Harmony Week on the 21st-27th of March, celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. Harmony Day which falls on the 21st of March coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
With around 45 per cent of Australians born overseas or with at least one parent who was, Harmony Week has always been a popular way for workplaces to showcase and acknowledge their cultural diversity. Celebrating Harmony Week can take any form you wish – big or small, simple or challenging. Events can be a simple multicultural morning tea or a guest speaker at an all staff meeting. It creates an opportunity to think, talk about and recognise how our differences and our similarities make our workplace stronger.
For more information see the Harmony Week Website.
One of our favourite ways to celebrate at AccessEAP is over food! Whether that means bringing in different cultural dishes or sharing recipes, it's always such a wonderful time to learn something new about your colleagues and of course try some amazing food!
In March we celebrate International Women's Day, Harmony Week and many more but we encourage you to celebrate and implement diversity and inclusion in the workplace across all of March and throughout the year. To support you through this, below are a reminder of two great resources.
National LGBTI Health Alliance
Inclusive Language Guide: Respecting people of intersex, trans and gender diverse experience
Learn how to use inclusive language in a respectful way with this Inclusive Language Guide
Universal Music UK
Creative Differences: A handbook for embracing neurodiversity in the creative industries
Learn about neurodiversity, which refers to the infinite variation in cognitive functioning that can lead to differences in thinking, attention and memory. The handbook explores the experiences of people with specific facets of neurodiversity such as ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and Tourette Syndrome.
To arrange a counselling session, please contact AccessEAP on 1800 818 728.