On behalf of the eHealth Technologies executive leadership team and the DEI Committee, I’d like to take this opportunity to celebrate Diversity Month. Diversity Month is a celebration that was initiated in 2004 to recognize and celebrate the beauty of our unique cultures, backgrounds, and traditions. As a people, we are the intersectionality of race, ethnic origin and color, religion and creed, sexual orientation, age, ability, sizes, and shapes, to name but a few. We originate from a myriad of cultures, steeped in a multitude of belief systems and traditions.
It is important that we find value in each other’s experiences, differences, and unique characteristics as it enables us to respond with relevance, empathy, and compassion. By celebrating and sharing our authentic selves, we gain a greater appreciation of each other and the diversity that surrounds us. Celebrating diversity not only boosts cultural awareness but most importantly creates spaces of inclusion and fosters belonging where people feel valued.
I’d like to thank our DEI Committee for sharing the following summary of observances for the month of April. Do you celebrate any of these observances? If so, we’d love to hear more about why they are important to you. Feel free to share your memories and photos and we may include them in the next employee newsletter – send an email to BrilliantIdeas@ehealthtechnologies.com.
Autism Acceptance Month – Established to raise awareness about and acceptance of the developmental disability that impacts an individual’s experience of the world around them.
National Arab American Heritage Month – Celebrates the Arab American heritage and culture and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans.
National Donate Life Month – Promotes and encourages sharing the “Donate Life” message and the importance of registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor. More information to come from our friends on the Cares Committee!
April 2: World Autism Awareness Day – Created to raise autism awareness around the globe.
April 2: Palm Sunday – A Christian holiday commemorating the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It takes place on the last Sunday of Lent, at the beginning of Holy Week.
April 6–April 13: Passover – An eight-day Jewish holiday in commemoration of the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.
April 9: Easter – A holiday celebrated by Christians to recognize Jesus’ return from death after the crucifixion.
April 14: The Day of Silence – Students take a daylong vow of silence to protest the actual silencing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) students and their straight allies due to bias and harassment.
April 17: Laylat al-Qadr – The holiest night of the year for Muslims, traditionally celebrated on the twenty-seventh day of Ramadan. It is known as the Night of Power and commemorates the night that the Quran was first revealed to the prophet Muhammad.
April 17–18: Yom HaShoah – Israel’s day of remembrance for the approximately six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
April 21–May 2: The Festival of Ridván – A holiday celebrated by those of the Baha’i faith, commemorating the twelve days when Baha’u’llah, the prophet-founder, resided in a garden called Ridvan (paradise) and publicly proclaimed his mission as God’s messenger for this age.
April 21–22 (sundown to sundown): Eid al-Fitr – The first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal, marking the end of Ramadan. Many Muslims attend communal prayers, listen to a khutuba (sermon), and give Zakat al-Fitr (charity in the form of food) during Eid al-Fitr.
April 22: Earth Day – Promotes world peace and sustainability of the planet. Events are held globally in support of environmental protection of the Earth.
April 24: Armenian Martyrs’ Day – Recognizes the genocide of approximately 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 in Turkey.
April 25-26 (sundown to sundown): Yom Ha’Atzmaut – National Independence Day in Israel
April 29: Ninth Day of Ridván – A festival of joy and unity in the Baha’i faith to commemorate the beginning of the Bahá’í Faith in 1863.