A Diversity Message From Neil Meltzer - August 2017

Aug. 9 is International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. In 1982, this date was chosen to commemorate the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group of Indigenous Populations. The commemoration offers an opportunity for all of us to recognize the 370 million indigenous people living in 90 countries around the world for their unique cultures, achievements and the challenges they have faced. If you would like to learn more about the celebrations taking place around the world, as well as the10th anniversary of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, click here.

Krishna, the eighth incarnation of the supreme God, is one of the most important figures in the Hindu faith. His birthday falls around Aug. 14 this year, and to celebrate this day, known as Krishna Janmashtami, people will fast until midnight, which is presumed to be the exact hour that Krishna entered the world, and they will decorate their homes with images of Krishna's birth and childhood.
Rastafarians celebrate the birthday of Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican politician, activist, publisher, journalist and entrepreneur, on Aug. 17. Revered by members of the Rastafari faith, an Abrahamic belief originating in Jamaica in the 1930s, Garvey is credited with starting some of the largest black movements in U.S. history, including the Universal Negro Improvement Association and the African Communities League.

World Humanitarian Day is a global celebration of the people who devote themselves to serving others and working for a better world. It is observed each year on Aug. 19, to commemorate the day 22 aid workers lost their lives in the 2003 bombing at the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad. On this day, we pause to reflect upon the ways that each of us - no matter where we come from, how we worship, or what culture we belong to - can work together to make the world a more compassionate place.

Aug. 26 is Women's Equality Day. In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was fully ratified, giving women the right to vote. To commemorate the long struggle to earn this right, Bella Abzug, a New York Congresswoman, introduced a proclamation for Women's Equality Day in 1971, and since then, every president has issued a formal proclamation highlighting the achievements of women as they take leadership positions that would have been unavailable to them only a few decades ago. This day is also a chance to reflect upon all the work that still needs to be done until full equality is achieved.

The Qixi Festival, China's version of Valentine's Day, falls on Aug. 28. The story behind this holiday - where couples exchange flowers and gifts - is considered one of the most moving love stories in Chinese mythology. According to the story, Zhi Nu, the daughter of a goddess, fell in love with Niu Lang, a cowherd; their love was forbidden, and they were banished to opposite ends of the Milky Way. On this day each year, all of the magpies on earth form a bridge between the lovers, allowing them a temporary reconciliation.

At LifeBridge Health we celebrate both what makes us diverse and unique, and what makes us the same - our shared purpose of caring for the community together.