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For the past three months I have had two entries posted under the events section Emerge! A Global Bazaar - Panel Discussion and Emerge! A Global Bazaar, but no information about either one. That will now be remedied with this post.

In May I met a young woman, Rachel Steinberg, who had taken a semester off from Princeton and was working for the Global Business Initiative (GBI) at the International Finance Corporation, which is part of the World Bank Group. From her different work experiences in Thailand and with the GBI she has been very keen on creating an awareness of the developing world here in the US.

Her first experience in Thailand occurred during the summer of 2006 where Rachel worked with villagers living along the Thai-Burmese border. She immersed herself into their lifestyle, living in a bamboo hut and taking bucket showers. This experience led her to begin thinking about Emerge! A Global Bazaar. Her vision included a fair, speakers, food, performances, exploration of development initiatives, and the selling of handmade crafts made by the remote cooperatives she had seen during her travels.

In the summer of 2007 she had the opportunity to return to Thailand. This time Rachel traveled to and from refugee camps on the Thai-Burmese border to help prepare the refugee's cases for US resettlement to be presented before the US Department of Homeland Security. During this time in Thailand her enthusiam for Emerge! was rekindled. Upon her return Rachel put together a team of like minded individuals to make Emerge! happen.

Emerge!

Emerge! is designed to support the developing world through increasing awareness and provoking action and interest in international development. Emerge! also seeks to give a holistic view of life in the developing world, and the bazaar mixes celebration (traditional crafts from across the globe, cultural performances, art and culinary arts) with presentations on the challenges and obstacles facing the regions. In December 2007 Emerge! became a reality and the first Global Bazaar exceeded Rachel and her team's expectations. Emerge! attracted over 650 people to the lecture, fair, reception and dinner.

Emerge! 2008

This year Emerge! joins with online magazine, Wild River Review, to host an expanded bazaar to raise awareness of the challenges facing numerous villages and societies around the world.

On Thursday, the 4th of December 2008 at 4:30pm a panel discussion sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School and Davis International Center will take place on economic development, titled Empowerment and Change in the Developing World. This year's speakers are:

• Robert Carr, Chairman and CEO, Hartland Payment Systems
• Barry Featherman, Founder and President, The Inter-American Economic Council
• Harriet Mayor Fulbright, Founder and President, The J. William and Harriet Fulbright Center

This discussion will be followed by a reception. For more information about the panel discussion go to www.wildriverreview.com/wrr-pressroom.php

On Sunday, the 7th of December 2008 from 1:00 - 4:00pm at the Chancellor Green Library on the Princeton University Campus Emerge! will host its second global bazaar, which is open to the public. The bazaar is designed to further educate on international development initiatives, complemented by the sale of imported crafts made by socially oriented artisan groups local to those areas.

The tables featuring development initiatives will circle the richly ornamented, octagonal room of the Library. Each table will be decorated with unique crafts for sale from across the globe. The leaders of each table -- student groups, faculty, and community initiatives -- will discuss the crafts, the artisans and their stories, while emphasizing related challenges. These hosts will also present solutions and emphasize what students and others can do to hep address these global issues. All profits from the crafts and food sold at the bazaar will be reinvested in the businesses of the participating artisans.

I am going to the global bazaar and hope if you are in the Princeton area you will stop by this unique event -- the idea of one Princeton student that has now evolved into something involving many individuals from around the world. If you do go, please post a comment or send me an e-mail. In December I will post pictures from the bazaar.

If you are interested in donating to increase the awareness of and actions related to poverty eradication please go to http://wildriverreview.com. If you are interested in learning more about Rachel please find an article she wrote in the November 2008 issue of Wild River Review at www.wildriverreivew.com/wildpeace_emerge.php.