Harmony Day is a time when school communities can unite and promote inclusion.
We can lead our communities in the appreciation of difference by celebrating and sharing our cultural heritage, practices, beliefs, identities and languages. Furthermore, we can reflect on what racism is and what we can all do to stand up, educate and combat it.
The date for Harmony Day in Australia, 21 March, was chosen as it falls on the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; a day that marks its birth from the Sharpeville massacre that took place during a civil rights event in apartheid South Africa in 1960.
The world now acknowledges this date as the day that freedom from racial discrimination should be maintained as a human right.
As educators, we are charged with the responsibility of not only marking this day as a celebration but also as a dedication to promoting anti-racism, equity and inclusion within our schools and the wider community.
Visit these links to plan how your school can celebrate Harmony Day 2020:
- harmony.gov.au/
- education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/multicultural-education/culture-and-diversity/calendar-for-cultural-diversity/planning-harmony-day.
Share your day with us by sending in your photos to [email protected] or post them to Twitter or Instagram accounts and mention Federation using @TeachersFed.