Banana Factory to Host Social Justice Summit and Community Barter, March 22

The Lehigh Valley Vanguard and the Lehigh Valley Bartering Community have teamed up to organize a Social Justice Summit in Bethlehem. This afternoon summit will host a variety of progressive events, bringing together artisans and activists in the greater Lehigh Valley. The summit begins at 2:00 pm, Sunday, March 22 at the Crayola Gallery in The Banana Factory and is free and open to the public.

The event kicks off with a local barter and art swap. Here, community members are encouraged to bring their artwork, handicrafts, kitchen-crafts, etc. and participate in local, community exchange. There are only two rules: all items must be homemade or home grown, and there is no exchange of money, which creates the atmosphere of a craft fair crossed with a farmers market, but without the costs. Set-up starts at 2:00 and bartering begins at 2:15, sharp. Tables to display your products will be provided.

Immediately following the barter exchange will be three 10-minute presentations on “bartering for social justice”, “capitalism and estrangement”, and “dissenting in education”. These presentations are intended for a general audience and aim to promote grassroots activism, community involvement, and social justice. There will be time to meet with the presenters after the program to talk further about what we can do locally to build a more just and sustainable tomorrow.

Past, present, and future resident poets of the Lehigh Valley Vanguard will read their work to conclude the structured presentations. Participants are encouraged to stick around and mingle after the final reading. A one-day only pop-up art show will be on display.

Established in March 2014, Lehigh Valley Vanguard (www.lehighvalleyvanguard.org) is an online publication which seeks to open a dialogue of radical thought. Locally grown, nationally and internationally read, our mission, most essentially, is to subvert the dominant paradigm and question authority. Our hope is to build a critical culture and to #occupyeverything. We do this through publishing thought-provoking material, but also by cultivating grassroots activism and engagement in the community.

LV Bartering Community is a local initiative to build a network of gardeners, crafters, artists, hobbyists, tinkerers dedicated to sustainable, alternative exchange. Everything offered for trade within this community is grown and made right here in the Lehigh Valley, minimizing the product’s dependence on fossil fuels and substandard labor practices abroad. This bartering community emphasizes local, event-based community gatherings; however, you can keep in touch with its members between events by joining the group on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/groups/LVBarter, where you will be among the first to hear about upcoming barters.

Questions about the art, poetry, or presentations can be directed at Marlana Eck (lehighvalleyvanguard@gmail.com).

Questions about the bartering to Adam Heidebrink-Bruno (adam.heidebrink@gmail.com).