A Fair for the World

Photo: Shanghai hosts this year's World Expo.

“Please, please, please take us to the fair.” “Children,” snapped the goose. “We’re staying quietly at home, only Wilbur is going to the fair.”

OK, so maybe the modern world fair isn’t exactly like E.B. White’s version featuring the acclaimed swine Wilbur in Charlotte’s Web, but it certainly has a similar focus: it’s all about the display of the distinguished. And this year’s World Exposition is no exception. Nestled in the extravagant city of Shanghai, China, the fair is a platform for 233 countries and international organizations to interact on issues of education, culture and technology.

Hosted in Shanghai from May 1st to October 31st, education is one of the key emphases in this year’s exposition; understanding not only the local community, but the global society. Only through education can we come to accept or mold our differences. And where would you start? The committee recently recruited 170,000 volunteers to advertise, translate and assist with tours around the 1,500,000 square metres of fair area – a seemingly mammoth number for the already packed city.

At the heart of the exposition, pavilions of countries ranging from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe cradle the distinct culture and recent technology each country has to offer. As technology takes the lead at the World Expo, you can forget about the typical flimsy fair tent. In its place are flamboyant pavilion designs engineered by renowned architects across the world with a merge of modern and traditional looks; fresh looks to say the least. As the host country, China also takes a leap in green technology as governments and NGO's work together in management programs for smog and pollution; hence the slogan for the Chinese pavilions – “Chinese wisdom in urban development.”

Now even without the cotton candy and the Ferris wheel, this event is not to be underestimated; after all, it is China’s biggest event since the 2008 Olympics. It underlines one aspect of global education people often miss – the need for transparency. Transparency, of course, is the biggest slice to education that encourages bonding and dismisses – at least temporarily – the competition that exists between countries.

As for Canada, we have our own special link to the World Expo. The city of Edmonton is currently applying to host the 2017 World Expo.

If Edmonton were to host an international fair, what aspects would we show to others? How has our education sparkled innovation? And what message or slogan would we leave for the world?

For more information, visit the official Expo 2010 Shanghai China website: http://en.expo2010.cn/