing of SINALTRAINAL’s struggle.

In addition, CUT Vice President Fabio Arias said: "Coca-Cola has been a persistent violator of trade unionists’ rights and for this reason various universities in the United States have taken measures to protest against their conduct…The CUT supports the University of Michigan, in the United States, in discontinuing the sale of Coca-Cola within their campus, as a result of accusations of violating human rights and trade union rights in Colombia.

Some of the largest unions in the world, within and outside the IUF (International Union of Food Workers based in Switzerland), support the student movement to ban Coke products from the campuses. For example, UNISON, the largest union in the UK and the 1.4 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the world’s largest Coca-Cola union, which represents more than 18,000 Coca-Cola workers, supports the students’ campaign to pressure Coke. Europe’s Food Production Daily reported on Feb. 9, 2006: “Coca-Cola is now facing a labour relations problem in the US, after the Teamsters Union joined protesters calling for boycotts against the company over alleged human rights violations in Colombia.”

The IUF website claims the labor federation represents 12 million workers worldwide. Many of their largest affiliates are fully supportive of the campaign against Killer Coke and student actions that have led to more than two dozen colleges and universities kicking Coke off their campuses. These include the Service Employees International Union, which represents 1.8 million workers; UNITE-HERE, which represents 850 thousand workers, and the United Steelworkers, which represents 1.2 million workers.

Unions that represent Coca-Cola workers in the UK — Amicus, the Transport and General Workers Union and the GMB — altogether represent about 2,100 Coca-Cola workers out of a total membership of about 2.6 million workers. If these unions are concerned that Coca-Cola would lay off some of their members due to kicking Coke off campuses, it seems that the best response by those unions would be to inform Coca-Cola’s Chief Executive Officer that they are prepared to ask each of their 2.6 million members to contribute monthly to a solidarity fund. That fund, in the spirit of international labour solidarity, would be used to compensate those laid-off workers. Coke would also be informed that any sacked workers will be hired to work full-time to pressure Coke to end their labour and human rights abuses, to organize other Coke workers and to fight for just contracts for their own members in the UK. This would serve as a great example of international labour solidarity in the global economy for unions all over the world to emulate.

3. If we get rid of Coke, who will provide beverages and the source of funding for student activities that come from the sale of those beverages?

NUS Services Limited’s Sound sourcing guide for suppliers of NUS Services includes an excellent code of conduct for suppliers regarding labour, human rights and environmental policies. Although Coca-Cola may claim adherence to these principles, its practices worldwide prove otherwise. Thus, NUS’s student unions should not be a captive market for Coke’s products.

Companies such as Ben Shaws have already been replacing Coke at various student unions. Many other companies, given a real opportunity to compete with Coke, could provide excellent products and a good source of revenue to the student unions.

The academic community in the UK, students, faculty and others, could develop a marketing and business plan to replace Coke with beverages produced by responsible companies which would also provide as good or a better stream of revenues into student unions.

Terry Collingsworth, the Executive Director of the International Labor Rights Fund and lead counsel in the Alien Tort Claims lawsuit, charging Coca-Cola and its bottlers with crimes against humanity; Camilo Romero, a leader in United Students Against Sweatshops; Amit Srivastava, Coordinator of the India Resource Center, and I will be available to answer questions at the NUS conference, March 28 to 30. We all hope to have the opportunity to interact with each of you.

Peace & Justice,

Ray Rogers
Director

On another note, please don't forget to mark your calendars for our two events listed under the "Upcoming Events" heading on the right side of the page. You can click either link to find out more about what is going on. Your participation is what will keep this project moving along.

Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.
- Aristotle

School Presentations on April 12th

2006-03-25T10:54:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning, I went to see Mr. Zaker, head of the Religious Studies Department. My group had already planned presentations to the Dumbach Scholars and to Amnesty International (although Amnesty presentations were postponed), but these two combined is still less than ten percent of the student body. Now, we will have the ability to reach a much wider audience. We will now be able to reach every student in the school.
On April 12th, the day before Spring Break, we will be giving presentations in the Marillac Room all day long during each of the eight periods. Religious Studies Teachers will bring their classes to the Marillac Room to see our presentation. A large turn out is expected for each period, but a teacher is not required to bring their class to see us. Thus, we ask that you attempt to convince your Religious Studies teacher to bring his or her class, if your teacher is not planning on stopping by. Thank you for your continued support.

A First Step

2006-03-23T19:06:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning, I went to talk with Suzie, who runs the cafeteria. I told her about the boycotting of Coca-Cola and inquired as to the terms of Loyola's contract with Coca-Cola. Suzie informed me that the contract most recently signed regarded the vending operations: Coca-Cola is entitled to 50% of the business while Pepsi is entiteld to the other 50%. She said that she would talk to her boss about the contract, and meanwhile suggested that we write a report and get our information together that they would have around the time the next contract is decided upon. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask what the penalties would be if the contract with Coca-Cola was broken.

I should get that report made up, but I would like to see some changes made now, while I am still at Loyola.

Next, I told Suzie that we would probably try to get students to boycott Coca-Cola. She advised me to check with the deans to make sure I do not get in trouble.

-T