5th Annual Peace & Global Citizenship Fair

By Michael Dean Benton

On May 15 on the Cooper Campus of Bluegrass Community and Technical College the BCTC Peace and Justice Coalition will be hosting the 5^th Annual Peace and Global Citizenship Fair. The fair’s motto for this year is “Think. Act. Discover. Peace.” Rebecca Glasscock, faculty advisor for the Peace and Justice Coalition, explains: “With the Peace and Global Citizenship Fair, we hope to put peace, social justice, understanding, empathy, and ecological awareness front and center. If we can envision a world at peace, we have a better chance of building that world together.”

The organizers of the fair seek to provide a space for diverse groups to come together to imagine and celebrate the possibilities of peace and justice in our world. The fair offers something for everyone. The music and performances on the main stage this year include:

Noon: Kathy Hill, opening dance

12:15: Miss Hispanic KY, Miss Lexington

12:30: Clinton Spaulding

1:30: World Language Program

2:00: Water

3:00: Big Maracas (and/or The Swells)

4:00: Blind Corn Liquor Pickers

4:50: conclusion of fair—Making Waves Belly Dancers

The music is always outstanding and the performers play in the spirit of the event. Plus, arts students from Fayette County schools will perform 10-15 minutes during breaks and set-ups.

There will be over 50 organizations providing information and entertainment in booths. These will represent peace organizations, the arts, education, gardening, historical societies, student organizations, sustainability/energy, gender issues, animal rights, healthcare, food politics/slow food, community activism, beekeeping, books, knitting/quilting, global cultures, environmentalism, Native American culture, social justice groups, co-ops/community farms, yoga, body art, film, equal exchange, libraries and DIY culture.

There also will be plenty of merchants for those that want to shop for something unique. The fair is family-friendly and includes many activities for children, including face-painting, hands-on arts activities, puppet shows and storytelling. Among the food offerings, Bourbon & Toulouse will be providing Haitian food for the event.

As the MC on the main stage for the past few years I have been moved by the power of this annual event. In the past there have been on-the-spot spontaneous artistic collaborations, wandering musicians/storytellers/actors performing for the audience, and each year the exhibit space has a unique feel to it. Looking out at the crowd from the stage, I have the opportunity to observe the joy of the meeting of old friends and the power of new relationships being formed.

Generally the event ends with a special ritual designed to invoke our collective desire for peace/justice—locally and globally. I have witnessed some of the best drumming and dancing at these events, and I’m sure this year will include more of both.

I always leave the event empowered and inspired. I’m honored to be a part of the Peace and Global Citizenship Fair and I hope that you will come by to experience it with us.

The 5^th Annual Peace and Global Citizenship Fair will be held May 15 from 12:00-5:00 PM at Bluegrass Community and Technical College’s Cooper Campus, located on Cooper Drive in front of Commonwealth Stadium.