The Peace Booth is a visible presence at the North Carolina State Fair that lets fairgoers know that there are viable alternatives to the militarism and violence that are so pervasive in the world. Each year the Steering Committee selects a theme or central activity that holds up “peace and justice” as the centerpiece for the Booth. This theme should provide opportunities for: peace education; consciousness raising; how to become involved in an existing peace group “back home”; and, some positive action that enables the fairgoer to feel that he/she has done something for peace.

The Peace Booth is funded by religious and secular organizations and by individual contributors. The Steering Committee should be representative of constituent organizations and it is responsible for designing the Booth and for approving the messages displayed and the literature distributed. Although the members of the Steering Committee and the volunteers who staff the Booth come from diverse backgrounds and represent different organizations they are bound together in this instance by their desire to work for a more peaceful world. Individual differences will dictate different staffing styles, but in order that there may be some uniformity in how volunteers present themselves and the message to fairgoers, the Steering Committee should prepare “Guidelines for Volunteers Staffing the Peace Booth“. Guidelines should be sent to volunteers in advance of their time at the Booth.