First Annual Lexington Peace Fair: May 20th

Peace Fair Planned for Lexington

Our Little World:

The First Annual Lexington Peace Fair



May 20, 2006

11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

north of Commonwealth Stadium at the BCTC Campus



Sponsors and organizers include Bluegrass Community and Technical College’s (BCTC) Peace and Justice Coalition, Central Kentucky Council for Peace and Justice, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Community Farm Alliance, BCTC’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Franciscan Peace Center, and the Clergy and Laity Network of Kentucky.



The stated purpose of the event is to model a joyful alternative to exploitation, corporatization, and consumerism. Emphasis will be placed on valuing global knowledge and understanding as well as valuing local production, community, and knowledge of place. Music, art, locally grown food, workshops, and themed booths will be aimed at raising awareness of the peaceful possibilities for a socially, ecologically, and economically sustainable future.



Music:

The beauty of Kentucky music will be showcased alongside regional and global music. The lineup is:

12:00 - 12:15: Introduction and singing of theme song "Our Little World"
12:15 - 1:15: Paula Mannie Nelson, a Cherokee woman from North Carolina, who teaches the Cherokee language as she performs
1:30 - 2:30: Reel World String Band, a Lexington favorite
2:45 - 3:15: La Banda, a Latino band
3:30 - 5:30: Born Cross-Eyed, another Lexington favorite
5:30 - 6:00: Water, Latin jazz and African soul
6:00 - 6:30: Pangaea Drums, headed by Tripp Bratton, drummer extraordinaire
6:30 - 7:00: The event will close with a collective chanting for peace, with accompaniment from the drummers


Booths:

Appalachia Science in the Public Interest
BCTC International Students, Multicultural Affairs
Bluegrass Cycling Club
Central Kentucky Council for Peace and Justice
Clergy and Laity Network of Kentucky
Four Key Wellness
Franciscan Peace Center, Inc.
Home at Last
International booth - Japan
Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
Kentucky Environmental Education Council (games)
Kentucky Fairness Alliance
Kentucky Heartwood
Kentucky State Nature Preserves
Leaf for Life
MACED
Mexico Solidarity Network
Mountain Summer Justice
NELI
ONE
PeaceCraft
Providence Montessori
Quaker Kids
School of Metaphysics
Sierra Club
UK Greenthumb
UK Nursing
UK Task Force on Sustainability
Unitarian Universalist kids
and others …


Local and global products:

scrap art
handmade cloth diapers
comic books on war and peace
hand-dyed yarns
items recycled from old clothes
jewelry made from clay
homemade animal treats
handmade bags
artwork
African art
and others …


Food and Farm:

Good Foods Coop will provide vegan, vegetarian, and meat dishes, with a focus on locally sourced food
Home Pickins
Community Farm Alliance
Shooting Star Nursery
Terrapin Hill Farm
UK Organic Agriculture
Bluegrass Farmers Market
and others …




Workshops:

Workshops highlighting various perspectives on peaceful living will be offered. The schedule includes:

11:00 a.m. until noon: Peace...Let it begin with me, taught by Anita Courtney, Certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor. Come and practice the art of cultivating inner peace through yoga postures, breathing and visualization. You’ll feel relaxed and energized for the rest of the day and learn some tools for incorporating relaxation into your daily life. Suitable for those who have never tried yoga, as well as experienced practitioners.
12:10-1:10: The Hidden Destruction of the Appalachian Mountains, by Dave Cooper, mechanical engineer turned social/environmental activist. The program includes a 22-minute slide show featuring traditional Appalachian mountain music and aerial photographs of Eastern Kentucky mountains. After discussing the impacts of mountaintop removal on coalfield communities, attention will focus on ways to reduce personal consumption of electricity from coal-fired power plants.
1:20-2:20: Towards a Justice that Heals, by Marilyn Huegerich, OSF, and Patricia Griffin, Franciscan Peace Center. In the face of crime or conflict, restorative justice is a philosophy and approach that views these matters as primarily harm done to people and relationships. Restorative justice is a process that offers support and provides opportunities for voluntary participation and communication between those affected (victims, offenders, community). The process strives towards a conversion from the spirit of punishment to the spirit of healing.
2:30-3:30: Living in a Sustainability-Oriented Community, by Mary Ann Ghosal and Thyne Rutrough, Curtis Pike Community, Richmond, KY. At this time, when human impact on the environment is increasingly harmful, a small group of Christians has come together to pray and to work for environmental sustainability and peace. Members of the community will share information about their identity and their current environmental efforts, accomplishments, and future goals.
3:40-4:45: Small-scale Urban Gardening, by Derek Law, UK Horticulture Research Analyst. Production of vegetable crops in densely populated urban areas to supplement our diets will be the focus of this presentation. Topics to be discussed will be site evaluation, container gardening, composting, Bio-intensive gardening techniques, and edible landscaping. Examples of containers and gardening tools will be on display and free vegetable starts will be given to participants.
5:00-6:30: Organizing 101, by Dave Newton, Organizer for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. This workshop is designed to help us understand how to use our collective power for positive change in our community. We'll identify problems in our community, examine the root causes of those problems, and explore several different approaches to change.


Children for Peace:

The Children for Peace entries will be displayed. There will be ribbons, four $50 prizes, and a commemorative booklet.


May 20th is also Bike Lexington day. Consider participating in that biking event and then riding (or walking) to the BCTC campus (directly north of Commonwealth Stadium) for a day of peace and possibilities. For more information or to reserve table space, please call Rebecca Glasscock at (859) 246-6319 or email rebecca.glasscock@kctcs.edu. For updates, go to BCTC Peace and Justice Coalition