Festival of York

The York Peace Festival in Rowntree Park in York, North England returns after a short hiatus to celebrate its 25th year with two live stages, workshops, performances, exhibitions, a Latin carnival, street theatre, cabaret area and delicious food from around the world on Sunday 5 September 2010. According to their website the festival is a "community event that inspires and empowers people to be more at peace with themselves, others and the environment. Our mission is to raise awareness on world and local issues and to provide an event that can showcase and support local ethical businesses, community organizations, charities and traditional arts".

It's nice to see communicating a bridge between peace in ourselves, the environment as well as bringing on world and local issues, business and community.

Six months earlier was the York Festival of Fairtrade - which is significant as York is a Fair Trade city which means a significant amount of businesses in the city serve Fair Trade products including also at events held by the city. There is also the significant York Fair Trade forum. One of the speakers at the York Festival of Fairtrade was Hugo Villela of Shared Interest, an ethical investment group. Hugo Villela is from Costa Rica - one of the few countries on the planet that has eliminated its army.

In the current issue of the Utne Reader a short but pointed article on possibilities of Fair Trade contributing to a real difference for conflict regions. This is what the VPP is interested in - the work of peace and the power of commerce to accomplish major change in the hardest hit areas of the planet. What kind of society helps to rebuild? - especially that which its armies have recently torn apart. In his Peace is the Way Deepak Chopra posits Stage Three (Harmony, Nurturing, Inwardness) of an evolving society characterized 'when they are willing to rebuild the ruins of an enemy's country.'

At the festival I'll be selling Fair Trade Chocolala's designed chocolate peaces to assist the DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal.  The VPP desires to help Pakistan and also particularly support and further the work of Fair Trade in its relation to the Ivory Coast healing from its recent civil war (a peace accord was signed as recently as 2007). The owner of Chocolala explained how he and his wife make their fun creations from blocks of chocolate which can come from HB Ingredients which works with Callebaut. Chocolala is particularly interested in the Fair Trade movement working against child labor and on sustainable practices closely with Ivory Coast and Ghana farmers.

Together with chocolates we'll have on hand hundreds of poems submitted from individuals and students to the Valentine Peace Project - their reflections on peace and philosophies of love. Also- flowers from a nearby Yorkshire trader and definitely fun stickers/ribbons promoting the development of a peace brand!

From York closer to New York with a special concert for September 11 - a few days later . .