Our Little Planet Fair - 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.